ARE YOU A TRUE VEGAN?
Originally written 4/01/2020. Updated 10/01/2022
Disclaimer:
This is my first and only heartfelt article, featuring my own opinion and personal beliefs.
I am sure you can understand why from reading this article.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE MASSES?
When I speak of the “masses”, I talk about everyday people exclusively buying ultra-processed manufactured food products from food giants and supermarkets. I also include so-called plant-based followers and vegans who do not or rarely cook from scratch and rely on (even believed to be “healthy”) junk on a daily basis.
However, I am glad that 1) more and more people are waking up to animal cruelty and are ready to make a stand for it by banning animal products from their life, and that 2) ethical veganism is now protected by law.
But is it this simple...
A judge has ruled that "Ethical Veganism" is a thing and that it must be protected.
This is an amazing decision.
If you are an "Ethical Vegan", would you need to add this to your CV and presentation letter so that your pension fund is invested in ethical-vegan-only companies, that your values are respected and that you are protected in your work environment against discrimination, bullying or subjected to ridicule?
The implications are now endless.
“If you have decided to not eat animal product, this is not enough to be an ‘Ethical Vegan’”
My biggest concern today is that this has created more problems that it it was supposed to solve: sectarian divide.
Even the lawyer representing our "Ethical Vegan" hero made it clear that not all vegans are alike, at best most are plant-based eaters.
This is absolutely unacceptable.
Such comments should have been retracted and reprimanded.
Why?
Because vegans will now fight against each other to prove why they deserve to hold the title of "Ethical Vegan". If you have decided to not eat animal products, this is not enough to be an "Ethical Vegan".
What is Ethical Veganism?
Ethical Veganism bans:
- The consumption of animal products, including eggs, cheese and honey.
- The use of non-vegan cosmetics and other personal care products, and buy from ethical companies only.
- Clothes and garments made of wool, silk, cashmere, lambswool or sheep skin.
- Leather products including shoes, handbags and car seats.
- Waxing furniture with beeswax and using beeswax candles.
- All products from companies that are involved in animal testing.
- All products from countries that glorify animal cruelty and allow for the destruction of forests for more cattle to graze or to expand plantations of palm trees at the detriment of wild fauna and native flora.
- Animal attraction parks (e.g. SeaWorld).
But, what’s the catch?
'Ethical veganism' calls for greater use of petrochemical-derived plastic for everything (plastic shoes and soles, plastic handbags, synthetic fibres (e.g. polyester, vinyl, etc.), synthetic furs, etc.).
Stricter vegans tend to use organic cotton or other natural plants fibres, such as jute, flax/linseeds (linen), and hemp (for everything, from shopping bags to garments, from car seat covers to socks).
Although these tend to be people who can afford it.
Many agree that most vegans observe a vegan diet rather than a vegan lifestyle; perhaps this is where the difference lies. An ethical vegan lives and breathe veganism. A vegan dieter may use leather products and may not be too concerned with non-organic cotton, perhaps in an attempt to prioritise their health without contributing to animal cruelty.
“Perhaps, I am not an ‘Ethical Vegan’ but who can judge me?”
Another great concern of mine includes the darker side of the story.
This ruling may fuel more disruption from "extremists", ready to make their voices heard no matter what. Butcher shops vandalised or farmers intimidated by hundreds of vegan protestors.
This is where, personally, I draw the line.
I respect all life on the planet.
I stand firmly against animal cruelty (by making conscious choices when it comes to animal food products or otherwise).
I am all for protecting the planet (launching EcoLiving is also a part of this effort), preserving the environment and preventing animals from extinction by:
- Not buying more than I need, considerably reducing my carbon footprint as well, reducing pollution by reducing the number of deliveries and buying in bulk, and the purchase of unneeded items, including plastics. Except for a large roll of cling film (about 9 years old), I have zero plastic in my kitchen.
- Not using toxic chemicals (cleaning products, detergents, personal care products, bug sprays and other pesticides, herbicides and weed-killers, etc)
- Not owning a car
- Not buying meat from supermarkets but from trusted biodynamic farms, which are ethically in tune with nature. I also eat meat less often.
- Cooking delicious vegan food at home and at work, making my vegan clients happy to discover new dishes, textures and flavours.
- Respect everyone including vegans and meat-eaters alike.
Why?
Because my choice is mine and mine only.
I have no right to dictate my beliefs to others.
I have no right to feel superior, discriminate or criticise others because I do not participate in animal cruelty but they might — directly or indirectly.
I have no right to judge.
And I expect the same from others.
I should be able to live the life I want, according to my beliefs, and without fear.
This is my decision, my life, my body, my health and the beliefs that my body is an ecosystem that needs nurturing and real foods and that my body is mine and mine alone and no one has a right over it (especially when it comes to what goes inside, by mouth or injection).
I prefer to boycott supermarkets and larger stores for having created a major problem rather than solving any; blackmailing farmers to sell animal products at very low prices, forcing farmers to cut corners at every step to protect their livelihood; and, having created a manufactured offer-and-demand attitude.
This is at the heart of conventional farming methods and animal cruelty.
Too many animals are sent for slaughter, and tonnes of animal products go to waste because it has passed their 'best before' deadline or household food waste (buying more than you need because the family pack was cheaper but ending up binning the leftovers or let it past its best before date).
I believe that a person is completely disconnected from nature and food if he/she buys plastic-wrapped foods like they pick up breakfast cereal boxes and antibacterial hand soaps.
What is now likely to happen?
Companies will rush to create an "Ethical Vegan" certified range of products, from clothes to household products, from cosmetics to supplements, and more.
They will cash in no matter what. But the good thing is everyone gets what they want, right?
What are your thoughts?
Comment from Josie via Facebook:
I am sick of these sorts of newspaper articles which to me pit one against the other when previously they would have been oblivious to the difference. A vegan does as little harm as possible to any living creature and articles like this one make some feel as if what they are doing is not enough which is unfair. Everyone does the best they can but the good old British attitude is to knock everyone until they are down.
I have neither eaten nor worn animals for almost 46 yrs, I raised two vegans now aged 22 & 21 who choose to remain vegan. We do not buy any products that are knowingly tested and if there is any doubt we avoid them. I grow our own fruit and veg, not organically but naturally because years gone by there was none of this grow organically nonsense it was just grow your food, there were no pesticides etc, just homemade compost, leaf mould, nettle feed etc, which is how I choose to grow. I do not use animal manure because that is a by-product of animals bred for slaughter.
We lived in Wales when my children were raised and had 'Free Range Children' signs on our drive. They had their own raised beds and grew their own veg and often ate it straight from the garden (peas, fruit etc).
Neither of them has had so much as a filling and has perfect teeth because they were not raised on the junk food sweets and cakes like their cousins and friends.
But, despite all that and all we do, we are not in any way perfect and not better than anyone else.
We are us first and happen to be vegan. It does not define us, it is not a competition, it is not something we consciously think about every day unless someone else brings it up. For instance, our builder commented that the stalk of sprouts I gave him had a few nibbles in them and offered suggestions to stop slugs etc (he also said they tasted like sprouts he had as a child and nothing like the offerings you get today). I thanked him and ignored his words. The insects that nibble on some of the vegs need to eat too, we do not kill them, if we have to cut around a few nibbles so be it, those scraps end up in one of our compost heaps.
It is virtually impossible for everything surrounding you and everything you do to be 100% vegan, ethically or otherwise; after all.
far too many people try to push veganism to the extreme.
Another comment from Katrina via Facebook:
Veganism isn't a diet by definition and people who wear leather are not vegan. People choose to stop eating animal products but it doesn't make them vegan does it? It makes them vegetarian or plant-based at best.
Veganism is a choice to limit the harm and exploitation of animals as much as possible. I agree that we should all be doing our bit to do the least harm we can in whichever way we believe to be the best but that is not necessarily connected to veganism.
Veganism has already been defined, ethical or otherwise.
Josie, I completely agree!
The only reason I started referring to myself as a vegan was to make my lifestyle changes easier for other people to understand, without having to explain detail by detail.
I don’t feel I need a label and neither did I get a 'how to be a vegan' guide. I read as much as I could so I could begin to make more conscious choices. I learned of the plight of animals, and once you research this it is hard to ignore. Then I wanted to raise my children as healthy as possible, so I did more research into the nutritional side of what we eat. I am far from perfect and always learning.
These days I am trying to learn as much as possible about the environmental impact of our lifestyle, as are many of us. The growth in popularity of veganism is a double-edged sword and is manipulated by some for their own gain. That's a shame, but that's life I guess. Thankfully there are many people doing the best they can and not judging others for doing the best they can! I try and focus on that 😊