Below are a few articles we have written in which we advocate for vegan diets. Plant-based diets are the most humane toward animals, the most environmentally friendly and most healthful diet for people to consume.
Vegan diets are most compassionate.
A vegan diet consist of only plants and foods produced from plants; it excludes meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products and all other animal – derived ingredients.
Every year, approximately 58 billion animals are crammed by the thousands into filthy and cruel confinements systems and killed in factory farms and slaughterhouses worldwide to produce meat, eggs and dairy. In the US alone, 10 billion land animals are abused and slaughtered every year in the food production industries.
As animal advocates, we naturally do not want to contribute to the suffering of any living beings by consuming or using animals or their products for any purpose. Consequently, AIA promotes a vegan diet as a central element of animal advocacy.
Vegan diets are best for the environment
Another strong argument for eating vegan is that vastly fewer resources are needed to grow plants for consumption than are used in the production of meat and dairy.
The production of meat and diary is very resource-intensive and inefficient. Huge amounts of water and feed are required to raise livestock for meat and to produce milk – much more than what is required to grow fruits, vegetables and legumes for direct consumption. Furthermore, experts estimate that about 18% of all green house gas emissions are a result of animal agriculture, which is more than produced by the entire world’s transportation industries combined. Additionally, around the world, natural habitats and forests are being cleared at alarming rates to make grazing land for livestock.
Humankind’s seemingly insatiable appetite for meat and dairy is literally destroying the earth we and non-human animals share.
By adopting a vegan diet, you are truly doing one of the most environmentally conscious acts possible. Marilyn Ramos’ article below, Why Every Environmentalist Should Also be a Vegan, describes in greater detail the connection between eating and the environment.
Vegan diets are good for you
Finally, the scientific evidence is quickly accumulating that plant-based diets are the healthiest for people to adopt, being associated with lower cancer rates and cardiovascular disease, as well as imparting a host of other benefits. The article below by Drs. Kirshner and Spiegel reviews the cardiovascular benefits of vegan diets. Vegan dining is becoming increasingly popular, with more vegan restaurants open than ever before, more tasty supermarket items available, and a wealth of cooking and nutritional information available on-line. If you are not yet vegan, please consider giving it a try. There has never been more compelling reasons to go vegan, and it is easier and more tasty than ever before!