Veganism Research

Jamie Kessel

Veganism definition‘Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals.[9] A follower of veganism is known as a vegan.’

‘Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or poultry. Vegans, in addition to being vegetarian, do not use other animal products and by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products.’

‘A vegan (pronounced VEE-gun) is someone who, for various reasons, chooses to avoid using or consuming animal products. While vegetarians choose not to use flesh foods, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs, as well as fur, leather, wool, down, and cosmetics or chemical products tested on animals.’

http://vegan.org/learn/

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism

Tags: wikipedia, vrg, vegan.org, defintionofveganism, vegandefintion, vegangooglesearch

• Summary: All the definitions provided in the previous slide are pretty much the same as each other. They describe veganism as being the act of not using any products which derive from animals in some way, such as food and clothing. This can be for ethical, health and/or financial reasons, which is something I will attempt to do further research in. The three sources that I’ve taken the definition from should all be fairly reliable. Wikipedia in general is very reliable as it is frequently monitored, and the other two should provide accurate info considering the fact that they are organizations focused around the subject, but there might be some slight bias due to this.

What is veganism?• Link to video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sepObR6pL1Y

This video has helped to reinforce my understand of the definition of veganism by highlighting the various different elements, beliefs and morals often related to being a vegan. It also highlights many of the ethical issues associated with using animals for meat and other products, and this has urged me to want to do further research into the ethics of veganism.

Tags: vegandefinition, youtube, vegan, whatisveganism, thefriendlyactivist, video

Ethics• Pro vegan ethical arguments include:• Fewer greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.• Preventing of animals being slaughtered and kept in poor conditions.• If less money was spent on farming animals, much more could be spent on

distributing wealth and feeding the poor.• Many people feel that indulging in items such as clothing or handbags

made from animal skin is simply unnecessary and inhuman.

• Anti vegan ethical arguments include:• Young children often are often brought up vegan with no other option,

potentially bringing about health risks.• Animals can often die through the process of farming for a vegan diet.• http://www.ourhenhouse.org/2013/02/the-ethical-arguments-against-

ethical-veganism/

Guradian article on the ethics of veganism - http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/29/should-i-

go-vegan-lucy-siegle‘Methane emissions, mainly from sheep, make up more than 90 per cent of New Zealand’s greenhouse-gas emissions.’

‘Eating plant-based protein results in far fewer greenhouse gas emissions per “protein unit” than producing ruminant livestock like cows.’

‘But if the world were to go vegan, that wouldn’t solve an ecological crisis. Livestock does sustain small land owners globally. There’s also the suggestion that there are only 60 years of topsoil (ie the life-sustaining bit) remaining.’

‘According to ecologist Allan Savory, livestock is an essential part of bringing nutrients to that topsoil and staving off the desertification of arable land. His theory advocates bunched livestock farming, driving it through pastures to simulate grazing. Sadly, the livestock systems that dominate have nothing in common with Savory’s vision.’

‘you could argue that it is more ethical, but it's not the most ethical. The most ethical way would simply be to remove yourself from the equation entirely.’

Tags: ethics, argument, guardian, shouldigovegan?, lucy siegle

‘Fern.org, which protects EU forests and their people, says that in 2012 UK beef imports were responsible for 1,160km2 of illegal deforestation (an area two-thirds the size of London).’

• Summary: This article focused on the ethics of being a vegan, and in general it points at veganism being the more ethical option than not being a vegan. Despite this, it does provide a few counter arguments and sources data from other places such as quotes from books and journalist. The article is written by the Guardian, who are generally considered to be one of the more neutral and unbiased newspapers, and for this reason, the information isn’t likely to be distorted and represented inaccurately in the way it might have been had it been an article written by The Sun or The Daily Mail for example.

Health – The verdict of a famous chef and self proclaimed health enthusiast (http://www.jamieoliver.com/news-and-features/features/vegan-diet-

healthy/#bak3gkBhu4dYFgiU.97)

‘Frustratingly, the answer is that it depends as much on what you eat as with any other diet. Someone living purely on ready salted crisps or chips, for example, would be technically following a vegan diet, but it would in no way be healthy.’

‘You see, a diet without any meat or dairy products is likely to contain a lot less saturated fat, which is related to increased cholesterol levels and increased risk of heart disease. We also know that fat contains more calories per gram than other foods, and so vegans may consume fewer calories as a result.’

Sounds great right? Not quite. In terms of micronutrients, a vegan diet is actually more susceptible to being nutritionally poor.

‘A vegan diet is naturally low in calcium, vitamin D, iron, vitamin B12, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids. Therefore, if you follow a vegan diet it is essential that you get enough of these nutrients through specific vegan food sources – and may even need to take additional supplements.’

‘going vegan does not necessarily mean you are going to be healthier. In fact, I think that much of the improvement in diets among vegans is a result of education rather than going meat free.’

Many people see the word vegan on the label and they assume it must be super healthy – wrong. Even if it’s vegan, it’s just as important to look at the ingredients list and the nutrition information to see how much fat, sugar and salt something contains.

Tags: health, diet, jamieoliver, nakedchef, jamieoliver.com, vegandiet

• Summary: This article focuses on the issue of health when it comes to veganism, and discusses whether or not it is more healthy to be a vegan. The article seams to be fairly un-biased and neutral, and it gives arguments with counter arguments. What it basically concludes is the fact that a vegan diet CAN be more healthy depending on the person taking the diet and their ability to source the nutrients needed without animal based products.

Foods you might not expect vegans can’t eat include:• White sugar (applies to the US, but not the UK).• Sweets containing gelatin.• Artificially coloured red food.• Soy cheese.• Most sauces and dressings.• Crisps.• Margarine.• Orange juice (which are often fortified with omega 3 from fish oils).• Many beers or wines.Source : http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1022029/13-things-vegans-cant-eat

Tags: vegandiet, sheknows, unexpectedfood, diet, recipes

Clothing http://www.peta.org.uk/issues/animals-not-wear/

‘Row upon row of cages stacked on top of each other in foul-smelling sheds that resound with the screams of distressed animals – this is a fur farm.’

‘The methods used to kill animals on fur farms include vaginal or anal electrocution, gassing and poisoning. All are gruesome, painful and terrifying for the animals.’

‘In 2000, fur farming became illegal in the UK, but it still takes place across Europe and the rest of the world, inflicting intense suffering on animals.’

‘Dogs who are next in line for slaughter can smell, hear and see what is happening to those in front of them. Many are so terrified that they climb on top of each other in the holding area, desperately trying to find a way to escape.’

‘It’s easy to distance yourself from this cruel and bloody industry. Plenty of durable, stylish and warm fabrics are available that aren’t made from wool. Save a sheep – don’t buy wool.’

Tags: clothing, peta, fur, wool, leather, veganclothes, animal cruelty

• Summary: This article mainly focuses on highlighting the cruelty involved with using animals for clothing. It focuses on the use of fur, wool, leather, silk and down, and uses graphic images in order to create a very emotional experience for the reader. I’ve learnt a lot about why vegans make the choices they do in regards to clothing, and prior to reading the article I had to no idea that such extreme measures were taken in order to produce these animal based resources.

Financial Considerations – article on a vegan diet and it’s cost. (http://www.theveganwoman.com/is-vegan-food-more-expensive-

a-guide-to-eating-vegan-on-a-budget/)‘but also accommodating life on a budget – it all depends on the choices that YOU make.’ ‘While fake meats and cheese can be a fantastic aid to

the transitioning vegan, these products can be on the pricey side.’

‘Similarly, fruits and vegetables are much more economical in terms of the number of meals that can be created from scratch’

‘Just because someone is vegan, does not mean they have to delight in gogi berries, indulge in specialty yogurts and/or chocolates, or purchase any other luxury item. You can enjoy a fantastic and versatile menu even if you stick with basic ingredients that are affordable and readily available.’

‘websites such as Plant Based on a Budget to books like Eat Vegan on $4 a Day’

‘Yes, a vegan meal eaten out in a restaurant is going to cost more than a burger in a fast food joint, but then again almost any meal eaten in a restaurant will cost more than a burger in a fast food joint.’

‘if we discount people who choose to live on chicken nuggets and French fries and focus instead on the cost of a weekly shop for a person who eats what is generally considered a balanced diet, the carnivores among us would actually turn out to be ones who are most out of pocket.’

Tags: Veganfinance, Veganbudget, Costeffective, Theveganwoman,

• Summary: This article focuses on the financial considerations involved in choosing whether or not to be a vegan. It mainly targets the allegations that being a vegan is expensive, and flips the argument in veganism’s favor by listing ways in which a healthy vegan diet is actually considerably cheaper than a healthy non-vegan diet in general. It also highlights the fact that it is largely down to what kinds of products you choose to buy, rather than whether they are vegan products or not, and argues that there are cheap alternatives that aren’t marketing scams. The article is written by a vegan blogger, so for this reason is fairly prone to bias, but the author backs up their points with data and facts.

Primary Research

• What is your favorite animal? (quantitative)• Do you Wear leather, fur, wool and/or silk? (quantitative)• What would be the hardest thing about being a vegan for you?

(qualitative)• Have you ever considered being a vegan (yes no or

maybe(quantitative))• Do you feel like you know enough about veganism?

(quantitative). • If not, then why? (qualitative).• Do you think it’s an interesting topic of discussion? (quantitative) • If not, then why? (qualitative)

I sat down with a few of my friends to conduct some primary research to do with veganism, from the point of view of a neutral audience of young people. I asked a mixture of qualitative and quantitative answers as displayed below, and the responses have been presented on the next slide.

Responses (12 total responses)

• Question 1: dog=5, cat=3, horse=2, ferret=1, rabbit=1.• Question 2: leather=10, wool=11, silk=5.• Question 3: response no1.- ‘not being able to eat chicken’. Response no2.- ‘having to splash out

on expensive vegan food’. Response no3.- ‘monitoring everything I eat.’ Response no4.- ‘not being able to eat any meat’. Response no5.- ‘having to cut out dairy products.’ Response no6.- ‘worrying about nutrition.’ Response no7. – ‘not having fast food.’ Response no8. – ‘chicken.’ Response no9. – ‘not having any meat, steak is my favorite.’ Response no10. – ‘my love for kebabs.’ Response no11. – ‘having to constantly think about what I eat.’ Response no12. – ‘it’s an expensive lifestyle.’

• Question 4: no=9, maybe=2, yes=1• Question 5: no=6, yes=6• Question 6: Response no1. – ‘The media doesn’t cover much about it.’ Response no2. – ‘There’s

no reason for me to because it doesn’t interest me’. Response no3. – ‘Not many people actually discuss it.’ Response no4. – ‘None of my friends are vegans so I don’t have any first hand experience with it’. Response no5. – ‘There’s barely any coverage really.’ Response no6. – ‘The subject doesn’t interest me.’

• Question 7: no=7, yes=5• Question 8: Response no1. – ‘It’s just about vegetables and things that aren’t interesting.’

Response no2. – ‘To me it just seems like a trend for pretentious hipsters.’ Response no3. – ‘To be honest, I just love meat enough to even consider it a topic of interest.’ Response no4. – ‘not enough is really done to make It an interesting topic.’ Response no5. – ‘the whole thing just doesn’t interest me because Response no6. Response no7.

SummaryFrom collecting this primary research, I can conclude that the majority of people really don't care much about veganism. This is for a number of reasons, primarily for example the fact that there is limited discussion about it, and media coverage about the subject is lacking. Many said that more needed to be done to make the subject more appealing, and that the coverage that does exist simply isn’t extravagant enough to catch their eye and change the way they think about it. I also found out that shockingly only 1 of the 12 people I interviewed actually had seriously considered veganism in the past, and this is something I wish to address. By using qualitative questions on top of the quantitative ones, I was able to get a better understand of why people had the opinions they did, rather than just getting an answer with no justification behind it. For this reason, I feel that the primary research has been quite successful. The audience of the survey was very neutral which also helped me to achieve useful information, but a couple of considerations that need to be addressed include the fact that I was only interviewing young people (my friends), and didn’t address the general public in this way. On top of this, I only interviewed 12 people, meaning that my results may not necessarily be a fully accurate representation. If I had been able to interview say 30 people, I’d feel more comfortable with using the results, but realistically it wasn’t possible and would’ve been far too time consuming.

Ideas development: mind map

Further secondary research: celebrity vegans for double page spread – Carl Lewis (http://www.greatveganathletes.com/carl-lewis-vegan-olympic-sprinter)

‘Carl went vegan for health reasons as he was eager to obtain nutrients while minimizing excessive calories. In the following season he improved his performances.’

"I've found that a person does not need protein from meat to be a successful athlete. In fact, my best year of track competition was the first year I ate a vegan diet. Moreover, by continuing to eat a vegan diet, my weight is under control, I like the way I look. (I know that sounds vain, but all of us want to like the way we look.) I enjoy eating more, and I feel great." �

‘Carl's outstanding career includes 9 gold and one silver Olympic medals in 100 and 200 metres sprints, long jumps and 4 x 100 m relays. He was voted World Athlete of the Decade, 1980s and Olympic Athlete of the Century award.’

Tags: carl lewis, vegandiet, veganathlete, veganhealth, greatveganatheletes.com

Summary: This article is taken from a website focused entirely on vegan athletes, and talks about famous American athlete Carl Lewis. The article isn’t long, but reinforces the potential health benefits that can be achieved through veganism. Not only this but it will help me to be able to encourage people that an extremely active lifestyle can be maintained without animal products. There is a lot od potential for bias due to the source of the article, and in fact anther article I found online contradicts many of the statements made in this article. Despite this, I believe that it proves a valid point.

Additional secondary research: about Veganuary http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2016-01-20/thousands-give-up-animal-products-for-veganuary

/) + (http://www.veganuary.com/why) • Since Veganuary will essentially be my client, I felt it would be beneficial to do some research about Veganuary as an organization, and get to know a bit more about them. This will be especially useful if I choose to go on to write a double page spread in which I highlight the aims, goals and current achievements of the organization.

Tags: veganuray, aboutveganuary, veganuary.com, veganism, about it, ITV, news

‘But there's been a huge rise in the number of people willing to give it a go, including several celebrities.’

‘The key reasons people give for taking part are animal welfare, health and the environment.’

Summary:

• By looking at both the Veganuary website and an article written by ITV News, I’ve managed to compile some useful additional information on Veganuary, not only have I found some facts and figures about the surge in popularity of the organization, but also a lot about why people actually choose to take part, and the current growth in motivation to take part. Some of the information also highlights a bit about why veganuary started, but the veganuary.com’s ‘about’ section is fairly limited in information.