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Someone Explained Why Veganism Is Not Cruelty Free, And It Might Make You Think Twice Before Going Vegan
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Someone Explained Why Veganism Is Not Cruelty Free, And It Might Make You Think Twice Before Going Vegan

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There are many reasons why people decide to lead a vegan lifestyle, but according to these meat-eaters, this style of living shouldn’t be adopted because it’s “Cruelty-Free.” They argue that even Cruelty-Free International certified products aren’t entirely innocent if one was to look at the vegan food industry as a whole. The discussion picked up serious heat after some vegans joined it, and it will surely draw you in, as well.

Forced labor, exploitation of workers, hazardous and extreme working conditions, lack of labor rights protecting agricultural workers and extremely low wage are still very common problems in the food supply chains, even the eco-friendly ones. Agriculture is even responsible for 70% of child labor. Since 2012, the amount of kids working in the industry has increased by 10 million, reaching 108 million in total. And what about the Bolivians who can no longer afford their staple grain, quinoa? The dramatic increase in its demand in the Western world made its price triple since 2006.

These were only a few arguments used in the attempt to make people rethink eating vegan. It turns out, however, that many do. According to the findings by faunalytics, 84% of vegetarians/vegans abandon their diet. 34% of lapsed vegetarians/vegans do so in three months or less. Scroll down to read the exchange on this supposedly healthy lifestyle and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

(h/t cheezburger)

Vegan campaigns such as the one below are encouraging people to choose a cruelty free lifestyle

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Image source: americanvegan.org (not an actual photo)

However, not everyone agrees that being a vegan means being cruelty free

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People instantly started sharing their own opinions

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And while some were questioning the logic behind some of the arguments

Others agreed completely

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Monika Brazaitytė

Monika Brazaitytė

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Monika Brazaitytė

Monika Brazaitytė

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Alusair Alustriel
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like someone said in the comments - it is pretty much impossible to live acruelty-free life. There are always two sides of each story. I don;t get the point of people trying to enforce their way of life/thinking over other people. Mind your own business, plate and life and everyone will be happier.

athornedrose
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Mind your own business, plate and life and everyone will be happier." *louder for the people in the back!*

Load More Replies...
Biljana Malesevic
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nothing is cruelty free. This is not a paradise, this is real world. While I don't judge people eating meat (I also eat it though not often),. I do judge massive production of meat, slaughter houses where animals are brought up in cages just to be killed, horrible chicken slaughter factories where animals are kept in abnormally cruel conditions etc. Farms are ok, hunting, if done well, is ok, animals kept in any sane and normal conditions, even if they are going to be used as food is, well, let's say ok. Keeping animals slummed up in tiny dirty cages and then chopping their heads off on some moving machine is not and never ok. Torturing any animal for food is not and never ok. We are meat eaters but we don't need to have concentration camps for chickens, pigs and cows. It could be humane.

Random Panda
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I completely agree. It's even worse when one considers that we produce more meat than we actually eat.

Load More Replies...
Sarah Sharpe
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm a little disappointed in this article. Veganism does not equate to 100% cruelty free, nor does it stand for being perfect. Before I get any further into this, I think it needs to be addressed that me being vegan doesn't make me better than anybody else, and stating that I am vegan is not a personal attack towards someome that isn't. That being said, this whole idea of "there will never be a cruelty free way to live so might as well not eat vegan" is ridiculous and albeit lazy. Not every vegan you meet is a quinoa, whole foods loving, preachy vegan (that is only in it for the aesthetic). That is a gross stereotype and is only a small percent, so please don't brush off real issues. The mest and dairy industries are the number one source of greenhouse gases, the number one motive behind deforestation. All the grain we are producing to breed (inseminate) more livestock to keep the cattle alive could feed most of the world. To reiterate, I said meat and dairy industries, not small farms which is a different argument. Veganism = doing the best you can to protect not only fellow inhabitants of the earth but our earth itself. It is not a fairytale ideology. People are self destructive creatures and it's important to weigh out the pros and cons of all the choices available to you.

Ola Bartosz
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think that the worst thing that happened to humans was basing their diet on product that not local, that needs chemicals to go to you, that exploit the land, the people and the enviorenment you don't see and don't understand. I don't say that eating e.g. few exotic fruit a month is a crime, but if everyone just generally focused on local products, including meat, we would not have the problems with carbon, with plastic, with unjustice expoitment. Why? Because you would care that in your area children wouldn't work on farm. You would care that farm are killing forests because you want to go for a weekend somewhere. You would care that animals would be treated respectfully, because you don't want mass production nearby your home. As simple as that. :(

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Alusair Alustriel
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like someone said in the comments - it is pretty much impossible to live acruelty-free life. There are always two sides of each story. I don;t get the point of people trying to enforce their way of life/thinking over other people. Mind your own business, plate and life and everyone will be happier.

athornedrose
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Mind your own business, plate and life and everyone will be happier." *louder for the people in the back!*

Load More Replies...
Biljana Malesevic
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nothing is cruelty free. This is not a paradise, this is real world. While I don't judge people eating meat (I also eat it though not often),. I do judge massive production of meat, slaughter houses where animals are brought up in cages just to be killed, horrible chicken slaughter factories where animals are kept in abnormally cruel conditions etc. Farms are ok, hunting, if done well, is ok, animals kept in any sane and normal conditions, even if they are going to be used as food is, well, let's say ok. Keeping animals slummed up in tiny dirty cages and then chopping their heads off on some moving machine is not and never ok. Torturing any animal for food is not and never ok. We are meat eaters but we don't need to have concentration camps for chickens, pigs and cows. It could be humane.

Random Panda
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I completely agree. It's even worse when one considers that we produce more meat than we actually eat.

Load More Replies...
Sarah Sharpe
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm a little disappointed in this article. Veganism does not equate to 100% cruelty free, nor does it stand for being perfect. Before I get any further into this, I think it needs to be addressed that me being vegan doesn't make me better than anybody else, and stating that I am vegan is not a personal attack towards someome that isn't. That being said, this whole idea of "there will never be a cruelty free way to live so might as well not eat vegan" is ridiculous and albeit lazy. Not every vegan you meet is a quinoa, whole foods loving, preachy vegan (that is only in it for the aesthetic). That is a gross stereotype and is only a small percent, so please don't brush off real issues. The mest and dairy industries are the number one source of greenhouse gases, the number one motive behind deforestation. All the grain we are producing to breed (inseminate) more livestock to keep the cattle alive could feed most of the world. To reiterate, I said meat and dairy industries, not small farms which is a different argument. Veganism = doing the best you can to protect not only fellow inhabitants of the earth but our earth itself. It is not a fairytale ideology. People are self destructive creatures and it's important to weigh out the pros and cons of all the choices available to you.

Ola Bartosz
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think that the worst thing that happened to humans was basing their diet on product that not local, that needs chemicals to go to you, that exploit the land, the people and the enviorenment you don't see and don't understand. I don't say that eating e.g. few exotic fruit a month is a crime, but if everyone just generally focused on local products, including meat, we would not have the problems with carbon, with plastic, with unjustice expoitment. Why? Because you would care that in your area children wouldn't work on farm. You would care that farm are killing forests because you want to go for a weekend somewhere. You would care that animals would be treated respectfully, because you don't want mass production nearby your home. As simple as that. :(

Load More Replies...
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