FULL LIST OF RESOURCES AFTER THE TRANSLATION
Original version in Brazilian Portuguese here.
Something special happened and I want to express how thankful I feel. It was, in fact, in 2016 that I learnt the most beautiful and happy thing I’ve ever discovered in my life.
In 2016, I understood things that completely transformed my life choices. I discovered that many things that I considered healthy or neutral, in moderation, are not quite so. I learnt that the World Health Organization classifies processed meat as a carcinogen in the same group as cigarettes, and red meat as a potential carcinogen in the group just below cigarettes [1] [2]. I found out that the Harvard School of Public Health says that milk is neither the only nor the best source of calcium and that we can live without it, but that if we do choose to ingest it, we must limit that intake as high doses can increase the risk of prostate and, maybe, ovarian cancer, and, paradoxically, increase the risk of weakened bones [3] [4]. I also learnt so many other shocking facts about our nutrition that if I had to write them here, this text would become a book, but they are gathered in documentaries such as Forks Over Knifes [5] and What The Health [6], available on Netflix.
I have learnt that a whole foods plant-based diet is the only one that, as well as treating, has, in some cases, reversed heart disease [7] and is also an important treatment factor for many other diseases [8]. I discovered information about one of the largest nutrition studies ever conducted, the China Study, which gathers decades of research and was led by researchers from Oxford and Cornell Universities and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. This study concludes that the closer people came to an all plant-based diet, the lower their risk of chronic disease [9].
I’ve always thought that animal products were necessary for our health, but I discovered that even the Brazilian Ministry of Health has already admitted that these products are not essential for us [10 - p.84]. And that large organizations, such as the American Association of Nutrition and Dietetics [11], the Dietitians of Canada [12] and the British Dietetic Association [13], have already issued a position that clarifies that a diet without meat and even without any animal products is healthy for us at any stage of life .
But I found out more. I also discovered how this industry is harmful to our planet. It is the main responsible for greenhouse gases emissions, more than all transport industries combined [14]. And it is also one of the leading causes of climate change [15] and Amazon deforestation [16]. I learnt many other shocking facts about the impact of this industry in the documentary Cowspiracy [17], also available on Netflix.
It doesn’t surprise me that men like Bill Gates are interested in companies that produce plant-based products [18] and that he and Richard Branson believe that the future of food will be plant-based [19] [20]. After all, institutions such as the UN [21] [22] and universities like Oxford [23] have already warned that the future of food needs to be the plant-based if we want to control environmental damage and save lives.
And as if the environmental issue wasn’t enough, I also understood the intimate connection between the production of animal products and world hunger [24]. I found out that in 1997, there was already a study from Cornell University showing that just the food that is given to animals in the US would already be enough to feed 800 million people [25]. This is more than the World Bank believes to be the number of people below the poverty line — estimated to be approximately 767 million people by 2013 [26].
And I had more to learn. I learnt about the brutality of the labor exploitation in degrading conditions in the meatpacking industry [27] [28]. I found out that this industry exposes its workers to a 596% higher risk of burn-related incidents and a 743% greater risk of wrist injuries, compared to any other industry. Moreover, on the risks of mental disorders: while in the general population the incidence is 209 cases out of every hundred thousand workers, in this industry this figure rises to 712 cases out of every hundred thousand workers [29].
While all of this is revolting, it was not any of this that touched me the most. Knowing that an animal-based diet is harmful to our society and our planet and unnecessary - maybe, even damaging - to our health, what has touched me most was finally seeing all the radical, and absolutely regulated, practices to make these products. I’ve seen the despair in the eyes of the calf that is removed from its mother so that we can drink their milk [30]. I’ve looked at the terror of the hutches in which the calves are confined until they are old either to take their mother’s place, or, if they are male, to become veal in a few months [31]. I’ve seen the horror of the dairy industry [32]. I’ve witnessed the fear of the helpless bull waiting their turn in the slaughter line [33 - 44s]. I’ve seen the dismay in the animals’ eyes on the transport truck to the slaughterhouse [34]. I’ve heard the cries of the pigs going through the “humane” slaughter inside a gas chamber [35]. I’ve seen the horror in the baby chicks’ eyes as they lie on the separation mat so that the males, which are of no use to the egg industry, can be separated from the females and discarded, thrown alive in a blender [36]. I’ve understood that none of these products can be produced without a great deal of suffering and that nothing humane happens inside a slaughterhouse. And, I couldn’t even watch the documentaries that show the whole process, such as Earthlings [37], Farm to Fridge [38], Lucent [39] and Land of Hope and Glory [40].
Something special happened. In 2016, I discovered what on earth veganism was, a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals [41]. I understood that with a single decision I could get closer to the best diet for my health, could drastically reduce my contribution to the planet’s major environmental problems, could contribute to reducing one of the causes of world hunger and, more importantly, I could refrain from sustaining one of the industries that exploits human labor the most and that also massacres billions of animals every year. All of this, just by excluding animal products from my consumption and becoming vegan with the help of delicious recipes [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] and many other vegan websites and channels to help with all the aspects of veganism [49] [50] [51] [52] [53] [54]. So simple.
And that was the best thing I’ve ever learnt and that I’m thankful for. It was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. I can’t even talk about veganism without sounding tacky like a teenager in love. For in this one year of mistakes and victories, and many things to learn, I have been able to do my best to avoid paying for all the unnecessary suffering that is caused by this industry. And I believe that this is a very happy way to live.
That’s why I decided to gather as much information as I could in a bit more than a thousand words and tell everyone I know. Because maybe, you — as I felt — will also be amazed to discover all this. Maybe you’ll also be so shocked that you’ll need to access the sources, read the studies and see the documentaries. And I think you’ll be right and the list below will be a good way to start, if you want. Maybe you, like me, will also get excited about the idea that you won’t have to consume animal products anymore, that you will be able to set the animals free and set yourself free from paying for all that.
Perhaps, knowing these things, next year you’ll also be celebrating for going vegan for the animals, for the end of world hunger, for the planet and for your health. After all, as the vegan activist James Aspey said, “This [veganism] is not some mundane diet choice, this is the difference between enslavement and freedom, between torture and peace, between death and life […] One person does make a difference, and together we are changing the world.” [55]. :)
Note: The original version of this text was written in Brazilian Portuguese. I translated it so I could share the information here also with my English speaking friends.
RESOURCES:
[1] WHO LIST OF CLASSIFICATIONS, VOLUMES 1–119 (English) http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Classification/latest_classif.php
[2] WHO. Q&A on the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat (English) http://www.who.int/features/qa/cancer-red-meat/en/
[3] Harvard. School of Public Health. Calcium and Milk (English) https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-and-milk/
[4] Harvard. School of Public Health. Healthy Eating Plate & Healthy Eating Pyramid (English) https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/
[5] Forks over Knives https://www.forksoverknives.com/
[6] What the Health (disponível no Netflix) (available on Netflix) http://www.whatthehealthfilm.com/facts/
[7] Book: Prevent And Reverse Heart Disease (English) http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/books/prevent-reverse/about-the-book/
[8] Book: How Not To Die (English) https://nutritionfacts.org/book/
[9] Book: The China Study (English) http://nutritionstudies.org/the-china-study/
[10] Governo Brasileiro. Ministério da Saúde. Guia Alimentar 2016. p. 84 (Português) http://portalarquivos.saude.gov.br/images/pdf/2014/novembro/05/Guia-Alimentar-para-a-pop-brasiliera-Miolo-PDF-Internet.pdf
[11] Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. (English) https://www.andeal.org/vault/2440/web/JADA_VEG.pdf
[12] Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets (English) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12778049
[13] British Dietetic Association confirms well-planned vegan diets can support healthy living in people of all ages (English) https://www.bda.uk.com/news/view?id=179
[14] FAO/UN. Livestock’s Long Shadow: environmental issues and options (English) http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.HTM
[15] World Watch. Livestock and Climate Change: What if the key actors in climate change are cows, pigs, and chickens? (English) http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/Livestock%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf
[16] World Bank. Causes of Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon (English) http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/758171468768828889/pdf/277150PAPER0wbwp0no1022.pdf
[17] Cowspiracy (disponível no Netflix) (available on Netflix) http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/
[18] Forbes. The Science And Business Of Beyond Meat — The Bill Gates-Backed Burger Of The Future (English) https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenbertoni/2017/08/22/podcast-the-science-and-business-of-beyond-meat-the-bill-gates-backed-burger-of-the-future/?utm_source=FBPAGE&utm_medium=social&utm_content=1048462799&utm_campaign=sprinklrForbesMainFB#51f183324987
[19] Forbes. Richard Branson Makes A Bold Prediction About The Future Of Food (English) https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelpellmanrowland/2017/09/27/richard-branson-food-prediction/#65f653802021
[20] Bill Gates Blog. Future of Food https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill-Gates/Future-of-Food
[21] The Guardian. UN urges global move to meat and dairy-free diet (English) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-free-diet
[22] UNEP/UN. Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production (English) p.82 http://www.unep.fr/shared/publications/pdf/DTIx1262xPA-PriorityProductsAndMaterials_Report.pdf
[23] Oxford University. Future of Food. Plant-Based Diets Could Save Millions Of Lives And Dramatically Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions (English) http://www.futureoffood.ox.ac.uk/news/plant-based-diets-could-save-millions-lives-and-dramatically-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions
[24] Mercy for Animals. What Are You Doing To Help Stop World Hunger? (English) https://www.facebook.com/mercyforanimals/videos/10155283206709475/
[25] Cornell University. U.S. could feed 800 million people with grain that livestock eat, Cornell ecologist advises animal scientists (English) http://news.cornell.edu/stories/1997/08/us-could-feed-800-million-people-grain-livestock-eat
[26] World Bank. Poverty (inglês) http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview
[27] ONG Repórter Brasil. Vida de Gado (Português) http://reporterbrasil.org.br/boi/
[28] ONG Repórter Brasil. Documentário Carne, Osso (Português) https://vimeo.com/117457305
[29] ONG Repórter Brasil. Técnico da Previdência Social mostra estatísticas sobre acidentes em frigoríficos (Português) (English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqKPlv1GxII
[30] The price of milk, cheese (dairy) and veal — separation of a cow and her calf (English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYJPbrxdn8w
[31] Dairy is scary. The public are waking up to the darkest part of farming (English) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/mar/30/dairy-scary-public-farming-calves-pens-alternatives
[32] DAIRY IS SCARY! The industry explained in 5 minutes (English) (legenda em português) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN7SGGoCNI
[33] Why vegan?(Bull scene in 44s) (English) https://youtu.be/y2k4NHjAP84?t=44s
[34] Police Protect Animal ABUSERS (English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYcRO_wDRMY&t=300s
[35] What Noise Does Bacon Make? (English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS1XHQ7hoXE
[36] WATCH: Baby Chicks Ground Up Alive at Maple Leaf Hatchery (English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN0g13kMk6s
[37] TERRÁQUEOS EARTHLINGS http://www.terraqueos.org/
[38] Farm to Fridge — The Truth Behind Meat Production https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THIODWTqx5E (English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSIq0MAAXmg (Português)
[39] Lucent (2014) — full documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KArL5YjaL5U
[40] Land of Hope and Glory (UK ‘Earthlings’ Documentary) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvtVkNofcq8
[41] The Vegan Society. Definition of veganism (English) https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism
[42] Bosh TV (English) https://www.facebook.com/bosh.tv/
[43] So Vegan (English) https://www.facebook.com/wearesovegan/
[44] Verde is Better (English/Español) https://www.facebook.com/verdeisbetter/
[45] JunkFoodvegan Brasil (Português) https://www.facebook.com/JunkFoodVeganBrasil/
[46] Vegetarirango (Português) https://www.youtube.com/user/vegetarirango
[47] Presunto Vegetariano (Português) https://www.youtube.com/user/PresuntoVegetariano
[48] The Vegan Corner (English) https://www.youtube.com/user/thevegancorner
[49] Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach (English) http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/ / Veganos pela Abolição (Português) http://www.veganospelaabolicao.org/
[50] Go Vegan World (English) https://goveganworld.com/
[51] Bite Size Vegan (English) https://www.youtube.com/user/BiteSizeVegan
[52] The Vegan Activist (English) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE0yGL4Bgs2QNomOrslyLtw/videos
[53] Challenge 22 (English) https://www.challenge22.com/challenge22/
[54] Vista-se (Português) https://www.vista-se.com.br/
[55] This Speech Is Your WAKE UP CALL! (Quote in 44m55s) (legenda em português) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHOcox2lvQo
