veganism: on the one hand, veganism saves animals and reduces carbon dioxide emissions, global warming etc...but i read on wikipedia that Steven Davis, Professor of animal science at Oregon State University argues that more wild animals die of crop production than in ruminent pasture farming. Apparently if all of the crop lands in the US were used for vegan crops, it is estimated that around 1.8 billion animals would be killed annually. What do you think of this? is it still better to be vegan? I'm seriously considering becoming one myself. What are your opinions on veganism and eating meat/other animal products? is there any way to stop all these animals from being killed in crop farming?|||so, Steven Davis is prof of animal science. Do you think he might be a tad biased about this ? It needs far more land to rear animals than crops. I should know, i own a farm. Living a vegetarian or vegan diet certainly kills less animals than eating meat. The animals that die in arable farming are by accident, this is a totally different moral position to rearing animals specifically just to eat them. Go ahead, have confidence in your belief and go vegan edit: I love the answers that say "we were meant to eat meat"...ha, ha, how selective is that ?? We were meant to run for 20 miles after our prey and spear it with blades fashioned from flint as well.....didn't see you quote that as you go around the supermarket buying all that battery meat. The male human body was "meant" to impregnate as many girls as soon as they go through pubity to ensure the genes carry on...Does that sound right to you in the 21Century ? how bizarre the "we were meant to do this and that" arguement is. Stop hiding behind it. If you have no moral stance on rearing, abusing, torturing and killing animals, just say so, don't try to blame it on some mis-guided pre-evolution view of what we are "meant to be" So if we were "meant to eat meat" based on some pre-evolution. Are you now saying that vegetarians and vegans are the only people to have evolved ?...Maybe, thanks for pointing that out|||I'm not sure how they came to that conclusion about 1.8 billion animals being killed for crops in the US. The amount of land currently used for raising animals in the US is astronomical already, so if there were no animals, we could just use that land! :-) If you're serious about going vegan, I wouldn't let daft statistics like that put you off. After all, that would only apply if the whole of the US went vegan, and lets face it...it's never ever going to happen! Read some vegan books to help you make your decision (vegan freak is good). That might help you get everything straight in your head and enable you to make a decision that you'll stick to.|||The whole food producing structure needs to be turned on its head. The industrial revolution removed man from the production of his own food. At a time when the focus was on ndustry, we as a populous went head first into something we didn't fully understand - mass production of food. We believed the system was working, and it was, until the population became so grand and concentrated in the cities that agriculture needed some quick answers to the food problems. GMO's and hormones, and steroids provided the quick answers to the problems we faced. Now, we are reeling becuase of the unresearched use of procedures to produce food. We can still move forward (or backward), to an organic based agricultural system. Organically grown products would help cut back on the slaughter of small animals who chose to live in crop fields. But we also need to reconsider the methods of farming. Perhaps it is time to overhaul the tractors and tools we use in farming. We can't just give up, we shouldn't just accept that which is being shoved down our throats. Question every act you make, and after you find answers, be happy to make that move.|||First and foremost, we were meant to eat meat. That is why we have pointy teeth, as well as flat ones. With that said, after watching "Fast Food Nation", my family has changed our habits considerably. We only buy meat and dairy products that either come from family farms, or are handled in a kosher manner. The milk products, beef, and chicken that I buy do not contain anti-biotics or hormones. I buy only free range chicken eggs. Needless to say, we have cut back on our consumption, which is better for us, because this type of "green" living can be expensive. But, the animals that provide us with our meals are treated in a more humane manner.|||The fact that you choose not to eat meat, should not be based solely on saving animals. As you can see they will be killled no matter what. If the world decides t become vegan, then there would be no need for animals, we would graze on our own grass! Do what feels right to you! Remember it's your body, it's your mind, and only you can make that decision.|||another point is if everybody in the world was vegan there would be enough food for a long time with the world eating meat people are starving and lots of the meat eaten in the us isnt from the us and most animals in medcs arent in fields they are in factory farms an ss4 is wrong animals that eat emat like a cat have ALL very sharp canines we dont we have molar to eat veg and we have a appendix like hebivores do|||There's always vegetarianism... don't forget that!|||vegan ALL the way animals are my life and i refuse to eat them!|||Seeing as this Steven Davis is a Professor of Animal science and therefore has a vested interest in livestock farming I'd say he was more than a little biased!|||If you have the time to educate yourself about the foods absolutely necessary for you to maintain good health as a Vegan go ahead If the entire planet became vegans - we would have to cull the overpopulation of animals as they would damage and eat the crops when left to bread. Also there would have to be an animal clean up service to clear away the dead or diseased animals that would have multiplied on the planet. With global warming there soon will not be enough water to grow the crops. Vegetables hurt too! Research David Attenborough's secret life of plants (not only they talk to each other, they do try to protect themselves against destruction by producing poisons) A plant will scream if you cut off a stem, it will also purr if you play pleasing music. But hey we all have to eat - even the birds eat the insects and the slugs and snails just love the juicy green veg.|||26 billion animals die each year for meat,dairy and eggs.Does that answer your question? edit:Don't forget the animals killed in crop production for all of the grain-fed animals.And all of the animals killed for leather,suede,etc(40 million annually). And all of the animals killed in animal testing(20 million annually).|||veganism is about causing as little harm to animals as possible. its impossible to be 100% vegan, even tarmac and tyres contain animal products. im not going to start hovering everywhere! i hate when people use that arguement against vegans... because its still a hell of a lot less animals than killed by an omnivorous diet and seems to imply that non-vegans dont eat grains or soy which unless youre a lion or something you do!|||My advice is this: do whatever you want, that's your right.........but after you make your choice DO NOT TRY TO CONVERT THE REST OF US TO YOUR LIFESTYLE! You wanna be a vegan? Great! Fantastic! Go for it! Just dont EVER tell me to stop eating meat. Im a meat eater and I would NEVER tell you not to be a vegetarian or vegan..... Make the choice for yourself and only yourself.|||One person that chooses not to eat meat isn't going to effect the lives of animals. We have so many meat eaters in the US its really pointless. I mean the reason why you should become a vegan is for the health benefits. Not saving animals. Butchering animals or eating carrots. Either way animals are going to be killed. Choose it for health.|||Veganism should be adopted only for health reasons. We have canines and incisors for a reason.