World Vegan Month
Did you know, there’s a month dedicated to vegansim? Every November, plant-based eaters celebrate being vegan and share advice, recipes and ideas for those who are curious about veganism. Are you a vegan? Or are you vegan-curious?
I’m in the ‘vegan-curious’ camp. I believe ‘everything in moderation’, although admittedly my diet is already light in meat and dairy. However, the more I read and hear about animal-based products, specifically their impact on the human body and the environment, the more interested I’ve become in a vegan diet.
Whether your impetus is the animals, your health, the environmental benefits, the worldwide population, or a combination of these factors, The Vegan Society website has lots of information to help understand the reasons behind veganism.
Avoiding animal products is of course a way of taking a stand against animal cruelty and animal exploitation. What you may not realise, is that this encompasses the honey, dairy and egg industry too.
Netflix documentary, ‘The Game Changers’, has been a real eye-opener for me. I have always tried to looked after my health and enjoy regular exercise, so I was shocked to learn about the impact of animal-based protein on our health. If you haven’t watched it, I’d recommend you take a look.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) states that:
“Agriculture is responsible for 18% of the total release of greenhouse gases worldwide. This is more than the whole transportation sector.”
In addition, livestock take up 30% of the earth’s entire land surface, mostly permanent pasture, but also including 33% of the global arable land used to produce feed for that livestock. Forests cleared for new pastures are a major reason for deforestation.
Think about our ancestors – they would not have consumed as much meat as we do nowadays. Look at our teeth – we have grinding teeth, used to break down plant-based meals. We’ve touched on the environmental impact of the cattle industry. This intensive farming is an unsustainable way of feeding the human population, as we are destroying the Earth in the process through deforestation and pollution. A plant-based diet requires one third of the land needed to support a meat and dairy diet.
