Veganism: Understanding the Pseudo Superiority

The rise of veganism has been significant in recent years, with more and more people choosing to adopt a plant-based diet for various reasons. Some do it for health reasons, while others do it for environmental or ethical reasons. Regardless of the reason, the demand for vegan products has increased significantly, and this trend is showing no signs of slowing down.

According to a recent report by Research and Markets, the global vegan food market is expected to reach $74.2 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period. This growth is driven by increasing health consciousness, rising concerns about animal welfare, and the environmental impact of animal-based products.

In addition to the growth in the vegan food market, there has also been a significant increase in the number of vegans worldwide. A survey by Ipsos MORI found that the number of vegans in the UK has quadrupled in the past four years, from 1% of the population in 2014 to 4% in 2018. In the US, a Gallup poll found that 3% of adults identify as vegan, up from 2% in 2012.

However, despite the rise of veganism, it is important to note that nothing is truly vegan. This is because even plant-based products may have been produced using practices that are not in line with vegan principles. For example, some crops may have been treated with animal-derived fertilizers or pesticides, and some products may have been processed using equipment that has been used for non-vegan products.

This is not only limited to fertilizers and equipment. The medicines and vaccines that are used today and have been labelled as " safe for human consumption" were tested on animals and getting tested as we speak. Skincare products and beauty products such as makeup are also made safe for humans by sacrificing animals. The houses that we live in were also made by destroying some other animals' habitats. If one lives in a wooden house, those are prevalent in the US, UK and other countries, those woods supporting the roof above one's head once also supported nests of many birds.

Vegans are quite frequently seen talking about the environmental aspect of the meat and dairy industries and how it is damaging as well, with total disregard for the fact that what a vegan diet consists of, such as nuts, avocados and assorted exotic vegs, are not only not easily grown in most places where veganism is so prevalent as a practice, which is mainly big and developed cities such as New York, Atlanta, London, but not grown at all. Most vegan food is flown into big cities by humongous cargo airbuses with monumental carbon emissions.

According to a study by the Vegan Society, only 30% of vegans in the UK feel that they can trust food labelled as a vegan to be truly vegan. This highlights the need for more transparency in the food industry and for stricter regulations on the use of the term "vegan."Although it has to be mentioned that veganism as a practice tries to buy into a false sense of superiority for people sitting on an empire built on the exploitation of animals hence this privileged lifestyle is mostly adopted by wealthy big cities and not so much in the rural areas or underdeveloped countries. At the end of the day, nothing is truly vegan because the society we live in, that supports, and nurtures us today was not founded or produced on vegan values.