What a shame. You were so close to making a good point, Brett, but the truth is it takes a lot more land to grow feed for farmed animals, which makes meat consumption one of the biggest drivers of habitat loss and deforestation, including of the Amazon. And that means wild animals are driven out or killed.
By eating vegan, we significantly reduce the amount of land needed, so around 75 per cent of the current farmland could be returned to nature, helping the climate, and reversing the serious decline in the insects and small mammals you are so concerned about, as well as birds, bats, fish and large mammals.
And while we have your attention, we should probably say that vegans know better than most that there is no perfect world, and that food production, particularly in the modern world, involves animal casualties. It saddens us but makes us even more determined to do all we can to prevent and reduce suffering, and the biggest effect we can have is when we end the deliberate exploitation, caging, mutilation, gassing and throat-slitting of farmed animals. The fact that this also spares wild animals and helps their populations thrive makes the vegan diet a double whammy of kindness to animals.
So, thank you for stopping by. We are giving you our Dog Loves A Trier badge, but if you don’t mind, the grownups would like to talk now.
