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Veganism: more harm than good?

As veganism continues to rise in popularity, so does the amount of backlash claiming that going vegan isn't as good for the planet as people think. From avocados to coconuts, foods popular in vegan diets are now claimed to be causing serious harm to the environment. But what really is the truth? 

Vegans eat more than just salad, right?
So you've seen the news. Climate change is happening, and unless we start to significantly reduce carbon emissions, it's only going to get worse. More and more people are changing their lifestyles to reduce their individual carbon footprint, whether that's ditching flying, cutting down on plastic. One of the biggest ways people are doing their bit for the environment is by reducing meat and dairy intake. A University of Oxford study found that if everybody followed a plant-based diet, greenhouse gas emissions from food production would be reduced by 49%, and there would be a whopping 76% reduction in land use.

 Early Bird - the only place to get brunch in Cardiff.
As great as it would be, we can't expect the entire world to go vegan overnight. I'm still working on going completely vegan, but I don't eat meat and I've recently swapped to only eating eggs and dairy a couple of times a week. At the same time, I've been reducing the amount of plastic-wrapped produce I buy and trying to shop locally as much as possible. Living on a student budget means sometimes, I have to prioritise cost, but most of the time it works out cheaper anyway.


Last month I took part in Veganuary, pledging to follow a vegan diet for the whole of January. Taking part gave me the perfect opportunity to experiment with plant-based alternatives for foods such as cheese and milk. I wanted to do the best I could in the challenge, so I researched vegan options both before and during January so I was well-prepared. However, the more research I did, the more confused I became about which products cause the least damage to the environment. Five foods in particular seemed to be surrounded by a lot of confusion, so over the next couple of articles I'll unpack the truth behind these foods:
Starting Veganuary off on a (cinnamon) roll

  • Almond milk- is it killing bees?
  • Avocados- is the water consumption worth it?
  • Olive oil- is it killing birds?
  • Soya- is it causing deforestation?
  • Coconuts- can we cope with increasing demands?
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Comments

  1. Chops13 February 2020 at 14:24

    Certainly an insightful read. Looking forward to your subsequent articles!

    ReplyDelete
  2. caitlinggodfrey17 February 2020 at 06:35

    Amazing! Love it, can't wait to read more about what you find out about all these things

    ReplyDelete

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