Veganism: What is It, and Why Do People Believe in It?

Andie Kiener '25 ~ January 2022

Content Warning: There are many descriptions of animal abuse on factory farms in this article. Please choose another article if this topic upsets you.

You may have heard of ThatVeganTeacher, the infamous YouTuber and former TikTok star who grew famous for her singing in front of McDonald's and Gordon Ramsay calling her a “vegan donut,” among other things. Some of her views are deemed problematic, such as her singing about changing your religion and her owning a vegan dog. She claims all of this and more is because she is vegan, and she does not want to hurt all the animals on factory farms. This idea might sound great to some people, but it could make you stop to think: If animals are really harmed, wouldn’t more people be vegan by now? Let’s take a deeper dive into the philosophy of veganism and if animals are as abused like animal rights activists claim.

What is veganism?

Many readers probably already have a grasp of what veganism is, but here is a simple refresher.

According to Merriam Webster, a vegan is “a strict vegetarian who consumes no food (such as meat, eggs, or dairy products) that comes from animals.”

However, more vegan-based websites, such as the Vegan Society, state that veganism is “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals."

Many people believe veganism is just a diet, but more “hardcore” vegans claim it is a way of living and that people need to eliminate all animal products from their lives if they choose to become vegan, from their plates to the shoes they wear on their feet. Vegans, and more specifically animal rights activists, are trying to stop the cruelty that happens in factory farms. This may seem alarming or surprising, however the industries tend to hide the truth from people in order to keep making money.

The meat industry:

According to Last Chance for Animals, the meat industry holds many dangerous practices behind closed doors.

Take cows, for example. Cows are rounded up and taken to auctions, where the highest bidder gets the cow. They then have a brand burned onto them for identification purposes, without any anesthetic. Once they are taken to a feedlot, they are forced to eat and sleep in their own feces. It is also common for cows to have respiratory issues due to the bacteria in the air.

The ASPCA also talks about the mistreatment of cows, claiming that “cattle may suffer from digestive distress from being fed corn and other foods not natural to ruminants.”

Additionally, North Dakota State University claims that “corn is relatively low in protein and high in starch, which can affect forage utilization negatively.” This practice is unhealthy for the cows and it is not helpful for humans, either.

Let us change the focus from cows to pigs. According to the ASPCA, most factory pigs are raised in small crates or pens, and they never breathe fresh air or see the sunlight. Female pigs are artificially inseminated until they are physically unable to give birth. According to the Humane League, mother pigs are kept in gestation crates so small that they can not turn around. Pigs are also subjected to many forms of abuse, such as tail docking and ear notching.

Last but not least, we have broiler chickens. Like the other animals in the meat industry, chickens are put in small, confined spaces where they live in their own excretions; they also have no access to the outdoors. The National Humane Education Society says that the beaks of chickens are cut off to avoid them pecking each other. World Animal Protection reports that chickens in the industry only have a life expectancy of 42 days. Furthermore, the ASPCA explains that chickens commonly have heart failure, trouble breathing, leg weakness, and chronic pain due to the rapid growth.

The dairy/egg industry:

The dairy and egg industries are not much different than the practices in the meat industry.

Mercy For Animals says that in the dairy industry, baby calves are stolen from their mothers in order for humans to obtain the mothers’ milk. Like the pigs in the meat industry, female cows are forcefully impregnated until they are infertile. After that, they are slaughtered for beef.

The egg industry is similar to the meat industry. The ASPCA claims that egg-laying hens are kept in cramped conditions, and that workers may leave sick and injured chickens to die. Male chicks are also slaughtered in the hatchery when they are only just born because they will be unable to lay eggs.

What are the benefits and setbacks of veganism?

According to PubMed, vegans have lower risks of IHD, type two diabetes, diverticular disease, eye cataracts, obesity, and even cancer. Those are a lot of good factors, but there are setbacks, too. Some people struggle to get the right nutrients when switching over to a plant-based diet, which has its own health concerns. According to Flo, there can be side effects of going vegan, such as depression and a disruption in hormone production. However, if the diet is planned carefully, with all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other nutrients you need, a vegan diet can be beneficial to overall health.

Why do we not see more vegans?

With so much information floating around right at our fingertips, it is hard to tell what exactly is true and what is not. Especially with most websites being run by vegans and animal activists themselves, how do we know they are not bending the truth? It is hard to say, but with so many websites and articles claiming the same things, it is quite certain that the mistreatment of factory farm animals is an ongoing issue.

According to the Vegan Review, it is speculated that people are not vegan because they do not want to face the truth of this abuse. Despite this, it seems most of the vegan slander on the Internet is because of how narrow-minded big vegan influencers can be. They want to save the animals, but they are very forward and aggressive about it, even going so far as to insult others if they are not vegan in every aspect of their life. People may also have allergies to certain vegan foods, such as gluten or soy. Others may just have trouble with cutting meat out of their lives so suddenly. Whatever the reason, a vegan diet is more beneficial for the environment; however, it ultimately is up to a specific person and their health needs whether or not they want to become vegan.

Title Photo: “Top View Food Photo of Healthy Vegan Meal with Scrambled Tofu, Cherry, Tomatoes, Avocado, Black Beans and Porridge with Fresh Fruits” by Marco Verch Professional Photographer, Flickr, CC BY 2.0