Meat-eaters online have pointed out that exploitation of farm workers and pest control mean veganism is not cruetly free. Photo / Getty Images
Meat-eaters online have pointed out that exploitation of farm workers and pest control mean veganism is not cruetly free. Photo / Getty Images
People choose to be vegan to oppose the exploitation of and cruelty to animals for food, beauty or clothing.
However, according to the Daily Mail, the lifestyle is not necessarily cruelty-free, despite what many believe.
Meat-eaters debated with those who enjoy a plant-based diet online to point out that workers are often exploited to produce crops favoured by vegans such as quinoa, and that pest control is "essential" for food production worldwide.
It resulted in a furious argument on Tumblr, Reddit and Facebook, with both sides claiming the other is wrong - but who is right?
The debate began on Tumblr when user rosasdesal told her followers that veganism is not "affordable," "cruelty free", or "the best choice for everyone".
The debate became heated with both sides weighing in. Photo / Tumblr
Vegan user caged-freedom shot her down quickly by stating that the lifestyle can be affordable, is cruelty free and everyone should adopt a plant-based diet.
However meat-eaters then proceeded to point out that a vegan lifestyle is often not completely cruelty free due to the exploitation of workers that harvest crops, pest control, and farming methods that accidentally harm animals in the process.
Their points could make you think twice about switching to a vegan diet - but others say that although it's nearly "impossible" to live a cruelty-free life, trying to be more ethical should always be encouraged and rewarded.
Some said that those who claim veganism is cruelty-free ignore the exploitation of farm workers, stating that 500,000 children harvest crops in the US - a claim reported in The Atlantic in 2012.
More than half of farm workers are also undocumented immigrants in the US, according to a report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
One claimed that South Americans were "starving" due to the over-harvesting of quinoa crops.
While perhaps an exaggeration, it's said that many Bolivians can no longer afford their native crop of quinoa due to rising demand in the west, according to The Guardian.
Another user, breelandwalker, shot down the claim that honey is cruel to bees as she states responsible beekeepers don't harm bees - and actually help protect the insects from extinction.
Vegan's also had their say on the matter. Photo / Facebook
However, the Vegan Society says honey isn't vegan-friendly because bees need honey to survive and without it, they die.
Many said it is near impossible to live cruelty-free unless you subside on vegetables you have grown yourself.
But a few said that even though it's hard to live cruelty-free, that doesn't mean you should not try to live ethically at all.
