Did you know that the colour of your favourite milk is actually red? Yes, the same milk that is used to make your favourite ice-cream, that cooling pot of curd, or that the dash of ghee that you put on your chapati every day. Did you also know that the Covid-19 vaccine we all eagerly await is made using bovine foetal serum and is leading to the near extinction of the blue-blooded Horseshoe crabs(more on this soon!)?
With the recent furore in India over non-dairy milks as being labelled milk products and the growing popularity of the vegan movement, especially in cities, it is perhaps time to explore and understand what this movement really is.
The vegan society defines veganism as “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude as far as possible, and practice-able, 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. By extension of this definition one can probably conclude that all non-vegan ways living, and consumption are cruel to animals and additionally harmful to the environment. In this article we will explore two major facets of veganism – dairy and meat-production, their relationship and their environmental impact.
India has the world's largest dairy production and consumption of milk. It is also consequently the world’s largest beef exporter. There is a reason why both these statistics are interlinked. The dairy production in India is typically done by small farmers who rear cows, milk them, and this milk is then collected by large cooperatives such as Amul who then process this milk and sell it to consumers. Interestingly the natural production of milk in bovines is significantly lesser, than what is being sold in the market. Like all mammals cows produce milk only when they are lactating. Commercially raised cows are forcibly impregnated or raped, pumped with hormones to boost the milk production, and kept away from their calves so that their milk can be stolen and consumed by an absolutely different species (read human). As soon as a cow gives birth, the male calf is separated and sent for slaughter. On the other hand, female calves are reared by dairy farmers on artificial feed and plugged into the dairy production machinery as soon as they come of age and can be impregnated. The cows are often housed in unsanitary conditions, and the hygiene of the milk collection process itself is questionable. The Indian chapter of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA has released several documentaries to prove this.
When dairy cows come of age and stop producing milk they are summarily abandoned by farmers. Such abandoned cows from urban milk farms are one of the biggest sources of bovine animals which crowd the Indian roads and cause accidents. Cows of age are also very often sent for slaughter and act as feeders for the beef and leather industries much like their new-born male progenies. For a country that has taught generations the slogan of “the cow is our mother” it is indeed a saddening state of affairs and leaves room for reflection on social causes of abandonment and cruelty towards senior citizens especially dependant parents.
Another aspect of dairy production and consumption is the use of hormones in cows to enhance milk production and speed up their growth. These hormones, when subsequently consumed by humans in the form of dairy products are wreaking havoc in the human population. There are increasing cases of PCOS disorders in young girls as also increasing incidences of lactose intolerance specially in young children. It is perhaps pertinent to wonder on the wonder that dairy consumption is supposed to do for human health.
While animal cruelty as witnessed in dairy farming is huge, the environmental impact of dairy production does not paint a rosier picture. Cows annually produce more than 330 kgs of methane and also an exceptionally large amount of nitrous oxide; both gases which are exceptionally more potent than carbon dioxide. Not surprisingly, the aggregate emissions of meat and dairy industries far surpass those of oil and gas companies.
The detractors of veganism bring forth pertinent arguments relating to the livelihood of the many millions now dependent on animal agriculture, the presence of animal products in everything ranging from hair-brushes, clothes, toiletries, and even the tar on the road….and most importantly the evolution of food, and tackling of problems of hunger and nutrition through animal based products such as eggs, meat and dairy. An important lens here – is the lens of the PRESENT. With the developments in science and technology, such as mock meat, fake leather, plant based silk, plant based eggs, today we can finally abolish and move away from the use of animals to more sustainable plant-based living. It is what the need of TODAY is and if we are to have to have a tomorrow, it is the path to choose. Just as at one time, women were treated as lowly beings and it took innumerable and continuing revolutions to end cruelty towards women, it is time to recognise that all sentient beings are equal. And let us not forget, that it is that one bat that got eaten by that one human being that brought on the current pandemic.
While the links between dairy and meat production become murkier by the minute, it is time of ponder if the vegan philosophy is valid or just another passing by trend. The subject of animal cruelty is an area of vast research and evidence and while we have just touched the tip of the iceberg, we hope it is enough to make you pause when you add to this cruelty by consuming dairy products. And for those who choose to label veganism as an “elitist movement” I would like you to look at the food of the poor across the country – the humble roti, daal and sabzi have always been vegan (sans the unnecessary GHEE).
As a fitting finale, I leave you with this wasabi morsel -
STOP THE MINDLESS SLAUGHTER, GO VEGAN!!
Image courtesy:
-Scroll.in
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