The Veganism Debate

Essay 1 | Veganism: The Double-Edged Sword of Sustainability

Disclaimer — These essays do contain evidence and statistics but also contains personal experiences and opinions. I aim to discuss the topic in a thoughtful and objective manner and do not mean to offend or upset anyone. This is purely to answer a question I have had for a while and add my insight to this topic, and to provide the information people may look over in this debate. I am here to provide my insight and information, which you can decide what to do with after.

In a world increasingly leaning towards veganism, are we truly considering the broader impact? Join us as we analyze the potential pitfalls of a vegan lifestyle on culture, health, and the economy—revealing that a greener future may come with unexpected sacrifices. The rise of veganism is often touted as a sustainable and ethical solution to many of the world's problems. In this modern world, people can be very biased and don't see the effects of the whole picture, and this can be said about veganism. More and more people are turning to veganism for various reasons, including ethical concerns, environmental sustainability, and perceived health benefits. With this rise in veganism, one might assume that a vegan diet is universally beneficial, but this is a sweeping over generalization. Veganism is not as good as vegans think due to nutritional deficiencies, ethical considerations beyond animal welfare, and socioeconomic factors that make it inaccessible to many.

Personally, I am not vegan and do not ever plan to be. I already struggle with my pickiness and an eating problem — not an eating disorder — that I've had for the past few years. I also come from a small farming town and most of everyone I know from this town are farmers, ranchers, hunters, and fishers. A non-vegan lifestyle has been my way of life for as long as I can remember, and I plan for it to stay that way. This isn't an essay about me, though. This is an essay about why veganism might not be as good as vegans think.

Veganism is a lifestyle choice characterized by the abstention from all animal products, not only in diet but also in clothing, cosmetics, and other commodities, often motivated by ethical, environmental, or health concerns. It is a lifestyle that has been gaining more and more popularity in recent years. Animal rights activists and environmentalists have been advocating for a transition towards a vegan society, citing the benefits for animal welfare and the environment. There are many benifts highlighted by people who advocate for veganism. The diet allows for weight loss in a healthy way due to the lower caloric intake, a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, and more cognitive function. However, while these benefits are real and can help improve your health, there are still negative impacts that can occur from being on a vegan diet. There are many factors to why someone doesn't want to or cannot become vegan, and these are overlooked because of social media's bias to make veganism seem like it has all pros and no cons. As my biology teacher once said, "If something doesn't have and side effects, then it doesn't work."

Think of it like medicine. Every medicine has benefits to help whoever is taking it, but it also has side effects. You cannot make a medicine that has benefits but no side effects. There has to be downsides in order for something to have benefits. In the case of veganism, our side effects would be the cost, the social impact, the cultural impact, the health impact, and the environmental impact. People overlook the side effects of veganism because people want to show all the pros of veganism to convince people to go vegan. When people try to influence others, they will make sure to highlight the positives and brush off the negatives. Just like when we introduce ourselves to them. You're going to tell them all the interesting, cool, and funny things about yourself, but you won't tell them about the time you hit your sister with a stick and left a nasty scar on her hand.

Alongside veganism, people have also been activating for animal rights and opposing the livestock industry. As an ex-member of the FFA and someone who grew up surrounded by farmers, ranchers, and dairy producers, I can understand where they are coming from. There are definitely some cases of inhumane treatment of livestock that need to be addressed, but we can't just look at in black in white terms. What about the efficiency of the current agriculture industries? What about the cost of transitioning millions of farms towards vegan-friendly methods? What about the impact agriculture has on the economy and people's livelihoods? What about the animals themselves?