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How Veganism Can Do Better

I’ll forewarn you, this is a long answer to a short question : “what do you eat in a day?”. For this post, I’ve teamed up with a number of other bloggers, journalists and creatives who are a part of Ethical Writers Coalition to show that there isn’t just one way to eat sustainably. I’ve linked in all their food diaries just below my own, which, if you’d like to skip the explanation of ‘why’ I eat the way I eat, you’ll find the particulars at the end of the post.


** please note, the only reason this article is on veganism is that it is the only diet in which its members claim is the only answer for sustainable living.  This does not mean that every other diet option is more sustainable or less, each has its flaws and each needs to progress. I wholeheartedly support whatever diet choices any human chooses to make, so long as it is a conscious choice which considers the following points and ones I’ve missed. I am not against veganism, I personally choose to eat a plant-based, local, seasonal diet which is fairtrade and organic instead **


⟠ A PERSONAL HISTORY ⟠
I’m not a huge fan of being told what to eat … My mum brought my sisters and I up on an organic vegetarian diet, in the pagan religion, as feminists … thus, my main rebellion at the age of 16 was to become a cheerleader, start going to church and begin eating McDonald’s cheeseburgers every chance I got.

 Back in the early ’00s, during the Atkins Diet regime, I had a bright pink shirt made that said ‘I ♡ Carbs’ across the front, because I had, and still have, zero interest in cutting carbohydrates from my diet. Bread in particular.

 As the ‘Carb Free’ fad diets continued to rage through my 20s, various boyfriends over my romantic interactions of life suggested I cut bread out of my diet to maintain my optimal external attractiveness. Instead, I chose to cut them out, because, let’s face it, the one consistent love in my life has always been, and might always be bread.

 ⟠ MY INITIAL SHIFT INTO VEGANISM ⟠
As I moved into the sustainable blogging world in late 2015, the pressure to become vegan was evident. It was part of my self-education. I watched ‘Conspiracy‘ and ‘Earthlings‘ and a handful of other documentaries on the subject of eating ethical and sustainable. I learnt that Animal agriculture is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the combined exhaust from all transportation. That it is the main cause of tropical deforestation. I saw animals in abattoirs being killed in horrific conditions. And I was convinced to give Veganism a try.

 But I also married a Texan, and through him discovered that if you can’t separate someone from their guns, you’re certainly not going to be able to separate them from their steak. To improve their diets for the sake of humanity, we would need to offer some options ‘better’ than my mama’s lentil loaf and store bought tofu. I found out that transitioning a beef eater to someone who instead eats chicken reduces emissions to 10% of the methane produced by beef. Reducing the AMOUNT of meat eaten also reduces one’s personal footprint too. That meat eaters just needed to be conscious, not completely abstinent. I was also acutely aware that I was neither a nutritionist, naturopath nor a doctor and thus the idea of telling people what they ought to eat was out of the question for me. Sharing ideas on how to eat more sustainably was a possibility, but telling people to forgo food groups, was not.

⟠WHERE MY ISSUES WITH VEGANISM BEGAN TO BLOSSOM ⟠
As I transitioned into Veganism, I was also trying to go zero waste, and it was a constant battle to find ways to marry the two lifestyles in a way that was realistic. Vegan food is covered in plastic, and most that plastic isn’t recyclable, making my zero waste efforts somewhat redundant. Similarly, it was also important to me that anything I purchased, be it fashion or food, was produced in a fair trade environment. As I discovered, almost 95% of the pre-made vegan food I found in my local stores had no mention of Fairtrade practices on its packaging.

Finally, I had to consider intersectionality, especially when I travelled. Meat is an important part of history, tradition and cultural identity, it felt completely wrong to rock up to a country I was a guest in and start telling them how to eat. Those sharing my skin colour had done just that for centuries, and I had no intention of embodying the historical oppression of my skin’s collective ancestry for the sake of a middle-class Western movement. Sustainability was an issue as well, most vegan foods have been imported from hundreds, if not thousands of miles away. I wanted to reduce my personal Greenhouse Gas emissions and support my local economy by eating what was in season and produced locally.

⟠ YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT ⟠
They say you are what you eat. For a living, I write about the circular stories of things, I work countless hours each week trying to uncover the most sustainable products by looking at their lifecycle from cradle-to-cradle. Yet I couldn’t untangle the story behind my own eating habits. The dots weren’t connecting. I began to discover, with both what I eat, and the general world of sustainability. Nothing is black and white. It’s a big ole sea of grey, and here’s why:

⟠ CRUELTY-FREE? ⟠
What veganism, (and to be fair what most diets) don’t consider is the intersectionality which exists within our food culture. It becomes uncomfortably hypocritical to eat a ‘cruelty-free’ diet when the worker who grew your plant-based foods did so working in slave-like conditions. There are very few Fairtrade plant-based products beyond pure fruit and vegetables themselves. In fact, when I started to become obsessed with the idea, I found myself seriously disturbed when I walked the isles of my local vegan store and found coffee and tea were the only two products on the shelves with both the organic and fair-trade marks. White people already have a long history of treating nonwhite humans inhumanely, a tradition I’m NOT willing to carry forward or support. I felt and still feel, that fair treatment must include all living things, or it’s not ‘cruelty-free’, so I began separating myself from packaged vegan products which meant I was separating myself from protein replacements.

⟠ THE REALITIES OF CROPLANDS WORLDWIDE ⟠
Another consideration also under the umbrella of intersectional veganism is the fact that not all countries have unlimited access to foods from around the world all year like those of us in Western countries do. Nor are all countries able to grow vegetables, fruit and legumes year-round. Around one-third of the world’s land is composed of arid and semi-arid rangeland that can only support animal agriculture. When attempts were made to convert part of the Sahel in Africa from livestock pasture to croplands, desertification and loss of productivity ensued.

Furthermore, an interesting study (sent to me by Eco Boost’s Kate Arnell) which was published in Elementa Science in 2016 on the ‘Carrying Capacity of U.S. Agricultural Land‘, suggests veganism is not the most sustainable way to eat. Researchers used biophysical stimulation models that compared 10 different eating patterns. The study looked at Grazing Land (unsuitable for crop growth, but great for feeding agricultural animals), Perennial Cropland (crops that live year-round / can be harvested multiple times before dying. ex// grains and hay), and Cultivated Cropland (growing veggies, nuts, fruit ect…). What it uncovered is that because the Vegan diet doesn’t predominantly use perennial cropland, it would only be able to feed 735 million people, compared to the lacto (dairy but not eggs) vegetarian diet, which could feed 807 million people. Veganism actually came fifth, in terms of sustainability, out of the ten possible diets.

⟠ THE SOIL CRISIS ⟠ 

The study above is an important thing to understand and consider. Because veganism might reduce greenhouse gasses, but it won’t solve the ecological crisis we’re in. At the moment, scientists say we have about 60 years of topsoil (the life-sustaining stuff) remaining. Without it, we can’t grow any food or sustain any life.
Whether the American Dust Bowl, the vanished Anasazi, or the lost empire of Mesopotamia – humans have a long history of farming themselves to oblivion. We need to uncover what we can do to sustain agricultural capacity, which means we have to look much deeper than just ending factory farming. 

According to Professor John Crawford of the University of Sydney “It begins with reversing bad farming practices like tillage, nutrient mismanagement, removing stubble and over-grazing. We can add manure and consider using human waste from cities as fertilizer, instead of just flushing it all out to sea”. 

This study from the University of Guelph suggests that saving the planet “requires a significant shift away from annual -based 2 agriculture to a perennial -based agriculture centering on grass-fed livestock”, the research suggests that adapting ecologically sound farming practices will end factory farming because it will be cheaper than the current state which exists as a way to sop up overproduced cheap feed grain, removing the excess at the foundation of the paradigm and making way for more sustainable uses of land. 

⟠ ECO + ETHICAL ISSUES WITH VEGAN STAPLES ⟠

Now again, this could be an issue with any diet, vegetarianism included, it’s just that vegans are most famous for their affinity with these products, some of which reduce biodiversity, produce copious amounts of carbon dioxide, and use up heaps of water:
2. AVOCADOS it takes 220 gallons of water to grow ONE avocado … and avocados steaming from Mexico are associated with violent drug cartels in Mexico as well as deforestation.  The price per kilo of Avocado is equivalent to the daily minimum wage, making this food, which has been a staple to Mexicans for thousands of years, too expensive for them to eat. This year, Kenya had to  ban the exportion of avocados, because the country’s supply is now at risk.
3. ALMONDS are a water-intensive crop and are partially blamed for the droughts, and subsequent fires, in California. 
5. SOY crops (TOFU IS SOY TOO!) have been linked to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. 80% of that soy goes towards feeding livestock (which we need to reduce by reducing or omitting our meat consumption) but we also need to come up with some new staples that don’t revolve around the crop. To be fair, there is unlikely to ever be an ingredient, that we can confidently claim to be environmentally benign apart from freeganism. There is the suggestion that the issues soy causes in the erosion of topsoil may not be reduced enough if the world went vegan, so it is key to come up with new staples if possible for non-meat diets. 

⟠ CONSIDERABLE ETHICAL OVERLOOKS ⟠
In the circular story of the ‘cruelty-free’ movement, several species are left out of the story. 
1. DEATH TO THE FIELD FAUNA In situations of machine farming, animals like mice, moles rabbits, snakes, turtles and so on are often killed or lose their habitat due to tractors, then there is the loss of habitat due to deforestation mass deforestation to clear the ground for single crops like palm oil and soy, both often found in Vegan products (and used to feed livestock, which is also responsible for deforestation), making no food truly ‘cruelty-free’.
2. FAUX VEGAN FASHION Many vegans wear synthetics or faux leathers which are toxic to produce and are not biodegradable at the end of their lifecycle and hugely harmful to the flora and fauna in each item’s creation. The dyes used in our garments, even if the garment is marked as ‘vegan’ unless dyed with completely natural dies are not cruelty-free. Furthermore, products produced by people being paid unfair wages in factories are not cruelty-free either’.
3. PLASTIC PACKAGING The majority of vegan protein replacement products (and vegetarian ones for that matter), and snacks come in plastic packaging. Why a ‘cruelty-free’ movement would be created without considering cruelty-free packaging for products is beyond me. Plastics harm the flora and fauna on our planet from extraction to creation and demise. Even if they’re recycled they still create pollution. NOT ALL PLASTIC CAN BE RECYCLED, and thus it ends up in the landfills and eventually, in our oceans where animals mistake it for food and eat it. If they eat enough, they can die for malnutrition, or get entangled leading to injury and sometimes death. At my own vegan store here in Paris, the majority of products on shelves and in the fridge, are housed in or contain number 3 +4 plastics which can’t always be recycled. Check your own products before you shove them in the recycling bin: http://learn.eartheasy.com/2012/05/plastics-by-the-numbers/


⟠ANGRY VEGANS ⟠
Perhaps the most uninviting part of being a vegan was the angry side of the vegan community. Sounds harsh, indeed, but to me, it felt the community was so strict, judgmental, angry and nonsensical, that it felt a bit like how Scientology is described. One wrong move, one question too far, one too many defences of ‘the others’, and you’re out of the club. I could name about 5 vegan bloggers who no longer communicate with me for defending another blogger when a vegan troll tilted his tornado her way.

I’ve had my angry moments too, sustainability is frustrating, but the truth is, not a single one of us is perfect at anything. The vegan diet and lifestyle, just like any other lifestyle under the umbrella of sustainability is chalked full of hypocrisy and confusion. We’re still figuring things out. And the most important part of figuring things out is knowing, and admitting, that it’s possible we could be wrong and being open to discussion. Our shared ignorance as a species is built by lack of education and understanding of the circular story behind objects and habits that allegedly support the movement we stand behind.

Anger, though I’ve been guilty of my fair share of it, has been proven throughout the history of our species to create pain, not change. Blind zealots, fired up under any doctrine, like the trolls most of us encounter on the internet, who are accusing and insulting instead of working on perfecting their own path and simply leading by example and education to encourage others to embrace positive change keep everything stagnant. If you feel it is appropriate to call someone a ‘cunt’ for not adhering to the strict guidelines you’ve set for yourself, you are not living a cruelty-free life.

There are thousands of legitimate reasons why a person might not be a vegan or 100% vegan (I’ll outline some below), thousands of reasons why a person might make so-called ‘mistakes’ or choose to allow themselves some leeway outside the home (I sure do). If we allow our egos to rise and make bullied judgments of others without considering the nuances and realities of a life someone else is living become an extremist not a maker of change.

And I want to be a maker of change. A positive one at that, if possible.

⟠ OPPRESSIVE JUDGEMENTS ⟠

As the white daughter of parents belonging to the British Isles, my ancestral history, along with the ancestral history of every person sharing my skin colour on this planet, has done enough stomping around telling other cultures what they should and should not do, how they should and should not eat, and so on. I have no intention of continuing that oppressive judgement under any circumstances. Indigenous people are not the problem. White people are, and they always have been. 
Just recently, in Canada, Kū-kŭm Kitchen, an Indigenous-owned and operated restaurant, was targeted by an online petition calling for the restaurant to remove seal from its menu. Seal meat which was sourced responsibly from the Inuit community. Despite none of its signers knowing much about Inuit culture, or the ethics and sustainability of hunting of seal, the petition gained almost 7,000 signatures. It is this sort of ignorance that had Greenpeace apologizing to the Inuit people back in 2014. And it will be this sort of ignorance that will bring us all to our demise.

⟠ MY PERSONAL STANCE ON MEAT ⟠

My personal stance with meat, of any kind, has and always will stand with Indigenous communities and their traditional practices. They haven’t forgotten to live off their natural resources. They have kept their traditions living in balance with the planet and its animals. Treating every living things with respect when alive and after. When it comes to meat, traditionally all of the animals that can be eaten is, and what cannot be used for food, is turned into useful, long lasting items. Tipis, water bags and drums made from the buffalo skin; the hide used for bedding, blankets, winter coat, and drums. The flesh used for food, the horns for spoons, knives and weapons. The sinew made bowstrings and thread, ribs fashioned into sledges for children and hoofs became rattles. Nothing wasted. 
We’re so very far away from that culture, the one which followed a circular story of respect, and produced products which avoided harming the planet in its production, or its demise, where everything came from the earth and could return to the earth at the end of its lifecycle to biodegrade.
⟠ THE HEALTH REASONS NOT EVERYONE CAN EAT VEGAN ⟠
To begin with, the idea of living off supplements scares me. But beyond my own fears is the reality that going vegetarian or vegan globally could create a health crisis in the developing world because people would be unable to get their micronutrients in a ‘supplement free’ community. “Animal products contain more nutrients per calorie than vegetarian staples like grains and rice, so choosing the right replacement would be important, especially for the world’s estimated two billion-plus undernourished people.”
My sister-in-law is unable to digest soy, gluten, grains, nightshades and beans, my husband is currently getting tested for the same thing. Leaving them with limited options for protein apart from meat and certain veggies and fruit. My mum, who was a vegetarian for nearly 40 years, recently was informed by her doctors she had to start eating meat because her muscles were breaking down. So she did, because let’s face it, she’s done her part. 
Veganism doesn’t work for everyone. Even with the best intentions. For example, 45% of the population do not carry the necessary converters can generally get enough vitamin A on vegan diets, similarly, babies born vaginally have a different set of Bifidobacteria than c-section babies, as do people who have undergone chemotherapy or certain illnesses. This can result in not having enough bacteria for synthesizing vitamin K2 which results in a higher risk of dental issues and chronic disease. Some people’s salivary amylase levels, which differ from person to person, can cause metabolic syndrome and obesity for those with poor levels, due to the starchiness of vegan or vegetarian diets. Another example is Choline, which varies depending on the individual’s PEMT activity, and if low, can be a major player in fatty liver disease, increase the risk of neurological conditions, heart disease and developmental problems in children.
There are also a lot of pluses to the vegetarian diet, for example, it is great because it has a higher content of fiber, folic acid, vitamins C and E, potassium, magnesium, and many phytochemicals and a fat content that is more unsaturated. Same with vegan diets which in addition to having all the pluses of a Vegetarian diet, contain less saturated fat and cholesterol and more dietary fiber leading them to have lower serum cholesterol, and lower blood pressure, reducing their risk of heart disease, which is awesome. Much of the missing micronutrients from both diets, like vitamins B-12 and D, calcium, and long-chain n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids can be replaced by supplements (which come in number 2 plastics). But work for many people. 
⟠ MEAT AS A TREAT ⟠
The reality is, we’re all different. The same. But different. Yes, everyone needs to reduce their meat consumption, and yes, if that reduction doesn’t include the personal choice of complete abstinence, that meat should come from a local, organic, sustainable, grass-fed source. If you’re someone who has decided to continue eating meat, then the recommended amount to aim for is no more than 500g per week. That’s less than one 70g (so like a single lamb chop) sized serving per day. If we all aim, to at the most, be eating no more than 500g per week, and the meat was treated as a treat rather than a necessary part of every single meal, that would be a HUGE step forward. 
One study found that simply conforming to the World Health Organization’s dietary recommendations would bring the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions down by 17% – a figure that would drop by an additional 40% should citizens further avoid animal products and processed snacks. Dietary changes most would barely notice but could make all the difference. Abstaining completely from any food group is a personal choice, what matters, is that we consume consciously and responsibly.

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⟠ WHAT I EAT IN A DAY, AND WHY ⟠
So, these are just some of the reasons I’ve decided to call myself ‘Plant Based’, because it allows for flexibility, for reality, for ecology, for logic, to acknowledge intersectionality, and to respond to the needs of my body.

 I aim to eat what is in season and produced locally, to buy my products package free in an effort to live a zero waste lifestyle. I try to purchase food that is organic AND fair trade, and personally choose to avoid dairy because my body is intolerant to it … but I do dabble. I also avoid soy, avocados, and almonds due to their ecological impact on the planet (I still, regretfully, eat Quinoa Almonds and Cashews, as we bought a shit ton in bulk) and try to avoid all beef, pork, game meats and shellfish because my body has a lot of trouble digesting it. We eat vegan at home to ensure our meat, fish or dairy consumption is reduced to the odd restaurant outing or meals at the homes of others. 

 I tend to graze throughout the day as I’ve got an easily upset tummy, and I try to drink a glass of water and a cup of Numi Organic (Fairtrade) tea between each ‘feeding’. 

[SNACK]
GREEN SMOOTHIE: Ethical Organic Italian Rice Drink, Salvaged Organic Fairtrade Bananas, Green Vibrance, Fairtrade Organic Cacao, Plant Protein Powder


[BREAKFAST] 
LAZY GAL’S LENTIL MUSHROOM MIX: This is basically an oat-free version of a Lentil Mushroom Walnut Ball using bulk lentils, along with local seasonal organic produce including kale, walnuts, mushrooms, garlic, herbs.
[SNACK] 
FRUIT & NUTS: An apple and an orange with a little bowl of walnuts, all of which are local, seasonal, organic, fairtrade and bought using reusable produce bags. 
[LUNCH]
TURNIP SURPRISE: Nobody likes turnips, but they showed up in my seasonal organic veg box so I cooked them with a bit of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Then I covered it with some weird sauce my husband made and topped that with chilli pequen jam that my husband’s aunt made from scratch! (you can buy her son’s version at HEB in Texas!).
[SNACK]
VEGGIES: Cut up a carrot and a raw zucchini that came in my local, seasonal, organic veg box for the mid-day snack attack. 
[DINNER]
VEGGIE BURGER & FRIES: The burger is made up of my ‘Lazy Gal’s Lentil Mushroom Mix’, I just put it into a ball to make it look like a burger and ate it with some sweet potato fries using a recipe from Honestly Healthy.

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⟠ WHAT 10 OF MY FELLOW ETHICAL WRITERS EAT ⟠

“What Sustainable Bloggers Eat: A Week of Easy Vegetarian Dinners”
“A Day Of Home Cooked Meals”
“How To Eat Sustainably: Being “Vegan” and Other Decisions”
“My Week of Meals – Food Inspo for Health Nuts”
“How Much Do You Think About What You Eat and WHY?”
“Why I Eat Paleo-Vegan to Stay Sustainable and “Model-Fit”
“What A Sustainable Travel Blogger Typically Eats”
“What Eco Influencers Eat”
“How I Eat In A Day”
“Eating Sustainably: What I Eat in a Day and Why I’m Not a Vegetarian”
__________________________________________________________________
PIN IT!


ethical eating, sustainable eating, vegan eating, green eating, plant based, zero waste, sustainable, ethical, vegetarian, ethical omnivore, seasonal eating, eat local, shop local


SOURCES: BBC, BBC 2, BBC 3, PBS, HEALTHLINE, ELEMENTA SCIENCE, EARTH EASY, QZ , FAO, THE GUARDIAN, THE GUARDIAN 2 ,  THE GUARDIAN 3, THE GUARDIAN 4, THE GUARDIAN 5, GREEN ET AL., UNITED NATIONS, UN FACT SHEET, GOVERNMENT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION  , VICE, VICE 2, THE STAR, DRAXE, THE CONVERSATION,  NOOA, WWF, WWF 2, HUFFINGTON POST, GREENPEACE, ORGANIC CONSUMERS, TREEHUGGER, ABC NEWS

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Izzy says

    This was very interesting, I'm a vegan for a multitude of reason but health first and foremost, my body really doesn't do well digesting most protein, including soya. It's refreshing to read someone's real criticisms of the diet and it's definitely true that no diet is cruelty free. No lifestyle is crueltry free, as sad as that is. But you're right if everyone cut their meat consumption and checked the sources of their meat it would make a huge impact on the planet, and that's something everyone can aim towards.

    I struggle with the plastic thing, A LOT, but I'm trying to fight against that and hopefully as the world becomes more aware of the plastic crisis then a lot more products will become plastic free. But for me, with so many allergies and digestion issues, micromanaging the food that I can actually eat isn't something that's very practical but I am looking more into fair trade and plastic free foods. So thank you for an informative post. Deffo have some of those other posts on my reading list

    The Quirky Queer

    Reply

    • hollyrose says

      Thank you so much for your warm and thoughtful response Izzy! I agree, it's really difficult to find a way to balance the juggling balls of issues our society presents when it comes to food and I agree that stressing about it just takes the appreciation of food you do have away. This whole experience has been an onion of an issue for me and I feel like the 'one step at a time' approach is the best way to find sustainable solutions for yourself. I struggle with food digestion as well and at the end of the day, you've got to take care of your body first, and build on sustainability after. My husband's digestive tract literally falls apart if he eats soy, beans, lentils or dairy so we've gotta work around that and figure out how to get the nutrients we need … then figure out how to do that sustainably. I can tell from how thoughtfully you wrote that you're already on the right path, I think peaked curiosity opens the doors to new discovery so undoubtably some of your answers are just hiding around the corner 😉 Wishing you a beautiful day! xx

      Reply

  2. Asakemi says

    This is truly incredible and the best article I have read on veganism! I definitely will take time to read this again and read through the embedded links. But I completely agree with most of what you have said. I call myself plant based too because I want to allow myself to eat meat in situations where it’s just what’s on the table. As an African, meat is a huge part of or diet and I know I want to be able to be a part of family dinners etc. but I primarily stick with my plant based diet! Thanks for the effort putting this all together!

    Reply

    • hollyrose says

      Wow! It's kind comments like yours that make the time and energy I put into this beast of a post, worth it. Thank you for taking the time to read it and comment as well! I think primarily sticking to a plant based diet and making room for family and culture is such an important thing. The first time I met my husband's extended family in Spain, his 95 year old aunt cooked us a traditional Catalan soup that takes about 6 hours to make, we were eating vegan then, but I decided in that moment (and similar moments to follow) that whatever I was offered I would always eat as I'm lucky to be in a position to have food with millions around the world starving, there's nothing ethical or sustainable about turning prepared food down and demanding something else 😉 I hope you'll always enjoy traditional meals with your family and be able to pass the recipes down to your children as well. Thanks again for taking the time to read everything and being so thoughtful about your comment! xx

      Reply

  4. Mathilde says

    I must admit your article is really well detailed and that it's always a pleasure to read your (open minded) work. Even thought I am vegan, I agree with you on certain facts. I think it is really interesting to talk about the workers in this article because unfortunately they are often forgotten. However, I personally think that, if no diet can be completely cruelty-free, then I would still try to be as harmless as possible. But it seems like this is what you are also trying to achieve from the considerations on plastic, fair-trade … So I guess in the end, we are all trying to live with the lowest impact possible and for some people it is by adopting a zero waste approach, but for others it may be veganism or ethical fashion … There are so many ways we could live more sustainably : fashion, diet, transport, beauty products … And we all have to start somewhere, so that means we have to choose one 'value' to prioritize first because it will be very complicated to keep these changes in the long term if we try to change everything at once. I also think I am not in a position to judge those who choose not to be vegan for medical reasons. Indeed, it is easy to says they don't do any efforts but we do not know what it is to live with these health conditions on a daily basis. So this is a subject I am trying to look further into in order to open my mind to other ways of thinking. That being said, I must mention that I still feel a little bit saddened when I see "why I'm no longer vegan" blogpost titles or videos but I try to keep in mind what I explained in this comment. After all, it all comes down to values and if I have prioritized veganism, that means I put less attention on workers conditions. Not that I don't care but it seems impossible to buy a product cruelty-free, vegan, not processed, without any plastic, organic, local … So we have to make a choice, and I'm far from perfect so I try to be as open minded as possible, and make sure I do not turn into the angry vegan because that will certainly lead nowhere.

    Reply

    • hollyrose says

      Mathilde, Thank you for your incredibly thoughtful response and warm response. I can totally appreciate how hurtful (and frustrating) it can be to read those titles, I've been there, and I'm not trying to promote animal cruelty or suggest no one should be vegan, but I think you're right, we have to prioritise what we're most passionate about and start working our way from there. I think if eating say, less than 500g of sustainable locally raised grass fed meat, was someones gateway into sustainable eating for a hard core Omnivore on a classic American diet, than so be it. Once the seed is planted it will undoubtably be watered by information as the person's interest is peaked, and from there they'll begin transitioning into other forms of sustainability. Following what's right for their body and community and so on. I think with conflicting studies and such as well, we have to be careful how the commerce to fit the movement has been created, veganism took off with a bang and it's great in so many ways, but because it did, some of the first responders responded incompletely, so it's almost like there needs to be a step back and correct the issues created before it moves forward again? I try to look as each facet of sustainability like pie and figure out how many sections of that pie I can move with each purchase and decision. So, if that pie includes animal cruelty, plastics, organic, local, seasonal, fairtrade, plastic-free, soil health, use of land, and optimal personal health, and I can eat in a way that checks 9-out-of-10 of those boxes, I feel compelled to do that. That said, it's still a hard decision to make because I deeply care about the very same thing I am harming. So I completely understand and respect people who choose to take less 'slices of pie' in the name of Love. I think the most important thing is that we make our choices and constantly work towards a greater state of awareness and ask companies we're buying from to do better in the sections they're lacking, and eventually, maybe, we'll have an option that's a 10/10? It's so difficult though, because this whole world is a soup of grey with no clear black and white lines, so in that case, like you have, choosing love is a clear and easy way to be guided <3

      Reply

    • Unknown says

      I think we also have to keep in mind though that the animal agriculture business is notorious for terrible working conditions. The first one that comes to mind was the case that the Justice Department called the largest case of human-trafficking in U.S. history (first link below) in which foreign workers on chicken farms in Utah were held in slave-like conditions with their passports confiscated. Part of the rise of the movement owes to Upton Sinclair's classic novel The Jungle where he wrote to expose the working conditions of immigrants working in the meat industry, which had the added effect of bringing awareness to the conditions that both the humans and non-human animals experienced in the meatpacking industry. Telling people what/how to eat never works, but I think if the goal is to reduce suffering, we can't pretend that vegans are the only ones with these problems. While (yes, vegan food companies DO need to stop packaging in plastic! As does all the deli/meat section grocery store shrink-wrapped meat, frozen-section fish in plastic resealable bags… let's just do away with all plastic please??), the argument about soy is completely off target. The majority of soy grown in the world isn't consumed by vegans, or even humans. It's used to feed livestock, to feed humans. I hope you continue to keep an open mind when looking into these things. None of us are perfect. We can all do better. But we should be armed with the most accurate information possible.

      http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=50301390&itype=CMSID
      https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jun/10/-sp-migrant-workers-new-life-enslaved-thai-fishing
      https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/27/world/outlaw-ocean-thailand-fishing-sea-slaves-pets.html

      Reply

    • hollyrose says

      Hey Thanks so much for taking the time to read the piece and share your thoughts. I agree animal agriculture is NOT a conscious business and that horrific working conditions exist in every diet. I've seen that articles you linked in, and I completely agree that neither diet consideres the intersectionality issues. I could write an equally on the issues with each diet option but none of the other ones are claiming to be 'the answer' nor bullying people to adhere to their ideology. Which is why I chose to create this piece. I don’t think the piece reads nor was it intended to read that vegans are a problem, the title is ‘ how veganism can do better’ because I have issue, as an environmentalist, with a diet claiming perfection when it is still imperfect. No other diet does that. As for the soy, I understand your feelings and I am aware and agree that it is to feed livestock, the link I had linked in there seems to be broken but the study it led to talked about the future of veganism and how reliant it is / will be / will have to be on soy, and the issues of this, in order to feed the world population, I’ll find it and send it to you. The only issue I have with your statements is your accusation that this article was not ‘armed with the most accurate information’ … there are 32 sources, the majority of which are peer reviewed studies which I took the time to read through rather than just picking up sound bites to support any thoughts or issues which had arisen in my experience as an environmentalist and as a vegan. The whole picture is most important to me, and while I completely respect vegans choosing to have animal cruelty be the most important thing to them in terms of sustainability, I think it is important to create space for the reality that veganism isn’t the only way to be sustainable, caring, thoughtful and concerned about animals and the planet. The vegan diet and vegan fashion can improve to care for all animals instead of just the ones we eat.

      I'll see if I can find the soy study again, if I can't or it has been removed, the soy sentence in this post will be dutifully removed xx

      Reply

  5. Lii says

    I absolutely loved this article! The biggest points to hit home was how vegans react to other people and that veganism doesn't suit every person. I've always been wondering whether vegan diet really is more sustainable, as there is so much information on how it is better for you, but I've suspected bias from the writers. I am often so appaled by the angry vegans who only seem to think their way is the right way, and not giving the tiniest consideration for other people's circumstances. The one thing that some stipulate is "do we really need that much protein?" which has got me thinking and is another thing to research I guess. Thanks for this article, it was great!!

    Reply

    • hollyrose says

      Thank you so much for taking the time to read it, I feel the same way. I think any doctrane that is promoted as the only 'right' way of doing something is dangerous. I'd really like to find out the optimal protein amount for my body, and the best source for me as well. Something where I could eat very little of it and get all that I need? Have you heard about the blood type diet? Apparently there is no scientific proof that it works, but it has suggestions about what each blood type needs and digests easiest, if it could somehow be proven true, it would be amazing, because it would remove the power of fads and have people eating exactly what they need, rather than what's 'cool' … Thanks so much for the shout out on your blog as well! I so appreciate it! xo

      Reply

    • Lii says

      No I haven't, I need to look into that if it might be something that works for me! Fads as well, seem to work for some people but not for others. But then again fads market is so big, unfortunately, that they won't give up easily marketing to people what they should be eating. Of course, your article was very interesting and informative! xx

      Reply

  6. Chloe | Conscious by Chloe says

    Thank you so much for this article! What a well-researched piece!
    I'm happy to read that you've tried and tested various diets and eventually adopted your current one.
    I totally agree with you on so many aspects: middle-class Western movement, supporting our local economy by eating what's in season and produced locally, Fairtrade, packaging.
    While I usually focus on the zero waste aspect, I tend to forget about the impact of the crops, fruits and veggies I put on my plate (almonds, quinoa, avocado, banana).
    I have to admit that so much information tends to leave me a little lost and desillusioned, but I love learning from this amazing community of ours (ethical writers, zero waste bloggers, and so many more) and striving to make better choices every day.
    I agree with another commenter who sums things up pretty well by explaining that one chooses a diet according to their value system and the aspect they want to focus on primarily: low, waste, fair trade, local, etc.
    Start by starting is one of my mantras. And I think this applies pretty well to our food choices.
    Thank you again for all your work!
    xxx
    C.

    Reply

    • hollyrose says

      Start by starting is such a good mantra, I think the visual of the 'personal pie of importance' I was talking about with that same commenter, so, if my pie includes animal cruelty, plastics, organic, local, seasonal, fairtrade, plastic-free, soil health, use of land, and optimal personal health in equal parts, and I can eat in a way that checks 9-out-of-10 of those boxes with the way I'm eating, it's a conscious choice that I'll feel compelled to do. But conversely if someone else's pie of importance has animal cruelty taking up the majority of the space, and the other aspects slivers, they can have the same feeling of accomplishment I feel by committing to that single large slice and a few slivers, and perhaps that makes as much of a difference to the planet as my multi sliced pie? The idea needs more thought but would be super interesting to explore that, and your mantra of starting by starting applies to that, as your own 'personal pie of importance' will shift through new information and ideas of importance that apply to each individual's life …. as they become more conscious and weigh out their choices consciously …

      Reply

  7. Chloe | Conscious by Chloe says

    Thank you so much for this article Holly! What a well-researched piece!
    I'm happy to read that you've tried and tested various diets and eventually adopted your current one.
    I totally agree with you on so many aspects: middle-class Western movement, supporting our local economy by eating what's in season and produced locally, Fairtrade, packaging.
    While I usually focus on the zero waste aspect, I tend to forget about the impact of the crops, fruits and veggies I put on my plate (almonds, quinoa, avocado, banana).
    I have to admit that so much information tends to leave me a little lost and desillusioned, but I love learning from this amazing community of ours (ethical writers, zero waste bloggers, and so many more) and striving to make better choices every day.
    I agree with another commenter who sums things up pretty well by explaining that one chooses a diet according to their value system and the aspect they want to focus on primarily: low, waste, fair trade, local, etc.
    Start by starting is one of my mantras. And I think this applies pretty well to our food choices.
    Thank you again for all your work!
    xxx
    C.

    Reply

    • Luke says

      This is the best blog post I've read this year. Thanks for sharing 🙂 I found myself nodding and smiling throughout.

      I also like the term plant based, makes the diet much more flexible and a lot less snobby!

      Having just spent time in parts of Asia, it was often hard to find meals without meat. Seems quite strange to tell millions of people their diet is wrong when in fact they often have no other option for nutrion than meat.

      Anyway, loved the post!

      Luke

      Reply

    • hollyrose says

      Well that's the loveliest compliment I've read this year, thank you! I think you're right, telling millions their diet is wrong when we haven't ourselves figured out what is 'right' ourselves, nor provided sustainable solutions to those outside existing outside our consumerist culture (the same culture that has caused every problem this planet faces) is indeed wrong … thank you for taking the time to read it Luke! xx

      Reply

  8. Chloe | Conscious by Chloe says

    Thank you so much for this article! What a well-researched piece!
    I'm happy to read that you've tried and tested various diets and eventually adopted your current one.
    I totally agree with you on so many aspects: middle-class Western movement, supporting our local economy by eating what's in season and produced locally, Fairtrade, packaging.
    While I usually focus on the zero waste aspect, I tend to forget about the impact of the crops, fruits and veggies I put on my plate (almonds, quinoa, avocado, banana).
    I have to admit that so much information tends to leave me a little lost and desillusioned, but I love learning from this amazing community of ours (ethical writers, zero waste bloggers, and so many more) and striving to make better choices every day.
    I agree with another commenter who sums things up pretty well by explaining that one chooses a diet according to their value system and the aspect they want to focus on primarily: low, waste, fair trade, local, etc.
    Start by starting is one of my mantras. And I think this applies pretty well to our food choices.
    Thank you again for all your work!
    xxx
    C.

    Reply

  10. Anonymous says

    Vegans are vegan because they don't want animals to get hurt. This has nothing to do with food packaging and the conditions plant-based foods are grown in (which omnivores eat too; all the time). Veganism is about reducing suffering, not perfection, dogma, or anything else – just the reduction of suffering in our world. The truth is, you can claim to follow an "ethical" or "green" lifestyle, but if you still eat meat and other animal products, there is still way more room for improvement, for animals and the environment. I understand that *so many people* want to take the easy way out of veganism by finding perceived flaws in its practice. The way you look at *anything* is truly in the eye of the beholder – colored by personal experience and social conditioning. Helpful tip for the wise: in whatever way you can, at whatever pace you can, take animal products out of your diet. You can then decide to purchase organic, fair trade, sustainable foods as well. It will be a win-win-win situation!

    Reply

    • hollyrose says

      Hi There, So I think you've maybe not read the post? Since you're making sweeping statement that I addressed there? I understand why you're feeling defensive but maybe before taking the time to comment on the work of someone who dedicates the majority of their day to living ethically and sustainably, and understands in depth the reasons people are vegan, perhaps you should go beyond just reading the headers of the post and actually read the content. Since what you've posted here doesn't add to the conversation or even create much discussion, all it does is tell me that you're angry …

      Reply

  11. Anonymous says

    but your ghg footprint is definitely higher if you Eat meat and animal products…. the animals Eat plant based food and produces methane as well as other ghg, uses lots of water and massive amount of land and forests…

    Reply

  12. Anonymous says

    I am a type 1 diabetic. I've tried being Vegan, but I've found that I have to drastically increase the carbohydrate that I need to eat in order to substitute the calories and nutrition lost through cutting out dairy and meat. This seriously endangers my health – the more carbohydrate I eat, the harder it becomes to control my blood sugars. I am a huge fan of eating sustainably, seasonably and ethically. I enjoyed reading your article because I agree that in order to eat in this way, it's a constant process of re-evaluating your choices in light of the complexities of how the food industry operates. I don't believe that a catch-all ethical diet exists, and I'm not looking for a quick fix guilt remedy to absolve myself of my ongoing responsibility to other humans, animals and the planet. It's about continual growth, learning and adaptation! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • hollyrose says

      Really beautifully put, thank you for sharing your thoughts and wisdom! I agree that a catch-all ethical diet can't possibly exist, in the same breath we call for equality we have to recognise our uniqueness. Veganism sometimes feels a lot like green washing because it claims to be the fix all remedy to a problem without considering how the planet and its inhabitants actually work.

      Reply

  13. Veggiepants says

    I totally get the judgmental vegan bit and the frustrations you experienced surrounding that. I hate that element too, and I also recognize it in myself sometimes, and it's totally counterproductive, but it comes from a place of pure suffering. Removing that veil and truly understanding the atrocities of animal ag (not just factory farming, because let’s face it, it sucks to be killed for food no matter what your living conditions are) is one of the hardest things I've ever done. Don't get me wrong, it's not hard, even remotely, for me to be a vegan– it's the easiest decision I make every day. It's hard knowing that every day so many lives are lost, there's so much pain and suffering when it's really not nutritionally necessary for most people with western diets (for whom most of that pain is generated), and there's nothing I can do to stop it. No matter how many years I've spent abstaining from animal products, and no matter how many people I can convince to do the same, there is still so much suffering. It's that fact that turns a vegan into a judgy vegan, plain and simple. Most judgmental vegans are just people in pain because they cannot forget.

    I can also appreciate what you've said about intersectionality, although I'm not sure we agree on how much that actually applies to the way you've used the term. I get what you mean about not asserting your diet on others as a guest in their countries, but I also believe that traditions and customs are so often meant to be evolved from. I don't preach veganism to the bottom of the pyramid, that makes no sense, when the biggest problem is happening in the highly developed world. As a ridiculously resilient species, it is our job to be better than our ancestors, with the tools we've created. Traditions and customs are maybe an excuse in a country where they still very much live the way they lived thousands of years ago. But in societies where that no longer applies, we can't use it as an excuse. The fact I'm white, that my ancestors are responsible for colonialism and slavery, is to me, a perfect example of how I can do better. We stopped enslaving people for our own gain (although, there is a huge argument to be made here against globalism and the continuation of corporate colonialism, I won't ever deny that), now it's our duty to extend that same dignity to non-human animals. We are better than this, and we must rise above.

    On the topic of supplements- it's really not a big deal to take a B12 every once in a while, and I think we need to stop using this as an excuse for avoiding a vegan diet. It's way more natural to take a B12 supplement (something we need only because we practice so much hygiene and are killing off the bacteria that used to fortify us with B12) than it is for our bodies to consume copious amounts of animal flesh. Our intestines can handle that way better, so can our hearts, and pretty much every other part of our bodies. I'm not saying you're denying this here, and I want to commend you on the level of thoughtfulness you've put into your writing on this topic. I just want you to be careful in how what you say can still contribute to a greater problem of misinformation that continues to prevent people from taking a step they may have otherwise taken toward veganism. And maybe you don't feel it's right for you and others who experience things the way you do, but the animals probably feel it's pretty right. And despite the heartbreak I experience daily to keep out the bad thoughts about what's happening in animal agriculture, I still sleep better at night knowing I'm not contributing to 21st century slavery in the developed world.

    Reply

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