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Connecting Veganism and World Hunger

The Unexpected Connection Between Veganism and World Hunger
Understanding the connection between veganism and world hunger is paramount in joining the fight to alleviate hunger.

What is Veganism?

There are many possible definitions for this increasingly popular lifestyle. The Vegan Society summarizes the movement as more than a dietary shift. It believes that “Veganism is a philosophy and 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. By extension, it promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives to benefit animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.”

The lifestyle has been around for many years. The original usage of the word “vegetarian” was in the 1830s. It referred to someone who ate a diet that people would now consider a vegan diet. Furthermore, throughout human history, records have indicated various forms of vegan diets in different cultures. Often, people used vegan diets as a form of religious or spiritual practice.

Today, it is relatively easy to find vegans and vegan options. As of April 2019, the popular vegetarian and vegan food website/app HappyCow listed more than 24,000 vegan-friendly restaurants in the United States. This included nearly 1,500 fully vegan restaurants. Even meat-heavy fast-food chains like Burger King and Carl’s Jr. now carry vegan options.

Veganism carries many benefits, such as a lowered risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels. However, perhaps one less well-known topic is the connection between veganism and world hunger.

What is the Connection Between Veganism and World Hunger?

Globally, an estimated 820 million people experience hunger. Livestock farming requires the usage of large amounts of resources that could otherwise feed those who are hungry.

Animal feed uses around 36% of global crop-produced calories. Only 12% of those feed calories ultimately contribute to the human diet as animal products. Furthermore, only one calorie goes to human consumption for every ten calories fed to livestock, an inefficient ratio of about 10%.

If fewer crops went to livestock, society could more efficiently allocate crops for human consumption. A report written by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences posited that if American farmers converted all the land currently used to raise cattle, pigs and chickens to grow plants instead, they could sustain more than twice as many people as they currently do.

Similarly, researchers reported in 2018 that current crop production can feed the projected 9.7 billion global population in 2050, provided people switch to a plant-based diet and the global agricultural system changes.

Which Nonprofit Organizations Have Explored These Connections?

Multiple global nonprofit organizations combine outreach efforts with veganism and world hunger relief, providing healthy vegan food to communities in need. One such nonprofit is Food for Life, the world’s largest vegan food relief organization. The group has headquarters in Delaware, U.S.A. and Ljubljana, Slovenia, and comprises nearly 250 individual affiliate projects. Together, these initiatives can serve 2 million vegan meals daily.

Vedic values of spiritual hospitality guide the group. Its volunteers also exemplify core principles of welfare, hospitality, non-violence, health, education and animal advocacy. Since its founding in the 1970s, Food for Life’s global volunteers have delivered more than 7.3 billion full meals.

Another vegan group fighting global hunger is the U.K.-based Vegans Against World Hunger. Founded in 2019, this volunteer-run organization works to fund and increase awareness of projects which provide healthful vegan food to those suffering from hunger. In addition, Vegans Against World Hunger aims to educate the public about Veganism’s health and environmental benefits.

What Can People Do to Help?

It is essential for people to be mindful of the ethical impacts of their dietary choices. Whether one tries to go vegan or eats more vegan, it is integral to realize that people’s food choices affect the global food environment and communities. When individuals make these choices, they can help lessen the impact of world hunger. Together, it is possible to create a happier and healthier global food ecosystem by applying this knowledge daily.

– Nina Lehr
Photo: Flickr

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5 Vegan Groups Fighting World Hunger

Fighting World Hunger
Vegans are often the butt of every joke in pop culture, from comments on their hair and hygiene to their fondness for eating “rabbit food.” Yet, vegans are more than their food choices; veganism is a form of activism. This article will explore five vegan groups fighting world hunger.

Veganism and Global Hunger

Plants produce 9.46 quadrillion calories each year, enough to feed every human 2,700 calories a day for a year, with 2 quadrillion calories leftover. If this is the case, why do people go hungry? Unfortunately, humans only consume a little over half of these calories, with 36% going to animal feed and 9% to industry. This leaves humans with only 5.6 trillion calories — well below the amount necessary to solve world hunger. When consuming animals, a staggering 89% of calories of these plant calories disappear when humans consume animals secondarily.

Moreover, animal-based diets require 1,000% more crop growth than plant-based diets. Moving to a plant-based diet creates 70% more room to grow crops, and, even accounting for population growth, could bring an end to global hunger.

Fortunately, many activism groups are working to fight global hunger and poverty while serving healthy vegan meals. Here are five vegan groups fighting world hunger.

5 Vegan Groups Fighting World Hunger

  1. Food Not Bombs: Anti-nuclear activists founded Food Not Bombs in 1980 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their goal was to spark an anti-violence movement against war, poverty, food waste and global hunger through education, protests and providing individuals with meals from recovered food waste. The organization feeds people in 1,000 cities in 65 countries around the world. Food Not Bombs believes that food is a right, not a privilege.
  2. World Central Kitchen: World Central Kitchen uses food to empower communities and provide relief during difficult times. Jose Andrews and his wife founded the organization to cook meals, including vegan and vegetarian ones, for those suffering from hunger abroad. The organization works by giving women in other countries access to cooking supplies, training chefs in Haiti to cook and providing healthy meals to families in need. WCK does international frontline work during natural disasters, providing over 3.7 million meals to victims of Hurricane Maria in 2o17.
  3. Food Empowerment Project: Lauren Ornelas, a woman of color, founded Food Empowerment Project as a way to educate people about making ethically sustainable food choices. Among fighting for animal rights, Food Empowerment Project also fights for racial equality, poverty reduction and environmental justice. By making ethically sustainable food choices, people can prevent deaths and empower those with fewer resources. Through its website, Food Empowerment Project provides the public with education about veganism, including access to sustainable, vegan recipes.
  4. Food for Life: In 1974, the founder of Srila Prabhupada told his yoga students to begin serving food to the hungry, believing that “No one within ten miles of a temple should go hungry.” From there, his yoga students began creating food kitchens around the world, creating the basis for Food for Life. The organization aims to promote Vedic values of equality by giving vegan meals to those in need and during times of crisis. To date, volunteers have served over 6 million meals since the organization’s start, amounting to nearly 20 tons of vegan food.
  5. Vegans Against World Hunger: Helen Wright and Julian Wilkinson founded Vegans Against World Hunger in 2019 as a way to fight global poverty and hunger through vegan meals in the U.K and abroad. The nonprofit works to create food forests that provide food stability, combat deforestation and establish food banks around the globe. While it is a new organization, Vegans Against World Hunger has a bright future ahead.

These vegan groups fighting world hunger show that vegans around the world are using their plant-based diets to help solve one of the quintessential issues facing the world today: global hunger. While the transition to a completely plant-based diet brings challenges, scientists see that it could be a step forward in fighting global poverty and hunger through ethical and sustainable food choices.

– Breanna Bonner
Photo: Pixabay