Going Vegan

FOR

There is a recent fad in nutrition- strict vegan diet. Earlier classification of set of
people characterized by consuming animal meat and those not consuming animal meat
is being erased sharply. Beyond the categories of vegetarian and non-vegetarian, the
vegans are much strict in diet. They donot consume any food derived from animals.
They do not consume meat, egg, milk, butter derived from animal milk, cheese, ghee
and so on. They derive protein in their diet from plant-based protein. Beans and grains
are great source of protein. In India, traditionally the source of protein for the
population has been pulses and grains. There is a strong movement picking up in the
West that by going Vegan, the carbon footprint of our consumption. If we see the pule
consumption worldwide, against global average of 19 gram per person per day , in
India consumption is 39 gram per person per day. While the figure for China is only
3 gram and for the US only 9 gram. India has plenty of supergrains like ragi, jowar,
bajra. These millets are wonder grains which are pest resistant; consume less
fertilizer and less water to grow. On the other hand, if we take the average
consumption of meat, against the global average of 173 gram per person per day, in
India the figure is only 29 gram , for China, it is 254 gram, and for the US, it is 381
gram. The figure is from National Geographic work on global nutrition pattern
compiled in 2011.

Much of India has thus historically been vegetarian. If we go vegan, the demand for
milk which is skyrocketing, would come down. There is heavy pressure on land for
livestock. India with only 2.29% of the land area of the world, is maintaining about
10.71% of the livestock population of the world. As of 2012, India has an estimated
population of 300 million bovine, 512.1 million livestock and 729.2 million poultry
stock. This has grown manifold since independence when respective figure for the
year 1951. In future, population of cattle, as also meat-supplying livestock like goat,
sheep and pig is likely to grow further and put pressure on land and might cause the
degradation of ecosystem.

If a portion of population who gets enough protein from plant-based products, can
afford to go Vegan, the pressure on land resource can be mitigated to some extent.
Also healthy plant foods significantly decrease the risk of developing heart disease.
But Vegan food is also a luxury. An authentic Vegan would seek to add protein-rich
nuts, avocados, dragon fruits and such exotic and costly food to their diet, which are
costly and most of the population cannot afford. Vegan mode of nutrition is a
byproduct of globalization where high consciousness about ecology and acquaintance
and adaptation to foreign tastes / food product are easy to make.
 AGAINST

A strict vegan diet — one devoid of all foods from animals — face a greater challenge
because the protein in most plants is not complete and must be balanced by consuming
complementary sources, like beans and grains. Vegan diets do not provide fat-soluble
vitamins A and D.Vegan diets often rely heavily on soya.Vegan diets do not provide
vitamin K2. Pea protein and soy proteins are highly processed non-foods. These have
not been traditionally sustained. No culture in human history has survived on Vegan
diet. If Jains do not take meat, they make it sure to consume milk products and lot of
ghee.

Vegan diets are deficient in vitamin B12 and iron. Vegans must supplement their
diet with vitamin B-12 and iron. An anaemic society will produce weak
offsprings. The congenital diseases would multiply since Vegan diet lack
several essential amino acids found only in animal protein.

Now even artificial meat is being produced in laboratories, which can supplement the
Vegan diet. Food can be printed through 3-D printers. But, all these are not food, but
phoney food. If for the sake of ecology and protecting animals from exaggerated
animal cruelty, if mankind shifts to machine-dependant food, the only natural thing
that mankind continues to consume would be in danger. We will loose touch with
reality. Machines would determine our taste and hunger. This would end in a way the
human sensation and feeling towards other living beings as machines will be able to
produce diet 24 x 7 anytime, anyplace unlike the natural plants which takes months to
provide product.
The best way is to have balance between consumption of plant and animal
product. Community can pick up certain days of a month for going purely
Vegan. An Indonesian province did same when there was crisis of ri ce supply. A
day in the week was declared NO RICE DAY. The campaign was successful and
finally the excess consumption of rice could be brought down bringing balance
in the agricultural production. At individual level, one may choose one day a
week to be meatless and gradually add more while adding one or more new
plant-based recipes each week.

The best thing is therefore to adopt Ethical omnivorism. Only this can support a
healthy planet. Not only piety towards animals is important, we must also expand
our consciousness to develop Planetary Ecopiety. The planet has given us
varieties of things to nurture, use and develop. We must celebrate the
consumption of varieties.