The Vegan vs. The Farmer

We are a blue house in a relative sea of red.  We are urban professionals that commute to the country.  We love animals, so we slaughter them.

We were recently at a large concert and among the “water pipes” and the cheap t-shirts due to externalized costs, were the pro-vege booths.  They had a listing of local vegan/vegetarian restaurants that I was interested in because we strive to eat less meat*.  On the front side of the sheet of paper was a brief  argument for “Why Vegan?”.  As I read their statements I was puzzled.  The list was the same list of arguments for why we seek out humane, local, organic sources for meat… or raise our own.

* I think it’s inarguable that it’s very likely you/me/we should all be diversifying our protein sources and eating less meat for our health, the environment, and the animals.

I will segue here for a moment and acknowledge that I am well aware that these are not the only reasons some people chose a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle (and yes, I know the difference between the two).  I found it fascinating though that these appear to be the most  compelling.  If you are vegan/vege because you feel eating animals is “wrong” or your preferred religion or deity decrees it so, then there is clearly no arguing your choice.

The sheet detailed the inhumane treatment of laying chickens, complete with details of battery cages, debeaking, force moulting, short-life spans, rampant antibiotic/medication use, and stress.  It detailed unsuccessful slaughters of all kinds and the environmental impact of CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feed Operations).

Yet to every point there is a meat-eating alternative.  I was left with the impression that their underlying message was ‘it’s too hard to stop/change these things so let’s opt out’.  Rather than opting out of the conversation, we chose to take control of it.  Sure it requires more work and it’s not nearly as convenient, but it’s encouraging those farms/producers to continue doing what they are.  Even better, you could consider raising your own.  Slaughtering, plucking, eviscerating, and butchering 14 chickens by hand will seriously make you look at that chicken nugget differently.  There is a lot of externalized work and guilt embodied in what’s on your plate, and having to do it yourself, at least once, will remind you why it shouldn’t be taken lightly, but that doesn’t mean chicken is off the menu.

You can argue that the vegan/vege is ‘voting with their dollars’ by boycotting meat or animal products, but I see it as negative versus positive reinforcement of desired behavior.  You can just as easily ‘vote’ by giving your money to a farm that’s doing things “right”. 

I think we need to unite the vegan and the farmer.  In the argument on where our food comes from and how it is treated there is one answer, but many paths to get there.

It “…isn’t about being perfect or pure—it’s about reducing suffering.”
From: http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/