Hey #YugenCommunity!
Today’s forum post is inspired by several posts that I have seen in the past couple of months on examining the ethical side of having a plant based diet.
Being vegan, vegetarian, or opting out of meals with meat a few times a week contributes to a healthier lifestyle. Furthermore, a lower demand for livestock products contributes to a decrease in global carbon emissions 😊
However, when we think of becoming plant based, we often think ‘Whew! No animals were harmed in the process of making this meal’. But, can the same be said for humans?
Unfortunately, the high demand for certain crops has managed to further expose how low income, marginalised communities are utilised to meet these quotas.
Harvesting food such as cashew nuts has been linked to the exploitation of workers with little pay, poor working conditions and in some cases severe risks to their health. With increased demand for certain animal product substitutes and protein packed foods, it begs the question as to how large companies can keep up with such demands in an ethical manner especially when certain foods are labour intensive.
This does not only go for vegans or vegetarians, but for everyone who consumes food sourced from plants since certain crops such as cacao are labour intensive. A few months ago, it was brought to my attention by a local chocolate producer that some chocolate companies have been associated with child labour practices. This inspired me to do my own research and some of the findings have acted as a reminder for me to be more mindful of how my food is sourced.
Apart from doing research, I think one of the best things we can do is to #SupportLocal producers as much as we can! By supporting local farmers and manufacturers of plant based products, you shorten the supply chain and have greater access to information on their farming practices as opposed to products that are imported.
I would love to hear your thoughts on today’s topic! What do you think can be done to educate others and ensure that animals and human beings are not harmed in the making of your food? 😊
-Caron D.
Hi Caron, I 100% agree, there needs to be more focus on our local food suppliers. I've also seen a video recently which says that most of our local food are nutritionally superior to some of the foreign options. eg. Guava has nearly 10x more protein and 4x the potassium as an apple.
I'd also recommend that people watch the docuseries Rotten on Netflix, as that sheds some light on the behind the scenes of where certain food comes from.