The Independent Argues Against Vegetarianism

During National Vegetarian Week, popular news site calls on vegetarians to commit to considering all animals in their ethics, not just those raised for meat.


Share this

Leading United Kingdom publication The Independent recently urged vegetarians to ditch dairy and eggs, arguing that anything less than ethical veganism serves only to contribute to the exploitation and torture of animals. Elena Orde, author and editor of UK magazine The Vegan, took the opportunity of National Vegetarian Week to inform the one million British vegetarians of the horrors in animal agriculture, including Britain’s dairy farms. The killing or funneling of male calves (who are of no use in the dairy industry) into the veal industry was one of her main points, while the similar fate of male chickens and cramped living conditions of “layer” hens were mentioned as plights plaguing the egg industry. Orde included anecdotes from her own experiences as an ex-cheese lover (“I can’t go longer than four minutes without it,” she recalled saying. “I’m hypoglycheesemic! I actually have some brie in my pocket right now.”), assuring vegetarians that cravings for “the yellow stuff” dissipate and that a world of delicious dairy-free cheese exists. “Vegetarianism is often used as a stepping stone to veganism,” Orde writes. “And that is absolutely fine. But it should not be the end point for anyone who really cares about animals.”

Want more UK news you can use? Find out why non-dairy milk is on the rise, how the Queen is getting on dairy-free goods, and how goverment is saying no to cruelty.