Student Blog: Vegetable protein - a Trojan horse for animal rights?

Animal welfare has multiple facets that are received differently by the general public. Veganism, being one outlet of animal welfare, has grown in popularity whether due to concerns for animal rights, personal health, or environmental reasons. Whether you believe in ‘speciesism’ or not, human industrialization of the animal agriculture system is one factor driving the climate crisis. It should be incumbent upon the University of Ottawa to take a stand against this industry that is detrimental to non-human animals,  human lives, and the environment.

Wide-spread support for the idea of granting rights to animals has not materialized despite arguments dating back decades. As there are many reservations surrounding animal rights activism, the environmental argument for reducing meat consumption could be the key to protecting animals (and seriously who could be against widening the moral circle in an age where Beyond Meat burgers exist?). It seems like the perfect time to begin implementing a shift to plant based diets as research is finding that most meat eaters support veganism for ethical and environmental reasons.
 

Impossible Meats

 The most efficient way to reduce uOttawa’s support of the animal agriculture industry and take a stance against speciesism would be to lobby Food Services to enact firm and clear ethical and environmental policies (or to oust it). The website of Chartwells, uOttawa’s main food supplier, features information on locally grown produce as well as a tab on sustainability, though few specifics are given. References to animal welfare lack clarity and include affirming the company’s commitment to: “reduce the use of antibiotics in chicken”, “Promote farm animal welfare through the use of cage-free shell eggs”, and “choose vendors that have established standards regarding the humane treatment of animals”. These commitments lack explanation on how they are enacted, and ignore information such as the myth of cage-free eggs. 

The Economist

 
The University of Ottawa should reduce the amount of meat it serves while introducing more plant-based options, and source the meat it does serve locally while implementing and enforcing strict ethical policies (which could be done in tandem with sourcing local produce). uOttawa  could use McGill University as an inspiration with their Meatless Mondays, but why not go even further? I see a radical decline in the consumption of- and eventual elimination of meat and animal products as being inevitable given our current ecological crisis.

McGill Reporter

The University of Ottawa should be willing to implement new policies in line with scientific evidence to show that it truly is a leader in innovation as a learning institute. Perhaps vegetable protein can be a Trojan horse for a wider acceptance of animal rights, but it takes action from thought leaders to make true and lasting change.

~Mary Stuart