{"id":252135,"date":"2024-10-25T09:42:44","date_gmt":"2024-10-25T08:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veganuary.com\/main-2\/"},"modified":"2024-12-12T14:07:04","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T14:07:04","slug":"main-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/veganuary.com\/en-us\/main-2\/","title":{"rendered":"MAIN-2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- button hover effect --!>\n<style>\nimg.click {\n  transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;\n}\nimg.click:hover {\n  filter: brightness(80%);\n}\n<\/style>\n<a href=\"\nhttps:\/\/veganuary.com\/en-us\/try-vegan-2025\/\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large mt-0\" style=\"margin: 0 !important; background-colour:white;\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\nhttps:\/\/veganuary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/WEIRD-Landing-page-design-3800x1640-web-1-scaled.jpg\"\nalt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-236568\" style=\"padding-bottom: 0px; background-colour:white;\"><\/a>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-light-gray-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Have You Ever Stopped to Think About What\u2019s on Your Plate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In a world where eating habits are often handed down through generations, we rarely question the foods we consume daily. But what if we told you that much of what we consider 'normal' might actually be pretty weird?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Let\u2019s take a moment to explore why certain foods may not be as ordinary as they seem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-custom wp-block-accordion wp-block-custom--narrow\">\n\t\t<div class=\"accordion js-accordion\">\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item js-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__header js-accordion-trigger\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"accordion-item__title\">Sausages are literally pigs stuffed inside their own intestines.<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__icon\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__padding\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Sausage casings are made from pig intestines and the filling is ground pig muscle and fat.<\/p>\n<p>Most of us don\u2019t really think about the different animal parts hidden in things like sausages, burgers, and nuggets.<\/p>\n<p>Might feel a bit weird when we realize we\u2019re eating animals with the same body parts as us?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item js-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__header js-accordion-trigger\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"accordion-item__title\">Cows make milk to feed their baby calves, just like our mothers do for us.<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__icon\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__padding\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>We\u2019re the only animal that\u2019s never weaned and continues to drink milk as an adult \u2013 and the only one that drinks the milk of another species.<\/p>\n<p>If that\u2019s not weird enough, we deny calves the milk that nature intended for them, removing them from their mothers within hours of birth so that the cow\u2019s milk can be bottled and sold to us.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item js-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__header js-accordion-trigger\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"accordion-item__title\">Animal farming is the leading cause of deforestation.<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__icon\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__padding\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Every year, the world loses around 5 million hectares of forest, and 95% of this occurs in the tropics.<\/p>\n<p>The expansion of animal farming is responsible for around 41% of tropical deforestation. <span class=\"TextRun SCXW255247074 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW255247074 BCX0\">That\u2019s<\/span> <\/span><a class=\"Hyperlink HyperlinkGateOff SCXW255247074 BCX0\" href=\"https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/drivers-of-deforestation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined UnderlinedGateOff SCXW255247074 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW255247074 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">2.1 million hectares<\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW255247074 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW255247074 BCX0\"> every year \u2013 about half the size of the Netherlands.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Soya and palm production together drive a further 18% of tropical deforestation, with <a href=\"https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/drivers-of-deforestation#is-our-appetite-for-soy-driving-deforestation-in-the-amazon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more than three-quarters<\/a> of soya and a large proportion of palm being used in animal feed, primarily for chickens and pigs.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item js-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__header js-accordion-trigger\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"accordion-item__title\">We eat babies.\ud83d\ude32<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__icon\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__padding\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Chickens are killed at just 6 weeks old and pigs at 6 months \u2013 a fraction of their potential lifespan. Weird, or just sad?<\/p>\n<p>Selective breeding of chickens by the farming industry has produced breeds of birds that grow much bigger and much faster than they naturally would \u2013 reaching slaughter weight at only 5-6 weeks old \u2013 still just chicks with blue eyes and soft chirps.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a similar story for pigs, though slightly less extreme. They\u2019re removed from their mothers at only 4-6 weeks old \u2013 much earlier than is natural \u2013 and fattened for six months in crowded indoor pens before slaughter.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item js-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__header js-accordion-trigger\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"accordion-item__title\">Animal farming provides only 18%\u202fof our calories but uses 83% of our farmland \u2013 weirdly inefficient with a growing human population. <\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__icon\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__padding\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">According to researchers from Oxford University,<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\"> meat, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">farmed fish<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">, eggs<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">and dairy use <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">around <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">83% of the world\u2019s farmland<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">,<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">and <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">contribute 56<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">&#8211;<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">58% of food\u2019s different emissions, despite providing only 37% of our protein and 18% of our calories<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/josephpoore.com\/Science%20360%206392%20987%20-%20Accepted%20Manuscript.pdf\">They calculated<\/a> that <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">the impacts of the lowest-impact animal products exceed average impacts of substitute vegetable proteins across <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">greenhouse gas<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\"> emissions<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\"> (GHG)<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">, eutrophication<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\"> and<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\"> acidification<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\"> of waterways<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">, and<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">land use<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">They concluded that m<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">oving from current <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">animal-based <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">diets to a diet that excludes animal products has transformative potential, reducing food\u2019s land use by 3.1 billion ha (a 76% reduction)<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">;<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\"> food\u2019s GHG emissions by 6.6<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">billion metric ton<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">ne<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">s of CO2eq (a 49% reduction); acidification by 50%<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\"> and<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\"> eutrophication by 49%<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">In addition to the reduction in food\u2019s annual GHG emissions, the land no longer <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">required<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\"> for food production could remove <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">around <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">8.1 billion metric ton<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">ne<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">s of CO2 from the atmosphere each year over 100 years as natural vegetation <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">reestablishes,<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\"> and soil carbon re-accumulates<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW244772635 BCX0\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW244772635 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item js-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__header js-accordion-trigger\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"accordion-item__title\">Antibiotic resistance is a global health threat and the heavy use of medically important antibiotics in factory farmed animals is a major cause. Weird, or very worrying?    <\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__icon\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__padding\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to human health and <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">identified<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\"> by the World Health Organi<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">z<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">ation as <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">one of the most important health challenges in the 21st century. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">The overuse of anti<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">biotics<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\"> in animal <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">farming<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\"> is a contributor to the increase in<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">a<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">ntibiotic resistance.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">Anti<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">biotics<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\"> are <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">routinely used in <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">intensive farming systems <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">to <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">prevent<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\"> and treat<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">infections and<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">can<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\"> also be used in animal feed to increase growth<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">.<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC7766021\/pdf\/antibiotics-09-00918.pdf\">Studies<\/a><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">\u00a0have estimated that 73% of all anti<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">biotics<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\"> sold globally are used in animals raised for food<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118381389 BCX0\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW118381389 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item js-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__header js-accordion-trigger\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"accordion-item__title\">Pigs are smarter than dogs and just as playful, yet we love dogs and eat pigs \u2013 weird how we discriminate? <\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__icon\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__padding\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Decades of research on pigs has found that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newrootsinstitute.org\/articles\/pig-intelligence\">pigs are highly intelligent<\/a> beings. In clinical trials, they have been shown to have abstract thoughts, use tools, recognise their own names, dream and follow commands. Other tests have revealed that pigs can play video games and even differentiate between drawings they made over other pigs\u2019 artwork!\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Research shows that pigs are at least as intelligent as dogs, and in many cases even <\/span> <span data-contrast=\"none\">outperform dogs on tests of cognition, memory and other measures of intelligence. For <\/span> <span data-contrast=\"none\">example, not only can pigs be taught how to fetch like dogs, but they can also\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span> <span data-contrast=\"none\">differentiate between objects (for example a ball vs. a frisbee).\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item js-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__header js-accordion-trigger\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"accordion-item__title\">Chickens outnumber humans three to one \u2013 weird that we never see them. <\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__icon\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__padding\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Sadly, most are hidden inside factory farms. Every day <a href=\"https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/how-many-animals-get-slaughtered-every-day\">more than 202 million chickens are killed<\/a> for meat. That\u2019s 140,000 chickens every minute! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Most chickens are killed at around 6 weeks old, meaning at any given moment there are about 27.8 billion chickens alive, but only about 8 billion humans. Yet we see lots of humans every time we leave our house but rarely see chickens. Why?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The sad answer is that most chickens killed for meat spend their short lives locked inside industrial sheds, along with 50,000 or more other birds, on factory farms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Their only escape is when they are crated onto a truck and driven to the slaughterhouse. Oxford University researchers estimate that between <a href=\"https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/how-many-animals-are-factory-farmed\">74-90% of all chickens farmed globally are factory farmed<\/a>, with US Department of Agriculture data showing that in the US this figure is 98%.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item js-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__header js-accordion-trigger\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"accordion-item__title\">Most farmed animals do not mate naturally but are artificially inseminated to reproduce the \u2018best\u2019 genetics. Some can\u2019t even give birth naturally and must undergo caesareans. Weird we still think eating meat is \u2018natural\u2019. <\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__icon\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__padding\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Because of the size of typical commercial male turkeys, it&#8217;s difficult for the male to get close enough to a female without injuring her because she&#8217;s much smaller and lighter. As a result, most breeding is carried out using artificial insemination.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Some breeds of cows farmed for beef have been bred to be more muscular to increase the amount of meat they produce. A combination of calves growing very large during pregnancy and the mothers having narrow pelvic canals can result in problems giving birth. Repeated caesareans may be needed to allow them to calve.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Most cows farmed for dairy are artificially inseminated within three months of giving birth to ensure they produce one calf a year to keep milk production high.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Artificial insemination is also now the predominant way of impregnating pigs on commercial farms around the world.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item js-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__header js-accordion-trigger\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"accordion-item__title\">Everyone thinks factory farming is cruel, yet the majority of animals farmed around the world are factory farmed \u2013 weird we don\u2019t practise what we preach?    <\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__icon\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__padding\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">While there is no regularly updated data source that tracks farming conditions and the <\/span> <span data-contrast=\"none\">number of animals who are factory farmed, several organizations have used published <\/span> <span data-contrast=\"none\">data to estimate these figures.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Using data published by the USDA Census of Agriculture and the US Environment <\/span> <span data-contrast=\"none\">Protection Agency, it is estimated that <\/span>99% of farmed animals in the US were factory farmed <span data-contrast=\"none\">in 2017<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">. <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">That was 10 billion animals. More than the global human population.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Global figures are harder to find, but based on the best available data, it is estimated that 75% of land-based farmed animals (excluding farmed fish and other aquatic animals) are factory farmed. Most fish farmed around the world are reared in factory-type conditions, so the total for all farmed animals would be higher.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item js-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__header js-accordion-trigger\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"accordion-item__title\">Many farmed fish are fed wild-caught fish, contributing to the\u202fdestruction of wild species and habitats. Weird \u2018solution\u2019 to the problems of overfishing. <\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__icon\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__padding\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">S<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">almon <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">and trout <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">are carnivorous <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">fish<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\"> and <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">on farms <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">they\u2019re<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">fed a diet <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">containing<\/span> <\/span> <span class=\"TextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">wild-caught fish<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">. <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">It takes much more than 1kg of wild fish to produce 1kg of farmed <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">fish<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">Ninety percent<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\"> of these wild fish, such as anchovies, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">mackerel<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\"> and sardines, could be <\/span><\/span> <span class=\"TextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">eaten <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">by people <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">directly<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\"> This means a net loss of edible human food when these fish <\/span><\/span> <span class=\"TextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">are fed to farmed fish<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">Additionally, m<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">any of these wild fish are sourced from low-<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"TextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">income countries, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">contributing to <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">food <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">in<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">security and the industry\u2019s carbon footprint<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW235780818 BCX0\">.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW235780818 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559739&quot;:450}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item js-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__header js-accordion-trigger\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"accordion-item__title\">We kill billions of animals every year for foods that increase the risk of our biggest killers \u2013 heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Weirdly self-destructive? <\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__icon\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"accordion-item__padding\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Many types of meat and dairy products are high in saturated fat which can raise the risk of high cholesterol, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Processed meats such as sandwich slices, bacon and sausages are often also high in salt and other additives linked to heart disease and cancer.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\"> Multiple epidemiological studies (studies of large groups of people) have found that those following a plant-based diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/nutrition\/legumes-good-or-bad\">legumes<\/a> and nuts had a significantly lower risk of developing heart disease than those following non- plant-based diets. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">Further studies have found that greater consumption of nutritious plant-based foods was linked to a lower risk of breast cancer, aggressive forms of prostate cancer and digestive system cancers including pancreatic, colon and rectal cancers. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">Similarly, several studies have shown that people following this type of healthy plant-based diet had a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes (34% lower risk in one major study) than those following unhealthy non-plant-based diets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">WHY NOT TRY PLANT-BASED INSTEAD?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you start questioning these food norms, it becomes clear that what we\u2019ve been conditioned to accept as normal is, in fact, pretty weird. By choosing to eat vegan, you\u2019re not only opting out of these strange practices, but you\u2019re also making a powerful statement for compassion, sustainability, and health.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"cta section section--primary\">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <div class=\"row\">\n            <div class=\"col-lg-10 offset-lg-1 col-xl-8 offset-xl-2\">\n                <h2 class=\"cta__title\"><\/h2>\n                <div class=\"cta__content\"><\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"cta_icon_grid\">\n                        <div class=\"cta_icon\">\n                            <div class=\"cta_icon_img\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\" alt=\"\"><\/div>\n                            <div class=\"cta_icon_label\"><\/div>\n                            <div class=\"cta_icon_highlight\">                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"cta_icon\">\n                            <div class=\"cta_icon_img\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\" alt=\"\"><\/div>\n                            <div class=\"cta_icon_label\"><\/div>\n                            <div class=\"cta_icon_highlight\">                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"cta_icon\">\n                            <div class=\"cta_icon_img\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\" alt=\"\"><\/div>\n                            <div class=\"cta_icon_label\"><\/div>\n                           <div class=\"cta_icon_highlight\">                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"cta_icon\">\n                            <div class=\"cta_icon_img\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\"  alt=\"\"><\/div>\n                            <div class=\"cta_icon_label\"><\/div>\n                            <div class=\"cta_icon_highlight\">                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                \n\n                <div class=\"cta_promo_btn\">\n                    <a class=\"billboard__btn billboard__btn_cta\" href=\"\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Sign up now\"><\/a>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-252135","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>WEIRD | Veganuary 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Have you ever considered where your food comes from? 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