Why Veganism is about a lot more than food

As I surpass the two week mark in Veganuary, one thing that is becoming clearer is that veganism is about a lot more than just food. As I put away meal after meal of rice, quinoa, sweet potato, vegetables and other vegan delights I can’t help but feel I’m only dipping my toe into the lifestyle. Before starting the month, I joined some Irish Vegan Facebook groups to find out more about this world from real life Irish vegans. I then posted my first Veganuary blog post in each of these groups asking for guidance on my journey. As the blog itself was written in a slightly sarcastic tone, I was half thinking (and hoping) that the members would be quick to turn on me and have me booted out!

I couldn’t have been more wrong… within minutes there was a thread of comments under each post from people who had not only read the blog, but enjoyed it and wanted to help. They sent me recipes, guidelines and other resources to help make the month a success into February and beyond too. Some would call this just the early stages of how cults groom new members but I thought it was lovely! The Vegans - A great bunch of lads!

They also directed me to a list of eye opening documentaries about all the ways that humans are harming the planet. I'm yet to watch any but I can only imagine they’d only make me more hungry! As you delve into the endless online forums, groups and conversations happening in the media it's evident that veganism is not about food, it’s a way of living. As Rory from the “Dublin Vegans” group put it in a reply under my blog post:

“…..remember Conor veganism is a moral philosophy based on respect, justice and non-violence. It is about seeking an end to exploitation, discrimination and oppression in all it's forms….”

In all it’s forms? I thought I was just signing up to a month of Chickpeas not a holy war on our global system of oppression! The vegan well is deep and it encapsulates a lot of other buzz words that we’ve seen everywhere in the last few years. Not consuming or using animal products is one thing, but here’s a list of some of the other vegan observations I’ve made while scrolling through the the vegan groups I now call home!

How free range is free range really?

Ethically Sourced

It’s not enough for you to eat your fruit, vegetables and other vegan goodies without first being sure that they’re ethically sourced. Ethically sourced produce is obtained in a way that is respectful and sustainable to the farmers and local economy that produce it. A few years ago there was a lot made about the impact of certain superfoods on the countries or regions that they originate from. The boom in Quinoa meant that Peruvian farmers could no longer afford what was their own staple because they were in our hipster salads instead. We may have all heard about Blood Diamonds in Sierra Leone but how many of us are aware of Blood Avocados in South America? There’s endless stories like these that make it seem like in order to be a truly ethical vegan, you’ll have to grow it all yourself! 

Vegans love Avocados

Energy

Aside from the people who produce popular vegan produce, what about the environment around it? It’s all well and good substituting your butters for palm oils to help the cows but what if that leads to the destruction of the rainforest? As Iceland proved back in December with their Rang-Tan campaign, deforestation or climate change caused by over harvesting certain natural products leads to the demise and systematic destruction of thousands of our favourite animals.

Due to this, Palm oil has now become a negative buzz word that makes certain vegan food that contain its name unpalatable for all shoppers. Soy production has also been widely criticised as the use of pesticides and other chemicals sprayed on the crop can permanently damage local soil, wildlife and even humans! (yes they matter too apparently)

Plastic

Ever watch those videos of dead whales washing up on beaches full of plastic? Do they make you feel bad? Not me I only use the bags for life from under the stairs at home so they're not mine! 2018 became the year where the war on plastic began. This one isn’t necessarily due to the vegans though as the real reason were stuck with paper straws dissolving halfway through our drinks is because China wont take our rubbish anymore.

Producing less waste and being conscious of your carbon footprint are causes that I’ve seen being championed by vegans online. The end goal it seems is to eat ethically sourced vegan food items and be responsible for your waste and reducing it as much as possible. The irony that a lot of the popular vegan products on the market come in single use plastic packaging is not lost on many of the vegans who continue to mention this when posting about new shelf items! I think the "no waste" lifestyle is something we'll be seeing a lot of in the near future. I just hope I’m long gone before they decide to discontinue single use toilet paper!

Politics

It would be hard for any vegan to be invested in all of the above issues without having some strong opinions or leanings when it comes to politics. Like most elements of the vegan lifestyle however, the politics can be complicated. What do the vegans make of things like Brexit or Trump? Well I’d imagine they’re not Trumps biggest fan but they’re more diverse than you may think. The below poll was posted into one of the groups and shows just how some vegans identify when it comes to their thoughts on government:

I didn't vote because the option to select "Vegan and starving" wasn't there. Are you confused yet? I definitely am…Is it ever possible to be completely cruelty free? Should I do the right thing and release my dog into the wild because it was never really “mine” to own in the first place? Is wearing banana leaves for shoes the future of veganism? Who knows…

Being just over halfway through Veganuary it’s still hard enough to just sit through a vegan meal without having to feel guilty about the leather chair I’m sat in also. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on the month and future blog posts.