Vegan propaganda

I (finally) finished reading This Is Vegan Propaganda this weekend. While much of it is hard to read, I implore everyone to buy a copy. Below are some of my thoughts after reading.

Discussing veganism is something I’ve always found to be a complex subject. It’s especially tough to have an open discussion without causing people to default to being defensive about their own habits and perceptions. Yet Ed Winters is extraordinarily good at opening up the debate and engaging with people from all different walks of life. His social media is a true testament to this.

The book opens by delving into the morality of animal farming by challenging the lifestyle by which the majority of the world live. Ed explores numerous aspects of the meat industry and how the drive for profits results in suffering and pain for billions of animals daily. He also analyses the marketing tactics used by the industry’s work to ensure the majority of the population can look the other way at what goes on behind closed doors.

One note that stuck with me is how when you examine the tactics used by the meat industry, you find they closely match historical methods used by the tobacco industry and tactics the fossil fuel industry actively employs today.

As you continue reading, he starts to examine other areas. For example, just how significant the amount the meat industry is contributing to climate change. How the practices utilised to maintain our meat-eating culture are, plainly put, destroying our planet.

He talks about how the practices used worldwide are creating the breading grounds for future pandemics by persistently feeding animals antibiotics in their food and barely regulating their living conditions (even in the UK).

A farm in the US recently roasted alive 5.3 million chickens because of a single case of avian influenza. This is the world we live in, and it’s all around us. It’s well-documented that scientists are astonished we’ve made it this far.

Nutrition is also a fascinating topic. When I was even just a vegetarian, I was often asked whether I was receiving enough protein or calcium and trying to be vegan now, it’s a constant question.

Decades of marketing by companies and governments have taught us to believe you must eat animal products to be healthy. Yet many animals we eat obtain the nutrients we need through plant sources or industry feeds. While moving to a plant-based diet is not the answer for all, nutritionally speaking, we always have to fight the misconceptions we’ve been taught and are actively pushed towards.

What I find so compelling about Ed’s writing is his ability to clearly articulate the facts and let them speak for themselves. There’s no bullshit, just hard truths and moral discussions.

I would sincerely recommend everyone read this book. While the topics can be hard to stomach and discuss, we must take action before it’s too late and not shy away from the realities we live in. It’s our choices that will make the difference.

My next read on a similar subject is Less is more by Jason Hickel. Discussing how, to halt the climate and social crisis, we need to change our perceptions and approach to the world. Swapping domination and extraction for regeneration and reciprocation.