Food justice is a major issue in the world today and a shift to plant-based food systems can help address this issue. Ensuring people everywhere have not only enough to eat but also access to healthy and climate friendly options too is a moral imperative for many. The definition of veganism underlines the benefits to humans as well as animals that veganism can bring, and food justice is as important as any issue that benefits from vegan principles. 

 

Locally grown plant-based food, produced and distributed by communities and shared effectively to ensure no-one goes without is an attainable goal for many people if we shift our food systems and supply chains. Control over production and distribution is as important as the production of the food itself. The advent of new technology and climate proof growing techniques can help drive food security and food justice all over the world – and never more so important than now, with a growing global population that is already over 7 billion. And local plant-based food production – especially inner-city production – can not only drive down emissions from food production but also from food storage and transport.  It’s a win – win – win.

 

It’s important to note that although plant-based food options would be of huge help, and spare the lives of billions of innocent animals, it would also take a major shift in food distribution to achieve food justice. The two go together – and both are political. And shifts to plant based food systems, especially those in line with veganic growing techniques, are of big benefit for free living beings and insects, helping restore some natural habitats and moving away from ‘Big Ag’.

 

Animal Rights philosophy has grown out of a deepening understanding of Human Rights, & veganism very much focuses on human rights under its broad scope, whilst recognising that the focus remains on animal rights. To quote Professor Tom Regan, author of ‘The Case for Animal Rights’ – ” To require others to treat animals justly, as their rights require, is not to ask for anything more nor less in their case than in the case of any human to whom just treatment is due. The animal rights movement is a part of, not opposed to, the human rights movement.”

 

It’s not just animal rights violations that we see with animal agriculture – its human rights violations too. Often, we find slaughterhouse workers subjected to poor conditions, unsafe practices and mental health trauma, with little regard for the damage or suffering experienced by the work force. Veganism as a principled position seeks to address human rights violations as much as animal rights violations and recognises too that the same violations can – and do – exist within plant-based agriculture too. The rights of farmworkers to expect fair pay , safe workspaces and fair employment conditions is as important be that within the animal sector or the plant-based sector – something that isn’t always considered in the rush for the latest plant-based options to hit the shelves of the stores.

 

Farmers rights and interests need protecting and supporting too, and subsidies and investment into plant-based infrastructure and increasing demand are essential to see farmers experience a just transition away from animal agriculture and towards plant-based options. Technology such as vertical farming and hydroponics can be effective assets in this transition but require investment and infrastructure. The UK Govt currently spends over £1.5 billion on meat and dairy subsidies, but very little on plant-based initiatives. Should that change, farmers will see the help they need to make a just transition to plant based food systems and end the use of animals for human resources, whilst addressing multiple health, food justice and environmental problems. Veganism can help play a central role in this shift.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inclusive Responsibility – Rethinking Food & Agriculture – ed. Laila & Amir Kassam

 

City allotments match farming productivity per square metre – British Ecological Society

‘Gigantic’ power of meat industry blocking green alternatives, study finds – The Guardian

 

The Role of Moral Distress and Moral Injury in Farmer Mental Ill-Health