Another Reason to Go Vegan – You Can Help Save Animals AND the Rain Forest!
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Most people know that raising animals for food is grossly inefficient; whilst animals eat large quantities of grain, they produce only small amounts of meat, dairy products or eggs. Did you know it takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of meat?
According to a recent article, more than 350,000 hectares of rain forest are being cleared to grow soya beans, which are then shipped to British factory farms to feed animals who are treated like milk or egg machines or raised and slaughtered for meat. More than 1 million tonnes of soya are imported every year to feed animals on factory farms.
Raising animals for food is extremely damaging to the environment. In addition to devastating vast areas of land, it puts a serious strain on our water supplies, contributes greatly to the amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere and takes food from the mouths of the world’s poor.
Animals on factory farms are also forced to endure a life of misery and suffering before being loaded onto lorries and sent to abattoirs. Many spend their entire lives confined to tiny cages, crates or sheds as they’re pumped full of drugs and denied the right to lead natural lives and raise their young. For example, calves are torn away from their mothers within 48 hours of birth, causing extreme distress to both the mother and baby.
In addition to the cruelty inflicted on these innocent animals, the demands of factory farming are leading to the destruction of animal habitats as rain forests are cleared to grow cheap animal feed. What a tragic irony it is that British factory farms that create so much animal suffering are also contributing to the suffering of animals around the world.
It doesn’t have to be this way; you can help save animals and the rain forest by switching to a vegan diet. You can order PETA’s vegetarian/vegan starter kit, which is packed full of advice and great recipes to get you started on the road to living a more compassionate, more environmentally friendly and healthier lifestyle. You can order a free copy here.
