Skip to main content

milodiduca
8th February 2020

It’s important to be mindful, even if you’re vegan

Who is really profiting from your ethical choices? asks Milo Diduca
Categories:
TLDR
It’s important to be mindful, even if you’re vegan
Climate Crisis Photo: Li-An Lim @Unsplash

Veganism is rapidly recruiting new members, with over 400,000 people signing up for Veganuary, a promise to live without animal products for a month. For this proud vegan, it is a pleasing figure (almost double the one for 2018). As the movement grows, however, it becomes more important to consider the politics behind the label. Veganism was born out of the desire for an ethical life, particularly with regard to animal welfare, sustainability and stopping the destruction of our planet.

For this reason, it is troubling to see corporate giants cash in on Veganuary. Omnivore or herbivore, we can all agree that fast-food giants are not founded on vegan ethics. Neither is all ‘vegan’ food cruelty-free. Buying a vegan option from a mega-meat-monolith will put your money in the pockets of CEOs, and fund operational expansion which can only lead to more animals harmed, more rain forests damaged.

On the surface these corporate strategies seem a good way to introduce people to the vegan diet, showing that it’s not just salads and tofu. However, they conceal a struggle between companies for market dominance, and the aim is simply profit. These are companies with no background in sustainability, which divert customers from those smaller enterprises with sustainability plans and a desire for change.

With Australia on fire and 56 billion animals killed for food each year, people understandably want to make positive contributions. But activism is not achieved at the level of consumer choices. It is achieved through awareness of the way we eat. Sticking to a plant-based diet is the best approach for you and the planet—and by diet, I mean the kinds of food you eat, not weight-loss. Even some famous vegetarian and vegan food is unethical. For example, Linda McCartney products use a lot of palm oil, which is known to stem from deforestation.

With little being done by governments over climate change, it is essential that mindful veganism continue beyond January. Going plant-based is the single biggest thing we can do to reduce our carbon footprint. And for a vegan lifestyle to matter, we must switch to seasonal, minimally processed food sources.

A quote from Wild Food Cafe’s cookbook: “When something is grown with an agenda for profit and greed, the more it leads to ripples of imbalance and distortions in all relationships proceeding from it.”


More Coverage

Springleaf Podcast: James Acaster’s new audio adventure

We discuss Springleaf Podcast, the new audio sitcom created by the much loved British stand-up comic James Acaster.

My year abroad, the visa process, and getting lost in translation

Preparing for your year abroad can feel daunting, but with a little preparation and a willingness to get things wrong at first, there’ll be plenty to look forward to

Getting involved: Volunteering at the Booth Centre

Getting involved in volunteering can help you feel more connected to Manchester and support the local community, here’s one writer’s experience

‘An audio treat’: The Mancunion’s favourite podcasts

Whether you’re looking to keep up with current affairs, celebrity gossip or even Formula 1, we’ve got you covered with our top pick of podcasts