Food and Ethics Adopting a vegan diet happens for a variety of reasons. You may be opposed to killing or using animals in any way to gain benefit. You may have read about plant foods being superior to animal food sources nutritionally and on a basis of health. You may have become immersed in a philosophy or spiritual practice that incorporates veganism as one of its principles. You may be living ‘consciously’ and therefore are attempting to embrace a dynamic respect for all forms of life. The intentions behind each of these motivations are wonderful and I applaud you for moving forward in the right direction towards a better future for all forms of life. I would like to challenge your current forms of thought and introduce new, deeper concepts behind the ethics of human consumption of food. Here I am addressing all humans who eat any type of food; omnivores and vegans alike. To produce enough plant protein for the world’s human populations to sustain themselves would mean the clearance of massive amounts of forests, bushlands and natural habitats that sustain ecosystems of innumerable species of animals. Not only do croplands destroy the habitats of these animals, killing many of them in the process, but to maintain these farmlands for the cultivation of plants more often than not systems are set in place to ensure the animals STAY OUT. Millions of bees, spiders, ants, mice, and other creatures are poisoned, trapped, slaughtered, or banished from their homes every day on farmed areas. Even environmentally friendly methods that don’t kill pests still brutally disrupt their ecosystems and homes. These creatures are forced to move into ever-decreasing bushland areas where there very presence puts considerable pressure on their new ecosystems resulting in the death of many of these animals. What is truly unethical in any type of food production, meat and plant alike, is its mass production along with our desires to consume foods daily from exotic faraway places. Mass production of anything results in destruction of habitats and ecosystems, considerable contribution to environmental problems in forms of pollution from the machinery required to produce, harvest, transport, pack and provide these foods. Mass production of anything automatically brings vast issues with fair trading where workers to produce the items on your plate are not respected as forms of life. Humans who choose vegan diets out of respect to all forms of life more often than not don’t think about the effects of their food choices on human beings. The desire to consume exotic foods from the other side of the world in your own home is not ethical, being it plant or animal sourced. The energy, effort and time it takes to transport and produce these foods in massive amounts on the other side of the globe is simply unsustainable. This comes out of greed. Are you truly prepared to pay the REAL price for those Acai berries or Garcinia cambogia that ensures every person who was involved in producing it and getting it to your pantry is fairly compensated? Can we afford the costs of international food trade on animals, the environment, and human beings? The materials that it takes to build the machinery used in this food production come from the habitats of the animals we are attempting to respect. If you want to try exotic foods, minimise your impact on the earth and travel the world to consume them in their environments. It is not possible to have a life on this Earth with no impact on its environment, creatures and plants. I suggest that the path of least impact should be worked towards as a collective. I propose sourcing out locally produced foods at farmers markets, producing food in your own backyard, and exchanging excess produce in your communities. Know that I am not subjecting or attacking any one individual and their life choices. Each of you are exactly where you are meant to be and I extend love to you from the Facebook realms! This is the bigger picture of the ethics of food consumption. Our actions resonate deeper and further than most of us will ever consider.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 02:46:04 +0000
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