VEGANISM

NEWS MEDICAL: A low-fat vegan diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans reduces insulin needs and improves insulin sensitivity and glycemic control in people with type 1 diabetes, according to a first-of-its-kind study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine published in Clinical Diabetes. The study also found that a vegan diet led to improvements in cholesterol levels, kidney function, and weight... In the 12-week study, which is the first randomized clinical trial to look at a vegan diet in people with type 1 diabetes, 58 adults with type 1 diabetes were randomly…

KUNSTMATRIX: Havva Zorlu is a photographer and animal rights activist based in Türkiye. She started taking photographs at a young age with the dream of becoming a photojournalist, and uses photography as a means of expression. She was awarded the We Animals Media Animal Photojournalism Fellowship in 2023. Havva’s Fellowship focus was on her home soil in Türkiye where she documented the dominant systems of animal exploitation, ranging from dairy farming to live animal markets. Havva’s efforts were relentless in documenting animal stories throughout Türkiye. This exhibit offers a glimpse into…

SUPREME MASTER TELEVISION: The Essenes were one of the main religious sects in first century Palestine. Members wore white and followed a vegetarian diet. According to the 4th century church historian, Epiphanius, and Jewish philosopher Philo, the Essenes were Jews who kept all the Jewish observances, but were nonviolent toward all living creatures and considered it unlawful to eat meat or make sacrifices with animals. As a member of this group, Jesus would have to have been a vegetarian, as was His brother James (Jacob) and all His disciples. The main Essene scripture is the Gospel of the…

GO VEGAN WORLD: The new Go Vegan World ‘Spring Lamb’ advert has resulted in some grievances from members of the public who find it upsetting and not suitable for their children. The content of the ad is upsetting because it confronts us with the violent facts of killing and eating other animals. We hide this violence from children in the process of rearing them in a speciesist culture that ensures continued demand for products that profit the animal agriculture business. Are people upset because of the violence inherent in consuming other animals that our ad confronts them with, or are they…

NOAH J. WESCOMBE: Veganism, as both a philosophy and social movement, faces numerous challenges to the communication of its ideas across society. As a unique modern counterculture, it stands in contravention of prevailing anthropological discourses that dominate conceptual frameworks. This has led to difficulty in constructing updated virtue epistemologies that result in veganism as a logical moral conclusion. It is clear that new social discourses need developing, and that this is a primary concern for affirming moral agency... An optimal, up-to-date approach to communicating veganism is…

PIONEER PBS: In 2020, Minneapolis-based PURIS, the largest processor of pea protein in North America, opened a plant in Dawson. For the past year, Pioneer PBS’ public affairs program Compass has been exploring what the growing popularity of plant-based proteins has meant for Dawson. As consumer demand for plant-based alternatives to meat grows, so does the demand for new methods of farming and food production. What impact will it have on the residents of Dawson and the surrounding rural communities? “Minnesota’s Alt-Meat Revolution” will air on Pioneer PBS on Thursday, March 21 at 9…

NAALPO: Ladislav Kuc is a Slovakian animal rights supporter imprisoned in the aftermath of an explosion in front of a McDonald’s on December 28, 2011. There were no injuries as a result of the incident. Actions that cause property damage, and explicitly avoid harming anyone, have been used in non-violent direct actions claimed by the Animal Liberation Front to promote awareness of the suffering of other species. Ladislav was arrested on January 1, 2012. Originally sentenced to 25 years in 2014, in 2016 his case was returned to the district court, the 'terrorism' charges were dropped, and he…

JACOB R. PEACOCK: Animal welfare, environmental, and public health advocates believe plant-based meats present a valuable opportunity to mitigate significant negative externalities of industrial animal agriculture, like animal suffering, greenhouse gas emissions, and antimicrobial resistance... The private and public sectors have taken note as well; in 2022, the “plant-based meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy companies” foods industry attracted at least 1.2 billion in private investment activity and at least 874 million in public funding... This enthusiasm has been propelled in some significant…

ALEXANDRA TREMAYNE-PENGELLY: The Bezos Earth Fund, a philanthropic organization launched by billionaire Jeff Bezos in 2020, is ramping up its commitment to food system transformations with a $60 million investment in alternative protein. The funds will establish the Bezos Centers for Sustainable Protein, a series of research centers focused on boosting the quality and nutritional benefits of sustainable protein products. The initiative also aims to enhance the flavor and texture of alternative meat, in addition to bringing down prices—two challenges alternative meat startups have had to…

REBECCA THRUN: This article uses exemplary analyses of empirical data collected through qualitative interviews with vegans to shed light on how they perceive certain ways of treating animals as violent practices. The analysis in this article focuses on the functions and effects of language, not only in terms of its role in maintaining existing carnivorous structures and practices, but also in terms of dynamic processes and potentials for change. This approach presupposes a notion of structural and symbolic violence. Specifically, this study examines how the vegan research partners perceive,…