1. Why being vegan is a good idea: the truth
behind food and fashion industry.
Fashion
The fashion industry kills many different types of animal to produce all sorts of
fashion products- from bags to coats to shoes. Sadly a large number of animals
are made into leather and fur products.
What happens the unfortunate animals in the fur industry?
Fur farm animals are forced to live in cramped, filthy wired cages, only to be
killed for their fur. What life is that for an animal? Some animals are even hunted
down in the wild by poachers. The victims include tigers, minks, bears, foxes and
many more!
Alternatives: glamour without guilt
Fortunately faux fur is available from a numberless amount of stores, around the
world. Firstly faux fur is small fraction of the price of real fur; a fur coat can cost
a whopping £14,000, whereas a faux fur coat can cost only £50. Secondly and
more importantly, faux fur does not take away a life.
What goes on in the leather industry?
More than a billion animals are slaughtered globally in the leather industry,
every year. Leather is not a by-product of the meat industry- most animals are
murdered primarily for their skins. The majority of leather is made from cows
but they aren’t alone: cats, dogs, horses, snakes, alligators and elephants sadly
fall victim too.
Alternatives:
Synthetic leather is available in almost all fashion shops, at a much cheaper price
than real leather.
Food
The meat industry…
An extortionate number of animals are killed for meat every single day, all over
the world. From cows to pigs to chickens, these are just a couple of the many
animals killed for their meat. Despite the animal welfare laws put in place, the
Food Standards Agency (FSA) found these laws were severely broken on over
4,000 occasions in the last two years, at Britain slaughterhouses. Worryingly, bad
practices at slaughterhouses could increase your risk of food poisoning.
2. Where to get protein from, other than meat…
Quorn have a lot of vegan products on the market, which are high in protein!
Beans, nuts and quinoa are few of many vegan foods that will contribute to your
protein intake.
The dairy industry: the truth behind milk
The dairy industry is something people may not think results in animal cruelty,
like the meat industry- but it does! Animals used in the dairy industry, will
eventually suffer the same fate as the animals used for meat production-DEATH.
So what happens to the cows in the dairy industry?
Female cows are artificially inseminated every year to produce milk, at a steady
rate. Usually a cow would normally produce enough milk for its calf/calves but
the industry forces them to produce more! Most cows are fed a growth hormone
called ‘bovine growth hormone’, which causes their udders to become big and
heavy as a result. Dairy cows are separated from their calves after just 3 days or
even straight away. A cow goes through the insemination process another 3-10
times before she is eventually killed for her meat!
And what happens their calves?
The female calves will be forced to share the same fate as their mothers. The
male calves will be raised and slaughtered for their meat. Some male calves will
be raised for beef, whereas some will be used for veal. Shockingly, “bob” veal
comes from calves that have been killed at only a few hours or a day old.
What is the cruelty free answer to milk?
Soya milk!
The egg industry
Chicks born into the egg industry are sexed and sorted straight away. Healthy
female chicks will become layer chickens whereas weak female chicks will be
killed. ALL male chicks will be disposed of. Male are killed for two reasons: they
fail to produce eggs and they are unsuitable for meat production. The healthy
female chickens will be genetically manipulated to produce extortionate
amounts of egg annually; much more they would normally produce. Some layer
chickens will be forced to life in cages, where they can’t even spread their wings.
Eventually their egg production will decline at 18-24 months old and they will
not be of use anymore, so they will be killed.
If you’re interested to find out more information related to veganism,
please visit Veganuary.com.
