Four reasons to celebrate World Vegan Day

November 1, 7:47 AMSeattle Vegan ExaminerVirginia Messina, MPH, RD

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Going vegan eliminates cruelty to animals.

Englishman Donald Watson founded The Vegan Society in England 65 years ago in 1944. He coined the word vegan by taking the first three and last two letters of the word vegetarian because “veganism starts with vegetarianism and carries it through to its logical conclusion."

World Vegan Day is observed every November 1 to commemorate the founding of The Vegan Society and to celebrate a philosophy that honors the lives and rights of all animals.

Although being vegan affects many different lifestyle choices, making dietary changes is usually the starting point for new vegans. Choosing a diet based on plant foods makes a powerful difference in four important ways.

Vegan diets reduce global warming. A recent report from the World Watch Institute revealed that production of animal foods is responsible for more than 50 percent of all greenhouse gases. There is no other lifestyle change you can make—and that includes buying locally, eating organic foods, and giving up your car—that will reduce your impact on global warming as much as a vegan diet will. 

Vegan diets improve national security. Some of the most devastating effects of global warming will include hurricanes, flooding, drought, and changes in climate that affect agriculture—all impacting people in the world’s poorest areas. In a report issued this past summer, Pentagon experts concluded that the effects of a warming planet could create repeated relief emergencies that would tax the U.S. military resulting in a “strained readiness posture.” Choosing a diet that reduces global warming is a patriotic imperative.

Vegan diets reduce world hunger. In 2007, 756 million tons of grain were fed to food animals. That’s enough to feed every single one of the nearly one-and-a-half billion people on earth who live in extreme poverty. Not only is the grain used instead to produce food that is affordable only to the world’s wealthiest people, but most of it is wasted. It takes around 13 pounds of grain just to produce one pound of beef or 6 pounds of grain to product one pound of pork. All told, omnivores end up indirectly consuming four or five times as much grain as would be possible if they ate the grain directly. And while omnivores take far more than their share, ten million children under the age of 5 die every year from causes related to hunger and poverty.

Vegan diets prevent cruelty to animals. Some farm practices are less egregious than others, but all animals bred for food—including those used for milk and eggs—are eventually killed. All farm animals suffer, whether it is the dairy cow who has her one-day old calf taken away, or the pig raised in a gestation crate so small that she can’t—for her entire life—turn around, or the animals en route to the slaughterhouse who go for days without food or water. There are no federal laws for the protection of animals on farms, and those laws governing slaughter practices exempt certain animals, such as chickens. The only way to be sure your dietary choices are not responsible for animal suffering is to eliminate animal products from your plate.

Everyone can start decreasing his or her intake of animal foods right now as a first step toward a more responsible diet. It’s an easy way to make a world of difference. Check out these free resources for help in going vegan and this ten-step plan toward a more humane and responsible diet.