Is it Vegan?
WORK IN PROGRESS
According to the Vegan Society "veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose," [1]yet the term "vegan" is more often used to describe people who simply don't eat animal products [2]. While there is obviously plenty of overlap between these two definitions, the common usage of the word vegan can easily make vegans seem dogmatic and lacking in the ethical nuance of the Vegan Society's definition.
As a result of these conflicting definitions and other ambiguities we are left with three sources of confusion:
- Products that are ethical by the Vegan Society definition, but are not allowed under the common definition
- Products that are unethical by the Vegan Society definition, but are allowed under the common definition of vegan
- Other sources of confusion and barely unethical products
Ethical Non-Vegan Products
Animal Experimentation
Cosmetic
Medicinal
While shocking images of mistreated animals in laboratories can be difficult to look at, animal experimentation in medicine should be of the least concern for ethical vegans. In vitro [3] experiments will soon suffice researchers by financial necessity. Animal upkeep is expensive and the laws of capitalism necessitate that they mitigate that cost. Furthermore, unlike in animal agriculture, once whatever is being developed has been developed, purchasing the medicine will not signal researchers to do more animal experimentation.
Like animal agriculture, however, some medicines contain animal products in them. If there is an equally effective vegan alternative, such as FluBlok[4] in the case of flu vaccines, seeking out the alternative is recommended. However, if there is no alternative, ethical vegans should not be pressured to take no medicine. It would not be considered practicable for a vegan to endanger their own life by not taking a medicine they need. Doing so would not only violate the Vegan Society definition in this sense, but also prevent any future altruism, which could far exceed the violation of whatever animals went into creating that medicine. In other words, ethical vegans should not let veganism be an impediment to their health.
Backyard Hens
Freeganism
Invasivores
Oysters
Trace Ingredients
Sugar
Unethical Vegan Products
Organic Food
Palm Oil
Please see the section on palm oil.
