Radio FM4

Kate Farmer

Cutting to the chase

Alle Stories

Erstellt am: 27. 5. 2013 - 13:55 Uhr

A green life, or a brave new world?

Reality Check: the vegan cause, Syria weapons embargo, increasing sectarian violence in Iraq, preventing radicalisation, one-pilot passenger planes.

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I must confess to being something of a part time vegetarian, or perhaps I should say vegetarianism supporter. It's mostly a matter of principle. I, like many people, am horrified by factory farming, and am quite happy to pay a bit more to make sure that what I eat or wear comes from animals that lived as natural an existence as possible.

EPA/RDP

Factory farming is fuelled by the high consumption society. More and more people are turning against it - but should it be bio, or banned?

Veganism was always a step too far for me. Images of pale, unhealthy looking, ranting, lentil addicts spring to mind; thin, make-up less women haranguing me for my woollen jumpers and penchant for a good cheese.

However, it is also true to say that I don't know that many true vegans. I know a lot of vegetarians of various degrees - but very few vegans - so it was a bit of an eye opener to attend the recent lecture by the vegan activist, and founder of the Carnism Awareness and Action Network, Melanie Joy.

The lecture hall was packed with vegans - which was not surprising, as the lecture was designed specifically for them. However, they looked just like any other interest group - a broad mix tastes in clothes, make up and style, and, if anything, on the whole rather healthier than their carnivorous counterparts. The next surprise was Melanie Joy herself: glamourous, witty, vivacious and admitting to a weakness for a good wine.

Bang went all my prejudices. Far from ranting, her lecture was considered, well researched, entertaining, and made a convincing argument for veganism. She is a passionate and engaging speaker, who puts clear and rational arguments.

After the lecture, Melanie chatted animatedly in our interview and I was really hoping that she would have a good answer to my final question. If she did - I just could become a convert to the cause. A fundamental tenet of veganism is that is protects animals and promotes animal welfare. However, if the world really were vegan, what would happen to farm animals? When there is no longer any market for the meat, the eggs, the milk or the skin - who is going to keep and look after these often large and expensive to run animals? Would they not become endangered, or even extinct?

She paused, then said simply "I don't know". She went on to say that this point in time is theoretical, and a long way in the future, which is undoubtedly true.

The argument of veganism against bio-farming is that no human has the right to cut short the (happy) life of an animal. I'm not sure that the choice is between and short, happy life and a long, happy life. It may be between a short, happy life and no life at all, and if the animal is economically unsustainable, is might just turn out to be the latter.

So, did Melanie Joy make me a vegan? No, but she did make me think, and crystalise me previously rather vague notions. More importantly, she made me realize the importance of the wide range of the anti-factory farming movement. That is an area in which huge numbers of people are united - and there is room for everyone on that scale, from the pro-bio people, all the way to the vegans. Would an all vegan world be a Utopia? Maybe not but, realistically, it's very unlikely indeed ever to happen. Does veganism have a place in fighting for a more humane, animal friendly world? Most definitely.

Melanie and I may be at different ends of the same movement - but we are both pulling in the same general direction.