Why Vegan

Veganism is a way of living that seeks to avoid all forms of animal exploitation and abuse, whether for food, clothing, cosmetics or for any other purpose. While veganism is based on the overriding moral principle that animal exploitation is wrong, it also has well established benefits for human health and our environment.

Vegan for the Animals & Ethics

1 Animals Deserve Equality Too

Just as we reject racism, sexism and other prejudices, we also reject speciesism. No sentient individual should ever be denied basic rights to life and liberty because of their race, gender, age, ability, sexual orientation or species membership.

2 Being Kind to All Animals Means Being a Kind Person

Unimaginable numbers of animals are raised and/or killed every year to feed humans. Over 80 billion land animals and over a trillion ocean animals are killed yearly so that we can eat them or use products derived from them. None of these animals need to die, and we can live happy healthy lives as vegans. Watch this video by Farm Transparency Project to find out more about the horrors of the slaughterhouse:

3 Wearing Someone Else’s Skin is Just… Creepy

Whether from a cow or a dog (it’s often impossible to tell), animals in the skin trade suffer horrendously. More than a billion animals are flayed each year so that humans can wear or use their skin. This includes babies like bobby calves who are killed because they are useless to the dairy industry, and animals as diverse as crocodiles, horses and kangaroos.

4 Because They Also Don’t Like Getting Soap in Their Eyes

Animal testing and vivisection is a cruel and unethical practice. Rabbits, mice, rats, dogs, monkeys and cats are, amongst other things, cut up, burnt, electrocuted and poisoned in order to test products or scientific theories. Often this leads to inaccurate results and is far less reliable, as well as being much more costly, than the alternative methods.

“I was purposely killing him slowly and painfully, yet he was so very happy to see me.” ~ Michael Slusher, ‘They All Had Eyes: Confessions of a Vivisectionist’

5 The Reality of the Dairy Industry: You Are Not a Baby Cow

The dairy industry encourages us to believe that cows naturally produce milk for human consumption. In reality, cows lactate to feed their own babies. Babies that are torn from their mothers within a day of birth so that humans can drink the milk meant for them. These babies are either slaughtered – around half a million each year in Australia – or forced into the same cruel cycle as their mothers. Find out more here: cowtruth.com

6 The Truth About the Egg Industry: There is No Sunny Side Up

Males of the egg industry are considered waste; their tiny bodies are usually ground up alive or thrown in the trash and left to suffocate, while the females are farmed ruthlessly for their eggs. Many develop severe health problems such as peritonitis, tumors, egg binding, uterine prolapse, depositing of an egg osteoporosis, bone fractures and occasionally skeletal paralysis. At 2 years of age they will be sent to slaughter.

7 There is No Such Thing as Humane Murder

There is no right way to kill someone who wants to live. Free range animal ‘products’ have been gaining popularity as the public become more aware of conditions inside what are typically understood as ‘factory farms’. However, repeated investigations at free range facilities have revealed horrific conditions. Animals raised on ‘free range’ farms also still face the horrors of the slaughterhouse. Learn about the free range fraud investigations.

Plant-Based Health & Nutrition Benefits

8 You Deserve a Healthier You

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which is the world’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals, states that “appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood and for athletes. Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage. Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity.” Learn more about planning a balanced diet in our Nutrition Basics Guide.

9 You are NOT Stranded on a Deserted Island

Despite what some people may think, you don’t live on a deserted island with eating animals or starvation as your only options. Veganism is abundantly full of nutritious, satisfying, and delicious choices! Check out our Recipe Page and our Eating Out Guide for some inspiration.

Environmental Impact & Sustainability

10 We Only Have One Home

Animal agriculture is a leading cause of global warming, water usage, oceanic dead zones, land clearing, species extinction, suffering and death. Learn more about how animal agriculture is one of the biggest threats to our planet.

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Ready to make a compassionate choice for the animals, your health, and the planet? Sign up for the free 30-Day Vegan Easy Challenge today for daily guidance, recipes, and support.

FAQs

What are the main benefits of going vegan?

Shifting to a vegan lifestyle offers powerful benefits across three main areas: ethics, health, and the environment. Ethically, it takes a direct stand against speciesism and animal exploitation. Health-wise, a well-planned plant-based diet is recognised by major health organisations as highly effective for preventing and managing chronic illnesses like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Environmentally, avoiding animal products is one of the most effective personal actions you can take to reduce your carbon footprint, save water, and prevent land clearing.

Is a vegan diet safe for athletes and children?

Yes. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the world’s largest organisation of nutrition professionals), appropriately planned vegan diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and safe for all stages of life. This includes pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and even for competitive athletes. For practical tips on structuring a balanced diet, check out our Nutrition 1-2-3 Guide.

Is free-range ethical?

While “free-range” labels are often marketed as humane alternatives to factory farming, investigations frequently reveal horrific conditions at these facilities. Furthermore, animals on free-range farms still experience traumatic transport and ultimately end up in the exact same slaughterhouses as factory-farmed animals. There is no ethical way to kill someone who wants to live, that’s why veganism rejects the exploitation of animals entirely rather than trying to modify it.