vegt:vegetarianism

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-# Vegetarianism+This topic is part of [[gt:food|Food & drink]]. 
 +====== Vegetarianism ======
  
  
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-## What is vegetarianism?+===== What is vegetarianism? =====
  
 According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is "someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with, or without, the use of dairy products and eggs. A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or by-products of slaughter." Lacto-ovo vegetarians, who eat dairy products and eggs, are the most common kind, while lacto-vegetarians eat dairy but not eggs. [Vegans](/vega/veganism) do not eat, use or wear any animal-tested or derived product. People who eat fish but avoid red or white meat are sometimes referred to as vegetarians but the correct term is actually ‘pescatarian’. According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is "someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with, or without, the use of dairy products and eggs. A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or by-products of slaughter." Lacto-ovo vegetarians, who eat dairy products and eggs, are the most common kind, while lacto-vegetarians eat dairy but not eggs. [Vegans](/vega/veganism) do not eat, use or wear any animal-tested or derived product. People who eat fish but avoid red or white meat are sometimes referred to as vegetarians but the correct term is actually ‘pescatarian’.
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-## What are the benefits of vegetarianism?+===== What are the benefits of vegetarianism? =====
  
 NB: Lowimpact.org provides information about keeping animals and small-scale meat production, but only via organic smallholdings, without any of the cruelty or unsustainable practices mentioned here. We support vegetarianism because it can help reduce the total amount of meat produced / consumed, which we think is a good thing. Whether animals should be kept (or hunted) for meat and other resources at all is a philosophical point that is covered [here](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/ethical-keep-animals-meat-dairy/). NB: Lowimpact.org provides information about keeping animals and small-scale meat production, but only via organic smallholdings, without any of the cruelty or unsustainable practices mentioned here. We support vegetarianism because it can help reduce the total amount of meat produced / consumed, which we think is a good thing. Whether animals should be kept (or hunted) for meat and other resources at all is a philosophical point that is covered [here](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/ethical-keep-animals-meat-dairy/).
  
-### Human health+==== Human health ====
  
 People eating a well-balanced vegetarian diet are more likely to achieve the high-fibre, low fat diet recommended for optimal health. [Research](http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/70/3/525s.full) shows vegetarians tend to have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, cholesterol and blood pressure. This can further translate into a benefit for society as less strain is placed on health services from treating these conditions. People eating a well-balanced vegetarian diet are more likely to achieve the high-fibre, low fat diet recommended for optimal health. [Research](http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/70/3/525s.full) shows vegetarians tend to have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, cholesterol and blood pressure. This can further translate into a benefit for society as less strain is placed on health services from treating these conditions.
  
-### Animal welfare+==== Animal welfare ====
  
 From artificially inseminated conception to untimely death, most intensively-farmed animals’ lives are short and brutal. They are either slaughtered in their prime for meat or simply disposed of once past their best (laying hens, dairy cows). Male animals (chicks, calves) are usually surplus to requirements and are either killed immediately (chicks minced for pet food) or live very short, unnatural lives (veal calves). Those who do survive past infancy may spend their entire lives in cramped spaces and/or without natural light and can experience high levels of stress. For example, sows are kept in narrow ‘gestation’ crates which do not allow them to turn around for several weeks when giving birth. Pigs and chickens kept in confined spaces become bored, develop unnatural and aggressive behaviours and must endure painful teeth or beak clipping to prevent them injuring each other. From artificially inseminated conception to untimely death, most intensively-farmed animals’ lives are short and brutal. They are either slaughtered in their prime for meat or simply disposed of once past their best (laying hens, dairy cows). Male animals (chicks, calves) are usually surplus to requirements and are either killed immediately (chicks minced for pet food) or live very short, unnatural lives (veal calves). Those who do survive past infancy may spend their entire lives in cramped spaces and/or without natural light and can experience high levels of stress. For example, sows are kept in narrow ‘gestation’ crates which do not allow them to turn around for several weeks when giving birth. Pigs and chickens kept in confined spaces become bored, develop unnatural and aggressive behaviours and must endure painful teeth or beak clipping to prevent them injuring each other.
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### Environmental+==== Environmental ====
  
 Industrial livestock farming takes up the lion’s share of the world’s agricultural land (both for grazing and to produce feed grain), and more is required every year just to keep up with demand. Clear-cutting in the Amazon to create new pastures equates to 70% of the total deforestation in Latin America. A typical meat eater's diet requires up to 2.5 times more land than a vegetarian’s (although it tends to be more marginal land that's not good for producing vegetables). With grain-fed animals, it takes on average 7kg of grain to produce 1kg of beef, and 4kg of grain to produce 1kg of pork. Livestock rearing is also a highly water-intensive process: an estimated 13,000 to 100,000 litres of water is required to produce 1kg of beef, versus 1,000-2,000 litres per kilo of wheat. It follows that less meat eaten means less land required to feed a given number of people, so there would be more land available for nature. Industrial livestock farming takes up the lion’s share of the world’s agricultural land (both for grazing and to produce feed grain), and more is required every year just to keep up with demand. Clear-cutting in the Amazon to create new pastures equates to 70% of the total deforestation in Latin America. A typical meat eater's diet requires up to 2.5 times more land than a vegetarian’s (although it tends to be more marginal land that's not good for producing vegetables). With grain-fed animals, it takes on average 7kg of grain to produce 1kg of beef, and 4kg of grain to produce 1kg of pork. Livestock rearing is also a highly water-intensive process: an estimated 13,000 to 100,000 litres of water is required to produce 1kg of beef, versus 1,000-2,000 litres per kilo of wheat. It follows that less meat eaten means less land required to feed a given number of people, so there would be more land available for nature.
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-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
 If you are interested in adopting a vegetarian lifestyle, the [Vegetarian Society website](https://www.vegsoc.org) has recipes and nutrition resources. They also offer vegetarian cookery courses. A wealth of information and recipes can be found on the Internet, and vegetarian cookbooks are widely available to buy in bookstores or online. If you are interested in adopting a vegetarian lifestyle, the [Vegetarian Society website](https://www.vegsoc.org) has recipes and nutrition resources. They also offer vegetarian cookery courses. A wealth of information and recipes can be found on the Internet, and vegetarian cookbooks are widely available to buy in bookstores or online.
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-## Further resources+===== Forum ===== 
 + 
 +This topic belongs to the section [[gt:food|Food & drink]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/food). 
 + 
 +===== Further resources =====
  
 - [Happy Cow](https://www.happycow.net/) - find vegan and vegetarian restaurants - [Happy Cow](https://www.happycow.net/) - find vegan and vegetarian restaurants
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-## Related topics+===== Related topics ===== 
 + 
 +- [[lifo:food|Low-impact food & drink]] 
 +- [[vega:Veganism]]  
 +- [[spro:Sprouting|Sprouting & microgreens]] 
 +- [[rawl:raw_living_food|Raw / living food]] 
 +- [[lico:cooking|Low-impact cooking]] 
  
  
-## Specialist curators of this topic+===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
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