When you start to question if veganism is the most ethical choice

[Rockaby]

Something I read on another thread on here got me thinking about this question. I am far from an expert on this and really only have the information I read about in the media, but I have struggled a bit with this, ever since I started seriously considering going vegan, (at the beginning of this year).

I really don't know enough about it, but occasionally I read something which indicates that there are foods / products which are vegan friendly, which are not at all ethical and not the best choice for the environment. Foods which contain palm oil for example, (vegan margarine and other processed foods), and things like avocados, almonds and quinoa which I have (vague) memories of reading about. Almonds take a lot of water to produce I think(?), quinoa and avocados are somehow not the most ethical choice either..?

Sorry, I'm being so vague because I really don't know a lot about it!

How do other people feel about this? Is going vegan enough, or is it even the best choice?

I still think veganism is a sound environmental and ethical choice. I also try and buy local and in season when I can. I also try and reduce the packaging things come in. Try to avoid palm oil with the overwhelming majority of what I eat.
However I don't feel guilty when I have a 'treat'.
If we all make some changes it is better than being overwhelmed by it and not making any changes in my opinion but I also know some people do manage more than I do right now.

I think everything is a compromise. I stay away from palm oil, almonds, and any bananas, chocolate or coffee which aren't organic and free-trade. I am vegetarian, and try not to eat eggs or dairy unless I am ok with where the products come from (our neighbour's farm). But then, a lot of the time I forget, or I buy things packaged in loads of unnecessary plastic. Which is better: local not organic, no plastic, or overly-packaged organic?

In the end, I don't actually think my personal dietary choices are as important as putting pressure on the government, voting, donating to the right organisations, etc. I put a lot of energy into thinking about what I buy because that is easy and fun for me, but more important things like political action are scary and stressful for me, so I am lazy about them

It's up to all of us to each decide where we draw the line with what we are comfortable eating...I don't preach to others ,not many people in RL know I'm vegan.its a personal choice..I do try to Avoid palm oil,and I try to not buy products flown thousands of miles over here,...I try ...but mainly I feel animals are not ours to eat or wear or anything else,and nor are their milks for humans..once I knew an egg was a hens period,I never touched one again,while I was vegi that was...but I never comment on what other people eat,and I expect the same courtesy in return....I'm just loving this vegan board 🤓

I've been thinking about this too lately. I think veganism is absolutely better for the planet and animals than eating the standard omni diet that most people eat. However veganism does not equal perfect and of course there is so much wrong with food production in this world where profits are the only concern, this is true for many vegan foods such as the ones you mentioned op. A person who eats meat very occasionally but thinks about everything they buy and chooses local products, grows their own veg, isn't wasteful etc is probably making more of a difference than someone who is vegan but doesn't think about their consumption of food beyond whether it's vegan or not. However, it doesn't mean that veganism isn't a valid choice, even a junk food vegan is consuming far less and contributing less to animal suffering than the vast majority of people. Also, are there really many omni people that genuinely only eat food that is sustainable and local? There will be a few people like this, but most people who eat meat are eating it far more than is sustainable for the planet.
In addition, being vegan doesn't mean a person suddenly replaces all of the meat in their diet with huge amounts of palm oil etc. Many vegans try and eat locally, seasonally and healthily too.

I think we are all doing the best we can. A vegan diet is the most environmentally friendly but there are definitely ways to reduce the carbon footprint.

I've started using oat milk as my drinking milk now after hearing about almonds. Soya consumption is still less as a vegan because most of the soya beans grown in the world are for farm animals - but it can't hurt to keep consumption low.

You can eat seasonal vegetables throughout the year as a vegan.

For me it's about the animals first and foremost, but because I care about the planet I'm consciously trying to stay as green as I can. I've learnt a lot through MN began discussions!

Veganism is a moral baseline, and it's about animal rights, not the environment. That doesn't mean there aren't other things we should be doing as well though. E.g. eating organic, minimising plastic use, not driving, etc.

You cannot eat an entirely ethical diet if you are living in the western world. Any food stuff, however good it may be, can then be produced on an industrial level by capitalist bastards who don't care that they are destroying the planet.

I think a lot of "oh but veganism isn't ethical either" comes from meat eaters justifying their choices. No, veganism isn't 100% ethical, unless you are living off seasonal vegetables grown yourself, but that doesn't mean I'm going to start drinking dairy milk which is definitely not ethical.

I eat vegan food and buy vegan toiletries etc. I only buy fair-trade chocolate, coffee and cashews. I do buy almonds and almond products after reading this extremely informative article: gizmodo.com/seriously-stop-demonizing-almonds-1696065939

You can get quinoa grown in the UK now too