2. If everyone only ate vegetables and grains, would there be enough to eat?
If everyone were a vegetarian, there would be more than enough food to feed hungry people around the world.
Today, most of the grain produced is to feed farm animals. If we stopped doing that, no one would starve. The cattle population across the world eats enough calories to feed 8.7 billion people.
Additionally, a great deal of the Earth is cleared to make room for animal farms. If we stopped clearing land for animal grazing, there would be more land for crops to feed humans.
3. If we all stop eating animals, they will overrun the Earth. Isn’t it better to eat them than to let them die and go to waste?
Yes, if we stopped eating all animals today, there would be billions of farm animals that would “go to waste.” However, this is highly unlikely, because the transition to a vegan diet would occur gradually and factory farmers would gradually decrease the number of animals they breed for food.
Eventually there would be no more farm animals than any other species on Earth, and the ecosystem would return to a natural balance.
4. Don’t farmers treat their animals well so they’ll produce more milk or eggs?
No, animals are not always treated well by farmers. Animals are not raised on old-fashioned farms where they walk around on grassy fields, make babies when they are ready, and crow to wake up the farmers. Modern farms are made to process animals as quickly, cheaply, and efficiently as possible. Many animals do not receive medical care, are often genetically engineered, and are fed hormones, antibiotics, and other medications.
5. Doesn’t it help the cows to be milked?
Cows produce milk in the same way that humans do- when they have a baby. In nature, the calf would drink his mother’s milk and then she would no longer have a supply of milk. On farms, dairy cows are artificially inseminated so that they constantly have milk.
Additionally, most dairy cows are given growth hormones so that they produce much more milk than they would have in nature. Those hormones cause their udders to be engorged with milk, which leads to infection and intense pain for the cow.
6. It’s natural for chickens to lay eggs, so why is it bad to eat eggs?
Egg-laying hens go through some of the worst abuse of any farm animal. The hens are packed into cages with many other hens, and the cages are stacked several layers high. As the hens on the top defecate, the feces falls into the cages below. The hens are unable to stretch their wings or legs, and often develop severe bone disorders. When the chickens die, they are often left in the cages where the other hens trample them as they begin to grow around the wires.
7. Aren’t free-range farms good enough?
The term “free-range” has been badly misused in the food industry. Many people believe that the meat they are eating is from animals that have lived a fulfilled life, when in fact, their life is no different than any other farm animal.
A product can be labeled as “cage-free” or “free-range” if the animal simply had access to the outside, even if the access is unrealistic. In most cases, the access is a tiny door to a tiny yard that the animals never use because their feed is located inside the barn.
8. Why should I care about hurting animals for food?
Most people feel bad if they witness a domestic animal, like a cat or dog, suffer and would never consider harming one themselves. However, these feelings don’t extend to farm animals produced for food even though farm animals feel pain and emotional stress the same as humans and domesticated pets. Their suffering is no less intense because they don’t speak English or walk on their hind legs or live in our house with us.
9. Why should animals have rights?
People who believe in “animal rights” believe that every being, including animals, has the right to life without suffering or pain.
10. Isn’t it hard to become vegan?
Some people find it difficult to become vegan, and others find it simple. The easiest thing to do is follow along with what you believe, and don’t force yourself to make changes faster than you feel comfortable. If you try to abstain from meat simply because you know you should, but you are not truly ready to do so, you are more likely to bounce back and start eating meat again.
Even if you cut back on your meat and dairy consumption just a little to start (i.e. Meat Free Fridays), you are making progress. When you are ready, add a Mock Meat Monday or a Soybean Saturday.
11. Is a vegan diet healthy?
Eating vegan does not automatically mean eating healthy. Plenty of junk food made without animal ingredients exists. However, people who eat healthy vegan diets are healthier than people eating a “regular” diet.
A healthy vegan diet is based around whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. This diet is low in fat, has no cholesterol, and provides plenty of protein, calcium, fiber, and other nutrients for optimal nutrition. Healthy vegan diets are great for everyone; including children, infants, pregnant and breast-feeding women, adults, and senior citizens.
Don’t see your vegan FAQ on this list? If you have more vegan FAQs, Contact Us. We’d love to answer your questions and share more information about veganism.
** We credit Vegan Nutrionista for some of this content.
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