vegan food (especially soy) is bad for the environment

animal agriculture is a driving force behind the climate crisis with 85% of the global soybean crop used as animal feed

the scientific evidence is clear: going vegan is among the single most impactful things we can do individually to combat the climate crisis. studies have shown that if everyone went vegan, emissions contributing to global warming would be cut by 70%, agricultural land use threatening biodiversity would be reduced by 75%, our oceans, waterways, & rainforests would be revived, countless extinctions would be prevented, & much more.

soy production in and of itself isn’t bad. in fact, soy contains more protein per hectare than any other crop, and double that of pork and triple that of eggs. the issue is that almost all soybean crop is used for animal feed.

if you feel hopeless about our climate reality, you’re not alone. the best time to act was yesterday, but the next best is TODAY. environmental veganism gives us a tangible (and delicious!) way to do our part in keeping the world livable for generations to come. TOGETHER, WE CAN SAVE US.

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more information / sources

Asparagus Magazine: Soy’s Rise is Causing Ecological Downfall

Our World in Data: Dairy vs. plant-based milk: what are the environmental impacts?

Nature: Vegans, vegetarians, fish-eaters and meat-eaters in the UK show discrepant environmental impacts

The Guardian: Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth

Our World in Data: Less meat is nearly always better than sustainable meat, to reduce your carbon footprint

GenV: Environmental Benefits of Veganism: How Does Veganism Help the Environment?

Our World in Data: If the world adopted a plant-based diet we would reduce global agricultural land use from 4 to 1 billion hectares

PNAS: Analysis and valuation of the health and climate change cobenefits of dietary change

Our World in Data: You want to reduce the carbon footprint of your food? Focus on what you eat, not whether your food is local

University of Oxford: Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers

BBC goodfood: Is a vegan diet better for the environment?

Our World in Data: Emissions from food alone could use up all of our budget for 1.5°C or 2°C – but we have a range of opportunities to avoid this

Our World in Data: Environmental Impacts of Food Production

Our World in Data: What are the carbon opportunity costs of our food?

vegan food is expensive, classist, and a luxury

vegan food often is the same or even less expensive than meat and dairy

tofu is now less expensive than ground beef in protein per dollar. fruits, vegetables, tvp, seitan, beans, grains, and nuts are more sources of cheap, tasty nutrition. the price gap between plant milk and dairy is closing too!

while gentrified, specialty, or "artisan" vegan products like fancy cheeses and meat substitutes are often expensive, so are their non-vegan counterparts. by avoiding the hype and sticking to the basics, delicious, nutritious vegan food can cost far less than a diet of animal products.

did you know that our government heavily subsidizes animal agriculture with billions of our tax dollars instead of funding nutritious, nourishing plant-based food, misleading us into thinking that meat and dairy are NOT expensive western luxuries? have you considered why a cheeseburger is cheaper than a pint of berries? in many countries this would be ridiculous.

animal products may appear cheap, but their long-term cost — in human and animal suffering, climate-crisis related disasters (which will cost us trillions over the next decades), mass extinction, and more — is EXTREME.

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more information / sources

HuffPost: Why Canadian Dairy Won a Massive Subsidy Despite Falling Demand

Surge: Have you ever wondered why a cheeseburger can cost less than fruit?

National Post: Federal budget promises billions in compensation for dairy, chicken farmers affected by trade deals

The Globe and Mail: Taxpayers oblivious to the cost of farm subsidies

Saving the Planet - The Market for Sustainable Meat Alternatives: "A $5 Big Mac would cost $13 if the retail price included hidden expenses that meat producers offload onto society"

Animal Alliance of Canada: Animal Agriculture Subsidies promote animal suffering

Nation Rising: List of Animal Agriculture Subsidies in Canada

The Anarchist Library: The Radical Left’s Top 10 Objections to Veganism

CTV News: Climate cost to Canada could be trillions of dollars by 2100: report

Gen V: How To Be Vegan on a Budget: Cheap Vegan Grocery List

going vegan is unhealthy, unsustainable, and not suitable for children, nursing parents, or athletes

with a bit of attention to nutrition, veganism can have you feeling better than ever before, long-term

veganism brings many scientifically proven health benefits. vegan foods are richer in many nutrients, pose significantly lower risk of cancer and other diseases, are anti-inflammatory, can increase energy, and much more. well-planned, diverse vegan lifestyles are healthy at any age, including during pregnancy and lactation, and can even boost athletic performance.

many new vegans make the mistake of treating veganism like a way to lose weight (by restricting their calorie intake or only eating raw foods) and end up not eating enough, or well. these kind of diets, vegan or not, are unsustainable. by transitioning to veganism with the intent to stick with it long-term, we can adopt a mindset that encourages us to learn what foods provide the nutrition we need to thrive, both physically and mentally.

protein is abundant in beans, legumes, pulses, grains, nuts, seeds, and some vegetables, and vegan protein supplements are easy to find and plentiful. vitamin B12, calcium, iron, omega-3s, vitamin D, and iodine can also be found in many plant-based foods. to fill any gaps, multivitamins tailored to vegans are an easy way to get all of the vitamins you need.

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more information / sources

NIH: Vegan Nutrition for Mothers and Children: Practical Tools for Healthcare Providers

The Game Changers Movie: A revolutionary new film about meat, protein and strength

The Lancet: Country, regional, and global estimates for lactose malabsorption in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis (68% of people suffer from lactose malabsorbtion)

going vegan is boring, difficult, and i’ll have to give up my favourite foods

vegan food is delicious, exciting, diverse, and can be adopted gradually

like anything worth doing, becoming fully vegan is a process with a bit of a learning curve. many first-timers use vegan meat and dairy substitutes as a way to gradually and sustainably transition to full-time veganism. they’re easy to find and plentiful but can be hit and miss — so look up reviews!

as your tastes adjust, you may find yourself craving substitutes less over time, instead reaching for foods that are naturally vegan like tofu and tempeh. going vegan is a great opportunity to try new cuisines and dishes, experiment with spices, and even check out what delicious local ingredients are in season! going vegan DOES NOT mean eating only bananas, raw foods, or other extreme, unsustainable diets. it should be fun!

if you can’t find a substitute of one of your favourites, don’t fear! there's almost certainly a recipe replicating it. creating a vegan version of a non-vegan item is called VEGANIZING it and it can be fun and satisfying!

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more information / sources

BBC goodfood: Top 10 vegan substitutes

Vegan Supply Store: All Dairy Alternatives

Vegan Supply Store: All Meat Alternatives

abillion: Vegan product reviews (be sure to filter for your country)

you can be an animal lover and consume meat or dairy

when you buy meat or dairy you’re paying for the animals you love to be violated, tortured, and killed

99% of farmed animals are imprisoned on factory farms where workers frequently take their own lives because conditions are so bleak. animals are forcefully impregnated, endlessly, until their bodies can physically take no more and they die of fatigue. they’re kept in cages so incomprehensibly tiny and crowded that they simply cannot move. driven to cannibalism due to constant torture, workers respond by brutally mutilating animals’ teeth and beaks. ag-gag laws criminalize activists exposing these horrors (e.g. the Excelsior 4 who exposed the horrors at an abbotsford pig farm).

what’s more, “free range” and “ethical” are loosely regulated marketing terms at best. loopholes prevent any accountability to these animals’ lives.

these sweet creatures never see their parents or children, the light of day, or even a single day before they’re brutally killed, die from disease, or literally drown in their own waste. what if this were your dog? your cat? your children? these animals are intelligent, emotional beings and studies have shown that they grieve and feel fear & pain. the reality can seem hard to believe, so witness the truth for yourself at watchdominion.org.

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more information / sources

The Excelsior 4: Activists charged for exposing criminal animal cruelty in Abbotsford, BC

Dominion Movement: Fact Sheet & References

Dominion Movement: Exposing the dark underbelly of modern animal agriculture

Vegan Future Now: "But I Eat Only Free-Range, Humanely Slaughtered Meat!"

The Guardian: The end of free-range eggs? Year-round bird flu outbreaks may keep hens inside

Watershed Sentinel: Ag-Gag Comes North

GenV: Factory Farmed Animals: Is Factory Farming Bad For Animals?

the vegan movement is very white

veganism is not immune to colonization by white people but its origins do not run white

the origins of ethical veganism lie in Black activism and the cultures of People of Color all around the world including the Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Rastafarianism religions, the Diné and Choctaw tribes, and more.

in the zine “Veganism as Anti-Colonial Praxis”, Samah Seger writes “veganism offers an opportunity to disrupt colonial logic by challenging the most basic building blocks of colonialism, which reduce all life forms to mere objects for capitalist exploitation.” she and the other Indigenous authors continue to outline the many horrific ways that animal agriculture has been — and is still used — to further colonial violence. 

ideologies like Black Veganism promote food sovereignty and address structural barriers to help low-income communities transition away from nonnutritious but heavily-subsidized meat and dairy products. meanwhile, the devastating result of mass meat and dairy consumption in the west is disproportionately harming People of Color in the Global South.  

white non-vegans often tokenize and homogenize People of Color in order to justify their own inaction and lack of responsibility for harm that they choose to perpetuate. white people: romanticizing Indigenous cultures that hunted to survive is a form of covert racism. IT IS NOT ALLYSHIP.

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more information / sources

Veganism as Anti-Colonial Praxis: A Collection of Indigenous Vegan Perspectives zine

The Unbearable Whiteness of Milk: Food Oppression and the USDA

Animal Bodies, Colonial Subjects: (Re)Locating Animality in Decolonial Thought

Wikipedia: Black veganism

@aotearoaliberationleague: “As a result of the 2003 US invasion, an estimated 90% of Mandaeans left Iraq. We’re now dispersed around the world, struggling to maintain our traditions and culture. And food has always been central to us. I remember my family’s initial reaction to my veganism: “have we not given up enough?” Yes, we have given so much - but nonviolence is a gift, not a curse, one that can nourish our bodies and our souls. The only thing taken will be the power of our oppressors.”

Food Empowerment Project – Because your food choices can change the world

How Veganism Is Rooted in Black Activism, and Why It Isn’t Just For White People

The Anarchist Library: The Radical Left’s Top 10 Objections to Veganism

Vice: This Indigenous Scholar Says Veganism Is More Than a Lifestyle for White People

BBC: Why black Americans are more likely to be vegan

VegNews: 27 Black Vegan Instagrammers You Need to Follow ASAP

Book: Veganism in an Oppressive World: A Vegans-of-Color Community Project

Book: Veganism of Color: Decentering Whiteness in Human and Nonhuman Liberation

Book: Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans Speak on Food, Identity, Health, and Society

Book: The Dreaded Comparison: Human and Animal Slavery by Marjorie Spiegel

there is no ethical consumption under capitalism so going vegan is pointless

two words: harm reduction

capitalism will never be ethical, but ethics is not a binary (ethical vs. non-ethical): it’s a spectrum. animal agriculture causes more harm. more trees clear cut on Indigenous land. more watersheds drained. more emissions, pollution, & waste. more habitat ripped away from species on the brink of extinction. more animal and human suffering. those hit first and hardest by the climate crisis perpetuated by westerner’s taste for meat are racialized people in the global south. GOING VEGAN IS HARM REDUCTION.

veganism exists far beyond white consumerism. radical movements led by vegans of Color are disrupting the capitalist/colonialist status quo globally and intersectional philosophies like Black Veganism are gaining momentum.

unjust hierarchies are everywhere, including how we see ourselves as humans in relation to other living beings. it’s time to fight to end this hierarchy and the objectification and commodification of non-human animals by going vegan. A BETTER WORLD IS NECESSARY but it requires consistent anti-oppression, including anti-speciesism!

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more information / sources

Veganism as Anti-Colonial Praxis: A Collection of Indigenous Vegan Perspectives zine

Wikipedia: Anarchism and animal rights

The Anarchist Library: The Radical Left’s Top 10 Objections to Veganism

The Anarchist Library: BITING BACK: A Radical Response to Non-Vegan Anarchists

Reveal: They thought they were going to rehab. They ended up in chicken plants

Wikipedia: Black veganism

The Excelsior 4: Activists charged for exposing criminal animal cruelty in Abbotsford, BC

How Veganism Is Rooted in Black Activism, and Why It Isn’t Just For White People

Wikipedia: Animal Liberation Front