Animals in the Vegan Argument
“I trust no one more than a vegetarian. They will not kill another animal, they will not kill another human,” Gawat says in response to Newman’s article, I Lost an Argument with a Vegan. Here’s What I Learned, which tries to provide a culture shock of sorts about harvesting grain, where he says, “Have you ever seen combine blades after a harvest? Ever seen the dead snakes, mice, ground dwelling birds, voles, deer fawns, groundhogs, fox pups and the myriad other blood-soaked carcasses farmers yank out of their quarter million dollar reapers at every harvest?” (Gawat, Newman, I Lost an Argument with a Vegan. Here’s what I Learned). The article goes on to say how pig-headed and ignorant the vegans he argues with are. No matter where you stand on this issue, someone is ready to oppose you with nasty words and sentiments, often prepared to state one group is morally better than another, even if in actuality the same sentiment is meant. Although it is becoming increasingly common to become vegan because one loves animals, how animals fit into our diets and agriculture is not that simple.
Being vegan can remove guilt some people find from eating or consuming animal products and promote their message with posters and advertising campaigns with small children hugging bunnies saying things like “I don’t feel superior because I’m vegan. The truth is I am vegan because I don’t feel superior to others.” by Michele McCowan. Many people today that live above the poverty line no longer find animal products a necessity to live a healthy lifestyle. This being said, many developing countries and lower-income families find them the best, if not only, option to create a balanced diet with the necessary proteins and nutrients to be one with meats, dairy, eggs, and animal fats. Removing these products year round leaves choices that are more expensive due to being out-of-season or not local commodities. And for many religions, animals are seen as being put here by their deity as a way to provide, the same as plants. They thank the land for what it has given, or the animals for their sacrifice, and/or the gods for providing. This leads to a respect for all aspects of the earth, plants, animals, and people, as something to be treasured.
This is the root of why so many vegans choose not to eat animals: out of respect. And this same respect for life can be found in the farmers that facilitate putting eggs or steak or lip balm or brownies in stores. People that respect the life of the animals they work with should not be seen as lesser than others because of their choices. If they raise, or buy products from those who raise, their animals in clean conditions, with adequate food, space, shelter, and enrichment, then eat them or use their products, they are doing so in a way that honors the animals’ lives the same way you could chose to by abstaining, even if it is done where animals’ lives are purposefully taken.
Ethics and sustainability of animal farming are commonly called into question and there are things vegans, and anyone that wants to promote the wellbeing of animals, should know. Operations commercialized to the point where animals are seen purely as dollar signs and do not provide the simplest of needs for a healthy lifestyle such as enough room to turn around in, sunlight, the food and water that is adequate for more than the bare minimum needed for producing, and a humane death no longer consider animals living, thinking creatures, capable of communicating and enjoying life. These operations are thankfully not the only option for purchasing animals or animal bi products. Look into local and smaller-scale farmers, and research a company before supporting them.
Animals naturally insert themselves into, and die in, the ecosystems that are created by farming. Field mice will make a wheat farm their home, and a bird of prey will come along and eat one. Deer will graze in a pumpkin patch down by the river, and a cougar will have one for dinner. When a reaper is run through a field to harvest a grain, animals that live in or eat from these fields will be killed, and need to be scraped and sprayed off the blades. Even in a greenhouse, animals -mammals, birds, or insects- will be killed in the making of your food. Not only do animals show up here, they are needed in the practical functions of plant farming. The fertility that is needed to sustain current plant yields cannot be derived from green manures alone (Newman, I Lost an Argument with a Vegan. Here’s what I Learned.). There is plenty of land and food available to feed the world’s population, plant based or animal based (Movahedi, Paillotin, and Neveu, Will the Planet have Enough Land to Feed Mankind in the 21st Century?), but food waste is a much bigger problem than production numbers. A European study found fresh fruits and vegetables make up a staggering 36% of food wasted as compared to meat, dairy, and eggs, that total 14%. If removed completely, this would save the United Kingdom up to 14.7 billion dollars, and cut down on 2.4 % of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Being vegan can make people find greater enjoyment from their food and has opened the doors for many to discover new foods and alternate options to animal products. Veganism has helped raise awareness about alternate food sources and can provide healthier options in plants based diets, reducing risks of diseases such as heart attacks for those that struggle with cholesterol levels, or promoting coconut based ice cream for the lactose intolerant. This helps those that choose to consume animal products as well. We can use our differences to help in advocating for a future with more sustainable and more ethical agriculture. And whether or not you eat animals, vegan lifestyles can help to promote their ethical treatment.
Works Cited:
Becoming vegan, becoming decent. Gibb, Robert. October 2, 2017. https://medium.com/the-mission/becoming-vegan-becoming-decent-ad3f8dfcf236
Household Food and Drink Waste in the UK. WRAP. Quested, Tom. Johnson, Hanna. October 8, 2017. http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/Household_food_and_drink_waste_in_the_UK_-_report.pdf
Is a vegetarian diet really more environmentally friendly than eating meat?. Martindale, Wayne. October 8, 2017. http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/06/health/vegetarian-diet-conversation/index.html
I Lost an Argument with a Vegan. Here’s what I Learned. Newman, Chris. October 4,2017. https://medium.com/@cnative100/i-lost-an-argument-with-a-vegan-heres-what-i-learned-9800498d4254
Comment by Gawat, Megg. October 4,2017. https://medium.com/@megawatt/as-a-local-virginian-as-well-i-cannot-face-palm-enough-at-how-wrong-this-article-is-d6b693db0944
Comment by Newman, Chris. October 4, 2017. https://medium.com/@cnative100/do-you-grow-all-your-own-food-and-harvest-it-by-hand-2102b5352fa8
Will the planet have enough land to feed mankind in the 21st century?. Momagri. Movahedi, Nahid. Paillotin, Guy. Neveu, Andre. October 8, 2017. http://www.momagri.org/UK/points-of-view/Will-the-planet-have-enough-land-to-feed-mankind-in-the-21st-century-_646.html