IT ALL STARTED WHEN HUMANS HAD NO CHOICE AND HAD TO KILL AND DRINK MILK FOR SURVIVAL, BUT THEN KINGDOMS AND CORPORATIONS ABUSED IT AND MADE IT ACCESSIBLE TO GAIN FAME AND RICHES. WE NEVER STOPPED TO THINK, AND THE VICTIMS ARE STILL IN CAGES.
A little bit of history…
-
The earliest humans (hominins) primarily consumed fruits, nuts, and leaves; they were similar to other primates in their dietary preferences. However, as they faced changes in their environment, particularly in Africa where forests receded and savannahs expanded, early humans adapted by expanding their diet to include more diverse food sources.
Around 2.5 million years ago, evidence suggests that species such as Homo habilis began using tools to scavenge meat from carcasses left by predators. This was not initially a primary food source but a supplement to their diet, providing crucial nutrients like protein and fat, which were beneficial for brain development and energy needs in a more demanding environment.
-
The consumption of milk from other animals began much later, approximately 10,000 years ago, with the domestication of livestock such as cows, goats, and sheep. Initially, all humans were lactose intolerant past weaning age, but with the domestication of dairy animals, a genetic mutation allowing lactose tolerance into adulthood emerged in some populations. This mutation provided a nutritional advantage and spread among several groups, particularly in Europe and Africa, where dairy farming became integral to agriculture and survival.
-
The Neolithic Revolution, marking the transition from nomadic hunter-gatherer societies to settled farming communities, was a pivotal moment in human history. It wasn't just plants that were domesticated but also animals. This shift made it easier to access meat, milk, and other animal products, leading to a dependency on these resources. As human populations grew, the systematic breeding, raising, and slaughtering of animals became more organized.
-
With the Industrial Revolution and the growth of urban centers, the demand for meat and animal products increased dramatically. To meet this demand, the production of these products became more industrialized. Slaughterhouses and meat-packing industries were established away from public view. This separation allowed for the scale of production to increase without direct consumer awareness of the processes involved, thereby normalizing the consumption of animal products without direct evidence of the slaughter involved.
-
Despite the historical shift to omnivorous diets, there are arguments that anatomically and physiologically, humans are more suited to a herbivorous diet. Advocates point to the human digestive tract, dental arrangement, and stomach acidity, which resemble those of herbivores more than carnivores or even omnivores. Moreover, with the abundance of plant-based food sources today, many argue that consuming animal products is no longer necessary for most people to thrive nutritionally. The ethical, environmental, and health concerns associated with animal farming are also driving a reevaluation of meat and dairy consumption in many societies.
There are substantial arguments and modern alternatives that support a shift back towards plant-based eating, aligning with what some believe to be humans' more natural dietary inclinations.
Animal farming is destroying our planet
-
Impact: Animal agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, notably methane from cattle and other ruminants, as well as nitrous oxide from manure management. These gases are potent contributors to global warming and climate change.
Plant-Based Solution: Shifting to a plant-based diet significantly reduces one's carbon footprint. Plants require less energy from fossil fuels during farming than meat production. Cultivating plants directly for human consumption eliminates the methane emissions from livestock and reduces the overall greenhouse gases emitted per calorie of food produced.
-
Impact: Animal farming requires vast areas of land, not only for the animals themselves but also to grow feed crops. This demand leads to deforestation and habitat destruction, particularly in biodiverse regions such as the Amazon rainforest.
Plant-Based Solution: A plant-based diet is much more land-efficient. More people can be fed on less land if the crops are consumed directly by humans rather than used to first feed animals. Reducing the land used for animal agriculture would allow more room for natural habitats to regenerate and support biodiversity.
-
Impact: Livestock farming is water-intensive, consuming a large proportion of the world's freshwater resources. Additionally, animal farming contributes to water pollution through runoff that contains fertilizers, antibiotics, and animal waste, affecting rivers, lakes, and coastal ecosystems.
Plant-Based Solution: Plant-based foods generally require less water to produce than animal products. By adopting a plant-based diet, the strain on freshwater resources can be significantly alleviated. Additionally, the reduction in nutrient runoff would decrease the instances of aquatic dead zones and eutrophication.
-
Impact: To prevent disease in crowded conditions, antibiotics are widely used in animal farming, which contributes to the rising threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Plant-Based Solution: Reducing the demand for animal products can decrease the use of antibiotics in farming, thereby lowering the risk of antibiotic resistance developing. This change can help preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for human medical use.
-
Impact: The production of high-protein feed for animals like soy and corn is resource-intensive and often involves harmful agricultural practices, including the heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers.
Plant-Based Solution: Direct human consumption of these crops increases the efficiency of food systems and decreases the need for intensive, environmentally harmful agricultural practices. This shift would not only conserve resources but also reduce chemical runoff and its associated environmental impacts.
It brings illnesses and diseases
-
Impact: Many infectious diseases in humans originate from animals, particularly from domesticated animals. These zoonotic diseases can jump from animals to humans, especially in conditions where animals are kept in close, unsanitary quarters, as often seen in intensive livestock farming. Examples include influenza strains (e.g., swine flu and avian flu) and other pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli.
Vegan Solution: Adopting a vegan diet eliminates direct human contact with livestock and thereby significantly reduces the risk of zoonotic diseases originating from domesticated animal populations. This change could lead to fewer outbreaks and a lower risk of pandemics.
-
Impact: To prevent disease in densely populated farms and to promote faster growth, antibiotics are frequently used in animal agriculture. This widespread use contributes to antibiotic resistance, a severe threat to global health. Resistant bacteria can transfer from animals to humans through direct contact, the consumption of animal products, or environmental pathways.
Vegan Solution: Veganism supports the reduction of antibiotic use in agriculture by eliminating the demand for animal products. This change can decrease the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, safeguarding the effectiveness of these vital medicines.
-
Impact: Consumption of red and processed meats has been linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. These health issues are associated with high levels of saturated fats and carcinogens that can form during meat processing and cooking.
Vegan Solution: A well-planned vegan diet is typically lower in saturated fat and free of the carcinogens found in cooked meats. Many studies have shown that vegetarians and vegans tend to have lower rates of these chronic diseases, likely due to higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, fibers, and antioxidants.
-
Impact: Hormones are often used in animal farming to promote growth and increase productivity, which can affect human health when these animal products are consumed. Hormonal residues in meat and dairy products can influence the hormonal balance in humans, potentially leading to health issues, including reproductive health problems.
Vegan Solution: By avoiding animal products, vegans consume foods free of these artificial hormones, reducing their exposure to these external hormonal influences.
-
Impact: The environmental degradation caused by intensive animal farming—from greenhouse gas emissions to water pollution—also affects human health indirectly through air and water quality and climate change-related impacts.
Vegan Solution: A shift toward veganism helps reduce the environmental footprint of human diets, leading to better overall environmental quality and consequently improving public health outcomes linked to environmental factors.
What about the ethical destruction?
-
Impact: Industrial animal farming often involves conditions that many consider cruel and inhumane. Animals are frequently kept in confined spaces, denied natural behaviors, and subjected to painful procedures without anesthesia (e.g., beak trimming, tail docking). These practices raise significant ethical concerns regarding the treatment of sentient beings.
Vegan Solution: Veganism rejects the commodification of animals, advocating instead for their right to live free from human-imposed suffering. By not consuming animal products, vegans actively decrease the demand for these products, thereby reducing the number of animals subjected to these conditions.
-
Impact: Domesticated animals often depend on humans for care and protection, but in many farming practices, this trust is betrayed when animals are raised for slaughter. This betrayal can be seen as a profound ethical failing, reflecting a lack of integrity and compassion in human-animal relationships.
Vegan Solution: Veganism fosters a relationship based on respect and non-exploitation with all sentient beings. It encourages practices that honor the trust animals might place in humans by not subjecting them to betrayal for economic or dietary preferences.
-
Impact: Routine slaughter and the acceptance of violence against animals in farming can desensitize people to suffering and aggression. This normalization of violence is concerning as it may influence societal attitudes towards violence in general, reducing empathy and increasing aggression.
Vegan Solution: Embracing veganism helps reject the normalization of violence, promoting a culture of peace and respect for life. It encourages individuals and societies to reconsider their roles in perpetuating violence and to seek non-violent alternatives.
-
Impact: Animal farming is a major contributor to environmental degradation, including habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Ethically, the destruction of the planet for short-term gains violates our responsibilities to future generations and other living beings who share our planet.
Vegan Solution: Veganism supports environmental stewardship, significantly reducing one's ecological footprint. By choosing plant-based options, individuals contribute to less resource-intensive and less ecologically damaging food systems, aligning with ethical environmental practices.
-
Impact: The resources used for animal farming are disproportionately high. For example, feeding grains to animals for meat production is inefficient, diverting food that could nourish more people directly. This contributes to global food inequities and can be seen as an ethical issue, especially in a world where many face hunger.
Vegan Solution: A plant-based diet is more efficient in terms of calorie return per acre and requires less water and energy than meat production. Veganism can thus be a tool for promoting global justice, making more food available to more people and addressing hunger more effectively.
-
Impact: Many spiritual and philosophical traditions emphasize non-harm and peace as core principles. The practice of killing animals for food is often in direct conflict with these principles, potentially impacting spiritual well-being and karmic balance.
Vegan Solution: Veganism aligns with the principles of non-harm and respect for all life, supporting spiritual growth and karmic peace. It provides a practical way for individuals to live in accordance with compassionate, ethical, and peaceful values.
-
Impact: The treatment of animals in many farming systems often involves practices that not only cause physical suffering but also severely degrade their dignity. Animals are frequently confined to cramped, unnatural spaces, forcefully impregnated, and separated from their offspring, reducing them to mere units of production. Such treatment strips sentient beings of their inherent value and dignity, reflecting a profound disrespect for life.
Vegan Solution: Veganism stands as a fundamental rejection of practices that commodify and degrade animals. It promotes a view that all creatures have intrinsic worth and should be treated with respect and dignity. By choosing not to consume or utilize animal products, vegans advocate for and contribute to a cultural shift toward recognizing and protecting the dignity of every living being. This approach not only prevents the physical abuses associated with animal farming but also respects and preserves the moral worth of animals, ensuring they are seen and treated as more than mere commodities.
