Whether looking at veganism as a diet and lifestyle, as a keyword or as a developing market trend, its popularity charts over the previous few years have consistently grown from left to right, year after year. The Guardian estimates that there are 79 million vegans in the world, notwithstanding the incompleteness of the statistics available online about the growth of veganism.
What is Veganism?
Avoiding using animal products, especially in your diet, is the practice of veganism. The ideology that backs this practice rejects exploiting animals as a commodity. Anyone who follows the philosophy or diet is referred to as a vegan. It might likewise be categorized as a social movement.
Steaks and seafood are staples of many cultures around the world, that follow an animal-based diet as a whole. Veganism is becoming more popular, though, because of its numerous health and environmental advantages.
Is Veganism really growing?
There are numerous ways to gauge the expansion of veganism. Looking at the term’s popularity on Google Trends is one approach to do this. Since 2004, when statistics first became available, the term’s use has grown and peaked in January 2020. In terms of search volume, it initially eclipsed “beef” in 2016, and now they are consistent rivals. In 2016, the term “meat” was overtaken by the concept of veganism, which has steadily eclipsed it ever since.
Reasons for being a part of the plant-based vegan culture
The sector of animal agribusiness has had a terrible effect on the environment. It is one of the main causes of climate change because it accounts for 14.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, which is higher than the whole transportation sector combined.
Animal excrement and aerosols from the livestock business frequently contaminate the land and water of nearby communities. The alarming rise of antibiotic resistance in the Indian population is brought on by the usage of antibiotics as growth hormones in agricultural animals.
Around 2.7 billion farm animals were slaughtered in India alone in 2017–18 after being raised in unsanitary, tightly packed environments with little opportunity for movement, let alone allowing them to express their natural habits.
Health benefits of plant-based diets
There is no shortage of proof that consuming a lot of fruits and vegetables helps maintain both physical and mental health. In fact, several studies imply that omnivores are less healthy overall in comparison to vegans and vegetarians in terms of some health markers. In fact, a lot of doctors recommend plant-based diets for patients with conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, and other disorders.
Health concerns about animal protein
Health concerns regarding animal protein, especially red meat, are a major factor in why individuals stop eating animal products. Public health professionals have been advising consumers to eat less meat, particularly beef and pork, for decades. They mentioned various health issues, including cancer, heart attacks, and strokes.
A recent study however, suggested that individuals may have been mistaken in their beliefs about red meat all this time, pointing out that the links between red meat, processed meat, and sickness were, at best, tenuous. Recently, the myth that red meat’s high level of saturated fat causes artery blockages was disproved.
Animal welfare and moral values
Many individuals think that animals are valuable in and of themselves and should be treated with kindness and respect. They consider animals to be sentient entities with the ability to feel emotions like pain and pleasure. Veganism is morally equivalent to the view that it is unethical to exploit and use animals for human needs like food, clothing, or entertainment. People who choose a vegan lifestyle aim to minimise animal suffering and advance animal welfare.
Animal agriculture often involves practices that are perceived as cruel and inhumane, such as factory farming, intensive confinement, and animal testing. These practices can lead to physical and psychological suffering for animals. Vegans reject the idea that animals should be treated as commodities and opt for alternatives that avoid the exploitation and suffering of animals. They choose plant-based diets and cruelty-free products to minimize their contribution to these practices.
Environmental activism
It’s understandable why so many vegans and vegetarians are committed to preserving the environment; each of us has a responsibility to care for Mother Earth.
Numerous consumers, as well as environmentalists, attribute animal agriculture to current environmental issues, citing eye-catching statistics on greenhouse gas emissions, water and land use, waste, labour costs, and transportation costs related to the raising of cattle.
Veganism is rooted in the high moral standards related to environmental sustainability and the well-being of future generations. Animal agriculture, a leading contributor to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and biodiversity loss, poses significant threats to our planet. By embracing a vegan lifestyle, individuals strive to minimize their ecological footprint and actively work towards creating a more sustainable and compassionate world for all living beings.
Personal Integrity
Many individuals hold the belief that causing unnecessary harm to animals is morally wrong. This belief stems from recognizing the capacity of animals to experience pain, pleasure, and emotions. By adopting a vegan lifestyle, individuals demonstrate consistency between their moral values and their actions. They strive to avoid participating in systems that exploit and harm animals, aligning their behaviour with their deeply held convictions.
Many individuals who choose veganism based on personal integrity have a deep sense of empathy and compassion for all living beings. They extend their moral concern beyond human beings and recognize the importance of reducing suffering and promoting the well-being of animals. Veganism becomes a way to express empathy and compassion in their daily choices and actions.
“When the suffering of another creature causes you to feel pain, do not submit to the initial desire to flee from the suffering one, but on the contrary, come closer, as close as you can to her who suffers, and try to help her.”— Leo Tolstoy.
Written by – Neha Gandhi
Edited by – Nandini Pillai