Wikipedia

Veganism

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by FWBOarticle (talk | contribs) at 01:48, 12 August 2004 (→Criticism and Backlash: Took out peaceful death of humanity part.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.


In its adjective form, vegan describes:

  • people (who avoid all animal products),
  • diets (plant-based),
  • food (containing no animal products), and
  • products (containing no animal products and not animal tested).

As a noun, a vegan is a person who follows a vegan lifestyle (i.e. avoiding animal products). Some vegans see this usage as offensive, and prefer to be referred to using the adjective form.

Veganism is defined in the following quote from the Memorandum of Association, the British Vegan Society (2004):

"The word 'veganism' denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practical — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, including humans and the environment.
In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals."

Overview

The word vegan (pronounced vee-gun, sometimes mispronounced vay-gun) was originally derived from vegetarian in 1944 when Elsie Shrigley and Donald Watson founded the UK Vegan Society. The word starts and ends with the first three and last two letters of vegetarian, representing that veganism begins with vegetarianism and then takes it to its logical conclusion. Therefore the term vegan was originally coined to differentiate those vegetarians who (primarily for ethical or environmental reasons) sought to eliminate all animal products in all areas of their lives from those who simply avoided eating meat.

Those who are vegans for ethical reasons today generally oppose the violence and cruelty they see as involved in the (non-vegan) food, clothing and other industries. By extension cruelty and exploitation are avoided in all human activities and relationships between humans as well as with non-human animals. Animal products such as leather, silk or wool are avoided. Soap must be of vegetable oil instead of animal. Toothpaste and hair products, etc., must not be tested by animal experiments such as the Draize or the LD50 tests.

The group argued that the elimination of exploitation of any kind was necessary in order to bring about a more reasonable and humane society. From its inception, veganism was defined as a "philosophy" and "way of living." It was never intended to be merely a diet and, still today, describes a lifestyle and belief system that revolves around a reverence for life. - Joanne Stepaniak (author of The Vegan Sourcebook).

That the vegan movement has distanced itself, over the years, from the simple dietary practice of vegetarianism is evident in British supermarkets such as Sainsburys, Tesco and the Co-op by the numerous products which are marked either "suitable for vegetarians" or "suitable for vegetarians and vegans" - clearly giving mainstream acceptance to the difference between the two systems. For instance, the Co-op supermarket has a website where customers can learn more about these two philosophies' dietary requirements.

Other goals may include polyculture and other means of sustainable agriculture. Some vegans see this as part and parcel of their veganism.

Animal products

Animal products include all forms of meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, dairy products, fur, leather, wool, silk, and byproducts such as gelatin, rennet, whey, and the like. The Vegan Society and most vegans include insect products such as honey and beeswax in their definition as well. There is some debate on the finer points of what constitutes an animal product; some vegans avoid cane sugar that has been filtered with bone char and some won't drink beers and wines clarified with egg whites, animal blood (this is exceedingly rare today), or isinglass (even though they are not present in the final product). Further, some vegans won't eat food cooked in pans if they have been used to cook meat. An exception is human milk, when freely given by the lactating mother.

Motivation

Many vegans cite, as their primary motivation, the concept of reducing animal suffering. Utilitarian philosopers, such as Jeremy Bentham, and especially Peter Singer, argue that the suffering of all sentient animals should be taken into consideration when making ethical decision; thus, by abstaining from consuming products from animals exploited for food - veganism is the application of this system of ethics. Though Peter Singer's ethical theory recognizes the suffering of sentient animals, it does not, however, rely on the concept of rights. However, philosophers such as Tom Regan and Gary Francione believe that because sentient animals are capable of valuing their life, they have the inherent right to possess their own flesh, and therefore it is unethical to treat sentient animals as property, or as a commodity.

For many, the vegan philosophy also has close connections with the concept of Ahimsa, a Sanskrit word central to the Jain sect of Hinduism and taught by Mahatma Gandhi - Ahimsa roughly means "non-killing and non-harming." The American Vegan Society website says: "It is not mere passiveness, but a positive method of meeting the dilemmas and decisions of daily life. In the western world, we call it Dynamic Harmlessness." Ahimsa is also used as a backronym: Abstinence from animal products, Harmlessness with reverence for life, Integrity of thought, word, and deed, Mastery over oneself, Service to humanity, nature, and creation, and Advancement of understanding and truth.

Those who avoid animal products for reasons of health (eg, due to allergies or to avoid cholesterol) rather than compassion sometimes describe themselves as "dietary vegans". However, popular vegan author Joanne Stepaniak argues that this term is inappropriate because veganism is by definition about helping animals. She believes that a term such as "total vegetarian" would be a better categorisation for those who, for example, avoid eating meat and dairy products, but continue to buy new leather shoes.

A Time/CNN poll published in Time Magazine July 7, 2002, found that 4% of Americans consider themselves vegetarians, and 5% of self-described vegetarians consider themselves vegans. This small-sampled poll may suggest that two-tenths-of-one-percent of Americans are vegans; therefore, there are about half-a-million American vegans. A 2000 poll suggested closer to 0.9% of the USA population may be vegan, i.e. 2.5 million citizens.

In the UK, research [1] showed that 0.4%, approximately 250 000 people were vegan in 2001.

Modern veganism in context

Veganism is a modern idea, as a reaction to the exploitation of nature, including imposing unnecessary suffering on non-human animals. Although it can be seen as a minor and localised reaction to the excesses of the developed world the principle behind it can be found in much older ethical/religious doctrine of the East, such as Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism. (See the discussion of 'Ahimsa' elsewhere on this page, and in Wikipedia).

Much stricter form of diet has been followed for thousands of years by adherents of Jainism and is an integral part of their religious doctrine which promote non-suffering. Jain monks usually follow a much stricter form of veganism where they eat only fruits and beans so that they can avoid indirect killing of plants. In fact some Jains have been known to starve themselves to death in order to avoid harming any living creature or plants. There are even those who wear masks over their mouths and noses to avoid any possibility of breathing in tiny insects.

Except for these extreme cases, veganism is pretty much unheard of in most parts of the world. In most parts of developing countries, meat and animal products used to be a minor part of the diet and have been seen as a contributing factor of malnutrition. This situation has begun to be reversed by the rising standard of living in these countries. In many of these countries, health problems associated with over-eating are on the rise. Consequently, there is a small but growing awareness of the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. However, veganism is still very much unheard of in most non-Western countries.

Similar diets

There are several diets similar to veganism, including the aforementioned fructarian diet, raw foods, and the macrobiotic diet. There are also numerous religious groups that regularly or occasionally practice a similar diet, including some sects of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, as well as some Christian sects such as the Eastern Orthodox church and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

More recently, many young people who subscribe to the anarcho-punk or straight edge punk movements have embraced veganism, and corresponding beliefs of the animal rights movement.

Vegan Nutrition

For references on nutrition, see below.

The best way for any person, Vegan or not, to attain adequate nutrition is to eat a variety of foods from different food groups (see Food pyramid). Vegans start off with potentially high advantages: increased vegetable intake (normally), and avoidance of foods high in animal fats and saturated fats, such as fatty meat, cheese and eggs.

However, care still needs to be taken. The vegan diet is not necessarily healthful, since it is couched in negative terms (it prescribes what is not to be eaten rather than what is). Good nutrition requires regular positive choices of a wide variety within various food types.

The needs for various minerals and vitamins will be met by eating a wide variety of unprocessed foods. Vitamin B12 can be obtained in some yeast extracts (check labels). Some feel vegans must consume foods that are supplemented with it: others point out that the bacteria which produce cyanocobalamine (B12) will survive in the human digestive system and produce the B12 without the need for supplements. However, no scientific test has yet found a reliable vegetable source (ie. one that works consistently for all testees) of B12, and the UK Vegan Society recommends the use of supplements derived from bacteria.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be obtained from Vegan sources such as fresh, cold pressed flaxseed or canola (rapeseed) oils, as well as in walnuts and dark green leafy vegetables.

There is research which shows that vegans have lower levels of calcium in their body, but this is not supported by any research to show that these low levels are harmful. It is thought that vegans are better able to maintain calcium levels in their body than those following higher protein diets (see Langley, 1988, page 77).

One should note that nutrition is about balance. Too much or too little of one nutrient can be dangerous. Dietary supplementation can be problematic for this reason. Most countries have recommended daily allowances for all vitamins and minerals.

It is wise for vegans and non-vegans alike to avoid trans fats (found in hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils), in order to have good nutrition. They are most commonly found in snack food, fried food, and other highly-processed foods. Most fast-food restaurants use hydrogenated oil when cooking their french fries.

Possible benefits

Besides diminishing animal suffering, a vegan diet can reduce the risk of many health problems, including heart failure, obesity, diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, and cancer.

Veganism also may be friendlier to the environment and may improve the conditions of low income people in and out of third world countries by freeing more food for human consumption. For most forms of livestock, approximately 10kg of grain are needed for every kg of meat produced. The remaining 9kg or so of feedstock is converted into methane and ammonia emissions and dung, which composts into organic fertiliser, so it is not entirely wasted. See the references below for more detail on these issues.

Vegan cuisine

For a list of vegan recipes complementary to this article see the wiki cookbook section, Vegan cuisine.

Criticism and Backlash

Many vegans experience hostile attitudes and remarks towards their diets from friends, family, and coworkers. Much of the backlash against vegans comes from the strong link between veganism and animal rights activism. Being vegan is an easy way to be identified as animal rights advocate and vegans face backlash in this respect. While veganism is an individual lifestyle choice and can be regarded as passive, the same cannot be said about animal right activitsm. Vegans are often accused of forcing their views on non-vegans, often phrased "shove veganism down their throats". There is also strong resentment against perceived view that vegans hold themselves morally superior. Vegans may also be accused of being overly sympathetic or sensitive or of not caring about humans. Veganism is occasionally become target of conspiracy theory.

Veganism is also criticized on nutritional and ethical basis. Many of these are reactions to vegan criticisms of meat eating and agricultural practice.

Firstly, there are wide criticism about vegan groups representing meat eating being inherently unhealthy. There is abundance of evidences to indicate that overeating and obesity are unhealthy. However, no evidence so far exists to suggest that meat eating itself is unhealthy. However, vegan are accuse of confusing the problem of overeating with eating of meat to further their political cause. Critics also argue that vegan willfully underestimate the possible health risk of vegan diet.

Another criticism is that the main ethical argument behind veganism is arbitrary. Critics point out that vegan diet is not bloodless. Millions of animals are killed by wheat and soy bean combines during harvesting season. Deer, elk and antelope deemed as pests are killed in control hunt. The agricultural use of pesticides and harvesters also harms or kills field animals. It is true that vegan diet cause less harm to animal. However, critics point out that most vegan are not prepared to go as far as cultivating crops by themselves. Then, the critics argue, what is wrong for eating meat becaue of practicality and convenience in term of nutrition or for that matter because meat taste good.

Critics also point out that the concept of indirect responsibility is a pandora's box. As an example, human reporoduction is the single most destructive act if the concept of indirect responsiblity is applied. One is responsible for all the indirect killing of decendants whether they are vegan or not. And at least in the developed countries, there is no practical need for children. The contraceptions are easily available not to mention about the availability of abortion and sterlisation. Many would consider such impliation to be proposterous. For this reason, the critics alleged that veganism as a philosophy is not practical.


Examples:

  • The website "People Eating Tasty Animals", featuring essays and articles about hunting and the consumption of animal products. Best known for the creator's legal battle with PETA.
  • Guiltless grill? Is there another kind? by Maddox in his "The Best Page in the Universe".
  • The paintings and writings of artist Trenton Doyle Hancock feature creatures called vegans which take control of a people's stomachs, turning them into "vegan vessels".
  • In the reality television program "Surviving Nugent", host Ted Nugent, widely known for his anti-animal rights viewpoints, regularly derided the only vegan contestant. Nugent's comments are indicative of a growing tension between vegans and hunting enthusiasts.

See also

References

Nutrition

  • Stephen Walsh Plant Based Nutrition and Health, The Vegan Society 2003, ISBN 0-907337-26-0 (paperback), ISBN 0-907337-27-9 (hardback).
  • Gill Langley Vegan Nutrition: a survey of research, The Vegan Society 1988, ISBN 0-907337-15-5

Environmental issues

  • Prof. V. Smil, Rationalizing Animal Food Production, in Feeding the World: A Challenge for the 21st Century, MIT Press, London, 2000. This provides evidence for the amount of grain required to raise livestock.
  • C. de Haan, H. Steinfeld & H. Blackburn, Livestock and the Environment: Finding a Balance FAO, USAID, World Bank, 1998. Provides evidence of environmental damage caused by animal farming, mainly factory farming.

Vegan organizations

Resources for vegans

Vegan essays online

Nutrition

General


(See also external links on the vegetarianism page.)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Veganism&oldid=5154883"