This is a theme that is particularly close to my heart, having been vegetarian for over 4 years now. I recently read a Magazine Editor speak out about Killing Vegans, one by one. Many famous chefs including Gianfranco Vissani have commented on this subject similarly.
However, shaming someone for their food choices is no worse than bullying someone about their appearance or any other personal attribute. One’s food choices shouldn’t be subject to critique by others. While some claim to comment on other’s food choices in the name of banter or in jest. It is still not okay to make a person feel uncomfortable for being vegetarian or vegan.
While I have no issue with meat eaters or enforce vegetarianism on others. The social and environmental impact of being Vegan or Vegetarian is quite significant to consider:
- 80-90% of the crops in the world are used to feed animals. We could use these crops to feed the hungry in the world instead of rearing livestock for human consumption
- It takes 2500 gallons of water to produce a pound of meat. While 780 million people of the world population lack access to clean water. Reducing this use of water can also save rainforests and reduce carbon dioxide
- The University of Oxford suggests, cutting meat and dairy from your diet can reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by nearly 75%
- The farmland used to rear livestock in the world could be utilised to produce food to feed the world population.
Moreover, before you hate/shame a Vegan/Vegetarian, Please contemplate
- From a moral and ethical standpoint, is it okay to hate on someone because they don’t wish to kill animals for sustenance
- Why does a Vegetarian/Vegan bother you?
- Why is it your Business?
- Would you make a comment if the circumstance, if someone didn’t eat a particular type of food due to religion? (Probably not)
As for the Chef Haters: Is it because you are too scared your vegetarian menu will be rubbish. As you may have always cooked with meat and you are too afraid to venture into the unknown with humble vegetables. As a chef, if you hate on vegans; its say more about you.
Hating on Vegans also denotes a broader issue in society related to tolerance. Tolerance is less prevalent now in 2018 than ever before. Brexit, Donald Trump and many other occurrences in modern society prove that the human race is less tolerant than it has ever been. Immigrants in the United Kingdom, for example, voted for Brexit because they are tired of an influx of immigrants to a country once they immigrated to themselves.
We humans need to collectively embrace kindness, acceptance and supporting others to make this world a happier, kinder and more tolerant.
Nim x
(Stats Source: http://www.bitesizevegan.org/)
P.S It is equally not okay for the vegan/vegetarians to shame meat eaters