An article in the Irish Independent in 2018*, illustrates how
threatened the animal exploiting industries are by anti-speciesist,
vegan education (full text of the newspaper article below). An
increasing number of people become aware of the facts of speciesist,
animal use, every year through the work of animal rights education
and the promotion of veganism by organisations but also through the
very powerful work of individuals who influence their family,
friends and colleagues in person and on social media. It is
reasonable to assume that the numbers of people going vegan is
increasing. There is most certainly an increase in the production
and availability of vegan friendly foods, clothing and personal
care, cosmetic and cleaning products. While consumerism does not
equate with the moral belief that underpins veganism and is not a
necessary nor sufficient criteria for respecting the rights of other
animals, it at least shows that there is a growing demand for goods
that align with their beliefs by people who avoid animal
exploitation and use, not only in their diet, but in other aspects
of their lives as well.
The backlash by the animal exploiting industries and those who
represent them has been remarkable. The article reprinted below uses
a photograph of a failed attempt to tear the Go Vegan World advert
from its billboard, something that has occurred on more than this
occasion. Try as they might to prevent the truth from being exposed,
the public are learning about the abhorrent practices on which
seemingly benign products such as dairy, flesh, eggs, leather and
wool are predicated, and discovering that these products are
unnecessary and can be very easily replaced by plant-based
alternatives. The public are becoming aware that the animals they so
thoughtlessly used and imagined to be inferior to them, are feeling
beings who have rights.
Industry representatives persist in defending the indefensible
exploitation of innocent animals by referring to their irrelevant
standards of animal welfare, irrelevant because animal welfare is
simply a set of guidelines on how animals are bred to be killed for
profit. Advocates of these abhorrent industries choose to remain
oblivious to the fact that it is not how animals are treated that is
the crux of the issue, but the fact that we use feeling animals who
value their lives as much as we value our lives, as if they were
inanimate objects, breeding, exploiting and killing them for
products that we do not need. Few of these ‘agvocates’ are willing
to invite the public onto their pig and chicken farms, or willing to
show them taking newborn calves from their mothers on dairy farms,
of to invite us into slaughterhouses to show their young animals
being brutally killed in exchange for money.
On numerous occasions our Go Vegan World ads have been accused of
being being misleading despite the fact that subsequent
investigations found them to be factual. The irony is that the most
misleading industries of all are those promoting animal use. There
is not a single manufacturer, anywhere in the world, willing to
provide accurate information on their packaging that informs
consumers of the reality of animals’ lives and their brutal deaths,
or the facts on the intersectional damaging effects of animal
agriculture on the environment and human health. Instead they
obfuscate and perpetuate the myth that because humans need
‘essential’ nutrients (i.e. nutrients that are not produced by the
human body and must be sourced in our diet), the addition of those
nutrients to animal’s diets and the subsequent presence of them in
animal products equates with those products being ‘essential’
components of our diet. Most of the claims made on the nutritional
profile of animal products omit the fact that animals are given
supplements of vitamins and minerals to ensure sufficient intake and
their presence in the products of their bodies. The facts on plant
only diets are quite clear: they are nutritionally adequate and can
help prevent many diet related diseases and premature mortality.
Facts are distorted or omitted from the information provided by
those with a vested interest in ensuring that people continue
consuming animal products. The article below states that Ireland “is
one of the lowest emitters of carbon in the world”. On the contrary,
Ireland is one of the worst, if not the worst, performers in the EU
in terms of responding to the climate crisis. An astounding 37.1% of
our GHG emissions is attributable to agriculture, and most of that
is animal agriculture (EPA, 2021).
Instead of embracing the need for change to veganic and non-animal
agriculture, which will benefit ecosystems, reduce global warming,
respect other animals, and improve human health, the industry, like
the tobacco industry before it, is clinging desperately to the
status quo of animal use, with little regard for anything but short
term profit and convenience. While top down change is necessary in
the form of government support for a just transition to plant
agriculture, every individual can play their part by abolishing
animal use from their lives and creating a demand for a more ethical
alternative. Unless we live as vegans, we cannot claim to live
ethically.
From GoVeganWorld - April 06 2018
There are changes in the world around us that come creeping up on us
and there are those that march right up to our noses and announce:
Here I Am.
The nationwide Go Vegan campaign occupies the latter category and
its boldness tells us that it means business and is here to stay.
In its boldness, it strikes at the heart of the industry it’s so
vehemently opposed to and it’s taking its message right to the core
of ‘enemy’ territory.
Here in Castleisland a ‘Go Vegan’ billboard has gone up on Davy
Griffin’s Newsagent’s gable wall on the Barrack Street side.
It is a very strategic location in a very strategic town. It’s on a
one way circuit and you can’t miss it. It’s also on the main route
out of the town centre to Killarney and Tralee.
This is the second time this particular poster appeared at this
location. It was there a couple of months ago and disappeared. It
was replaced by adverts for various radio stations since and until
this week.
The ‘up to our noses’ feeling about the campaign was brought just
there to me by a full-page, broadsheet advertisement in Saturday’s
issue of The Irish Times.
This advert made really clever use of the old and much loved nursery
rhyme, Mary Had a Little Lamb.
In the advert, Mary is depicted leading her trusting little lamb to
a slaughter house in which we see the silhouette of a man holding a
butcher’s knife.
This time however, Shane McAuliffe, from the well known McAuliffe
pig producers and transport company, takes on the Go Vegan campaign
and waves a flag for his fellow, traditional food producers in The
Kerryman.
Shane’s family owns a string of pig farms where they produce more
than 50,000 pigs each year. They also operate one of Ireland’s
longest established haulage companies and are founder members of the
Truly Irish food brand.
Shane McAuliffe’s Reaction:
“I felt compelled to pen an open letter in response to the ‘Go
Vegan’ billboard on Barrack Street.
I have no issues with how someone should live their life or what
lifestyle choice they choose. I do however have issues with people
whose sole aim is to close down Irish family farms. While I am most
well known for being a pig farmer, and to a lesser extent, a beef
farmer, I am not a dairy farmer. I do believe in facts. and I have
made a few points below.
Castleisland is and always has been known as a market town thanks to
the rich agricultural hinterland of the Maine Valley which is ideal
for sustainable grassed based dairy production.
Our town, and its people are heavily reliant on agriculture and
farming, which of course can be seen every Monday and Wednesday as
farmers flock from all over Munster to Castleisland Co-op Livestock
Mart.
Other prominent employers directly involved with dairy farmers
include: Castleisland Co-Op Mart; Gortatlea Mart; Rhyno Mills;
Brownes Agri, Steel & Builder Providers; Kerry Agribusiness; Walsh
Farm Machinery and many more. How many dairy farmers and their
families visit all our shops each and every day and keep local money
in our economy I wonder?
Irish dairy production allows cows to have the freedom to graze
outdoors for up to 300 days per year, more than anywhere else in the
world. The Gulf Stream ensures our temperate climate is neither too
hot or too cold for cows.
During the winter months they enjoy shelter, rest and natural grass
silage to keep them happy and nourished until spring arrives and
they can return outside. While we complain about the rain, Irish
cows are provided with a natural and nutritious diet that does not
require mechanical irrigation or energy costs.
This natural resource ensures that Ireland is one of the lowest
emitters of carbon in the world (certified by the Carbon Trust in
the UK). Our green grass grows three times as much as the European
average and Irish farmers can chose grass varieties and offer
exceptional nutritional value and easy digestibility for cows.
Sustainability: Ireland has the world’s first national dairy
sustainability scheme. This allows farmers to measure their
continuous improvement of efficiencies and sustainability practices.
Audits for this focus on food safety, food quality and animal
welfare.
A carbon navigator helps dairy farmers to reduce emissions even
further.
The importance of dairy in your diet. I could write so much about
dairy goodness but I’ll stick to a few facts. Milk is a natural
source of vitamins B2, B5 and B12. These vitamins generates energy
in our bodies, reducing the feelings of tiredness and fatigue and
the normal functioning of the immune system. Iodine contributes to
normal cognitive function.
Cognitive functions includes memory, attention, perception,
reasoning and the ability to retain information. Guess what is a
source of iodine? Yes, it’s milk! Phosphorous is a key nutrient for
bone health and plays an important role in the normal growth,
development and maintenance of bones and teeth.
Potassium is an important mineral for maintaining normal blood
pressure, especially in a time where Irish adults have high blood
pressure. Protein is a nutrient we need for normal muscle growth and
maintenance, milk contains all of the essential amino acids that our
body needs.
Dairy products like yogurt and cheese contain all of these nutrients
too. The Department of Health’s Food Pyramid recommends three
servings from the dairy group each day as part of a healthy,
balanced diet.
Non dairy alternatives. Do we grow almonds? Do we grow soya? Do we
grow rice? Do we grow coconuts? Nope, Irish farmers don’t grow any
of these.
They are grown in far flung parts of the world. Places where
deforestation takes place at the cost of larger amounts of energy,
water, natural resources and emissions just to put that carton of
dairy free “milk” on a shelf in Ireland.
You can’t milk rice, or a coconut, or an almond or soy. Check the
ingredients of these cartons, you see emulsifiers, stabilisers,
water, nuts, up to a dozen ingredients. Check the ingredients of a
carton of milk, you see one ingredient, yup, you guessed it, milk!!
To summarise, we can’t ignore the facts regarding the value of dairy
to our country and the greater world. Dairy exports are worth well
over €3billion to our economy. We export our dairy produce to 130
countries.
We supply more than 10% of the world’s infant milk formula. We
produce enough dairy produce and milk to feed 52million people every
year.
I was recently very honoured to be ranked second in Ireland on the
prestigious Alltech Top 500 ‘Agvocates’ in the World for 2018. An
agvocate is someone who uses their social presence to promote
agriculture and farming.
One of my aims this year is to spend more time with education,
whether that is hosting farm tours or lecturing third level
students. I was recently invited to a panel discussion hosted by
Nuffield Ireland on Fake News and it’s Implications for Agriculture.
I would call on all local farmers to be proud of their high welfare
production systems, and to not be afraid of sharing positive news.
Perhaps local farmers could visit some of our schools to tell
students about their farms, or host school tours?
I would also call on schools and teachers to avail of the free
services Agri Aware (the Irish agri-food educational body) provide
to primary and secondary schools.
Their Incredible Edibles programme is a healthy eating initiative
for primary school pupils which supplies schools with growing packs
for carrots, lettuce, potatoes, strawberries and turnips. Our youth
deserve to have the information on where their food comes from and
understand the economic, social, environmental and cultural
importance of the Irish agri-food industry.”