My husband and I are often asked why we eat vegan. All vegans probably know this question, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Some may roll their eyes and shake their heads, thinking it is out of place in the 21st century, and others rejoice at this opening of conversation and openness.
Personally, I am grateful about this question, because so far every questioner has shown serious interest and opened up to sharing the vegan view.
But let us return to the question. Why vegan? There are many reasons to want to eat vegan.
1) ethical
Most vegans name ethics as the main reason. Eating meat, fish and animal by-products involves animal suffering, which vegans are morally unwilling to take on. No animal should suffer or die just to have something to eat.
Factory farming, on the other hand, stands for poor husbandry conditions, such as overbreeding, cramped cages and stalls, poor hygienic conditions, outbreaks of disease and exploitation of the animals.
2) ecological
Meat consumption and the associated animal agriculture have a negative impact on the consumption of resources, the fertility of our soil, biodiversity and our greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, sustainability is an important issue for vegans and a crucial basis for their diet.
In the production of cow’s milk, 628 liters of water are required for just 1 liter of cow’s milk. In contrast, oat milk uses only 48 liters of water and soy milk only 28 liters of water.* That is around 13 and 22 times the amount of water that is needed, respectively.
We have similar conditions in the cultivation of soybeans. Soy is not only considered a high-protein supplier in the form of tofu and soy milk, but rather as a cheap animal feed. Around 80% of soy is used as animal feed.** Due to ever-increasing meat consumption, the area under soy cultivation has expanded and production has increased tenfold over the past five decades. The expansion of cultivated areas results in deforestation, extinction of animal species and their habitats, contamination of water and displacement of people.** Not to mention the high greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, cattle farming and long transport routes.
3) health
Some vegans eat vegan or plant-based foods for health reasons. Eating meat and animal products automatically ingests cholesterol, which does not happen with a plant-based diet because plant-based foods contain no cholesterol. In addition, plant-based foods have a higher nutrient density and at the same time lower energy density, which means something like: more nutrients (vitamins, minerals, trace elements, etc.) with fewer calories.
Well-known cardiologists like Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn (author of the well-known book: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease) has already been able to prove through studies that all western diseases are related to the consumption of meat and animal products. The intake of fat, oil and animal protein promote diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, strokes, type 2 diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis. They can be limited and prevented and sometimes reversed with a plant-based diet. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer and lung cancer can also be significantly reduced.
4) religious
A vegan or vegetarian lifestyle can also have a religious background, such as in Jainism and Buddhism and among the Indian desert people of the Bishnoi. Little known, Jainism is the most vegan-friendly religion. It comes from India and is based on the belief that everything material, such as humans, animals, but also plants and water, has a soul. Therefore, according to their ideal, no animal should be harmed or exposed to death, and plants should only be damaged to the inevitable degree.
5) social
Social aspects such as world hunger, striving for social justice, but also adapting to one’s own social environment can be reasons for changing one’s diet.
According to Welthungerhilfe, around 811 million people suffered from chronic hunger in 2020, which applies to around every 10th person on earth.*** Not only climate catastrophes and wars lead to this, but rather poverty, uneven agriculture and distorted world trade. Our own environment, consisting of family, friends, work colleagues and acquaintances, has an indirect influence on all of us. We share new experiences, adventures and views and learn from each other. Veganism can also be “contagious” and inspiring, for example when an invitation to eat with vegan friends becomes an ecstasy of pleasure.
The reasons are very diverse. For some, it takes just one reason and for others, a mix of reasons, to switch to veganism.
Perhaps there will come a time when vegans will ask omnivores why they eat animal products.
But until then, we should remain open to the views of our counterparts and open ourselves to conversations with the supposedly foreign.
Note: For reasons of better readability, I sometimes refrain from using the language forms male, female and diverse (m/f/d) at the same time. All personal designations apply equally to all genders.
* Source: Water consumption of cow’s milk and plant-based milk in comparison in 2018 – Statista
** Source: Soy – demand is increasing – WWF
*** Source: Hunger worldwide – Welthungerhilfe
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