Question 1

To eat or not to eat animal products — this is a personal choice

Accepted Answer

A choice cannot be personal when there is a victim involved. In this case, it is the animal who pays for that choice with their own life.Industrial animal farming has global consequences. These include climate change, environmental pollution, and antibiotic‑resistant bacteria (70–80% of all antibiotics are used in animal agriculture), along with many other impacts that affect everyone. The evidence of the harmful effects of meat and other animal‑based products on the planet is undeniable. By making your choice, you directly influence the well‑being of those around you — not to mention the animals, who are the direct victims of that choice.

Question 2

Animals are specifically bred for meat

Accepted Answer

The issue is not how these animals ended up on farms, but whether what happens to them there is ethical. It’s no secret that animals feel pain, fear, and stress, avoid danger, and do not want to die.The mere fact of breeding cannot serve as a moral justification for causing these animals pain and suffering. Many inhumane and cruel practices in the world exist simply because someone created the conditions for them. For example, human trafficking happens because someone kidnapped those people; drug trafficking exists because someone produced the drugs; and in some Asian countries, dogs are eaten because they are specifically bred for that purpose.Actions should be judged by their nature and consequences. When it comes to consuming animal‑based products, there are victims who suffer on farms and in other places of exploitation. And if we have the ability to avoid cruelty — and we do — then we should refuse to participate in it.

Question 3

It’s enough to simply reduce the consumption of animal‑based products

Accepted Answer

Would you apply the same logic to another form of injustice? For example, to disrespect women less, or to be racist only once a week? It’s the same with non‑vegan products: no matter how much of them you consume, animals suffer for them. Even for a small piece, some animal suffered, felt pain, and was killed. For that animal, it doesn’t matter how often you consume animal‑based products.

Question 4

People are more intellectually developed than animals

Accepted Answer

But some people are more intellectually developed than other people — does that mean those who are less intelligent should be treated differently? There are people whose health conditions limit their cognitive abilities, and there are elderly people whose mental capacities decline due to age. Should we strip them of their rights and do whatever we want with them? If the answer is “no,” then the intelligence argument is not valid. Intelligence should not serve as a criterion for the moral value of a life or the rights of a living, sentient being.

Question 5

People have always eaten animals / our ancestors ate meat

Accepted Answer

That’s true. But people have also killed and assaulted one another, women did not have equal rights with men, and people with skin colors different from white were oppressed or enslaved.Should we continue living this way just because we have done it “always”? Society could never progress if we relied solely on past practices and never questioned our decisions and actions.

Question 6

Animals eat other animals

Accepted Answer

Not all animals eat other animals — it would be more accurate to say “some animals eat other animals.” They do this to survive, and if they stopped, they would simply die. We, however, have the ability to be healthy and happy without killing other animals.Lions, for example, not only eat other animals but also kill cubs and force themselves on lionesses — should we copy these behaviors in our own lives and justify them in our society?It’s interesting that we choose just one characteristic of a lion and apply it to ourselves, while in every other aspect we live completely differently from nature: we drive cars, fly in airplanes, use iPhones, sewage systems, electricity, and so on.We, humans, have moral institutions; we understand what is right and wrong, and we can make decisions accordingly.

Question 7

Plants feel pain

Accepted Answer

The response to this argument has two parts. First, plants do not feel pain because they lack a central nervous system and a brain. Plants can react to external stimuli, but they are not capable of feeling or suffering. Even from an evolutionary perspective, the sensation of pain plays an important role in survival — it serves as a danger signal that allows mammals to react quickly and avoid harm. For plants, there is no evolutionary reason to feel pain, because they cannot move or escape.Second, even if we assume (for the sake of discussion) that plants do feel pain, we should still be vegan, because only by following this diet would we “kill” fewer plants. The animals whose meat and products we consume also eat plants — and they eat dozens of times more than we would eat directly.Moreover, to grow feed for animals and allocate land for pastures and farms, the animal agriculture industry cuts down forests and destroys wildlife, which leads to the death of both plants and animals.If everyone became vegan, the land used for agriculture could be reduced at least fivefold.

Question 8

I buy “homemade” milk and eggs from villagers / in rural areas animals aren’t treated that way

Accepted Answer

Even in a small rural household, for a cow to produce milk she must be impregnated (because a cow is a mammal and produces milk ONLY to feed her calf).Usually this is done by a veterinarian who comes and performs the insemination manually. The semen is collected and stored separately — a rather disturbing procedure, during which it is obtained from a bull.When the calf is taken away from the cow, it causes her severe stress, because she is being separated from her baby (and there is no difference between a human maternal instinct and the same instinct in a cow). After being separated from her calf, a cow may cry for days or even weeks.If a female calf is born, she may be kept and later become a dairy cow herself.After giving birth, a cow can produce milk for about 10 months (sometimes a year), but then the milk supply decreases, and the insemination procedure must be repeated. The cycle repeats every 1–1.5 years: artificial insemination, birth of a calf, the calf being sent to slaughter, until the cow herself becomes “unproductive” and is also killed for meat.The issue is not whether the cow is treated “nicely,” but the fact that she is used as a resource at all — and that this is considered normal as long as it’s done “kindly” or “with love.”Treating animals as resources is the core problem, even on small rural farms.The situation with “homemade” eggs is similar. Hens are killed when they stop laying enough eggs. And the birds themselves come from the same places as industrial laying hens — from hatcheries where male chicks are killed. This video explains the problem of homemade eggs very well.

Question 9

Humans are at the top of the food chain

Accepted Answer

The food chain is a system of relationships between living organisms that maintains ecosystems and stable population sizes in nature. A food chain exists within a closed ecosystem, where all species interact with one another and remain in balance.But what does the animal agriculture industry have to do with a food chain?When we artificially inseminate animals, breed them on an enormous scale, exploit them, and kill them — all of which has harmful consequences for the environment, including the destruction of wildlife habitats, deforestation, and the pollution of oceans, the atmosphere, and soil — this has nothing to do with a natural food chain.What we do to animals has no connection to the food chain whatsoever.

Question 10

Animals are also killed for plant‑based foods; vegans are just hypocrites

Accepted Answer

It’s true that during crop harvesting, animals (birds, mice, snakes) often die if they happen to be in the field at that moment. This happens indirectly, whereas in animal agriculture billions of animals are killed deliberately.But even if we compare the numbers, a vegan diet is still far less harmful to animals. This table compares how many animals are killed to produce 1 million calories across 8 different food types.

Question 11

The main thing is to kill animals “humanely”

Accepted Answer

How can you humanely kill someone who does not want to die? Animals have the same desire to live as we do; in slaughterhouses they scream, struggle, and there are countless cases of animals trying to escape. The practices considered “the most humane” include cutting their throats, stunning them with a blow to the head, or gassing them. There is nothing humane about slaughter.Imagine yourself in their place: if someone wanted to kill you, would you say the main thing is that they do it humanely? Would you not fight for your life, condemn the act, and try to stop it? Animals feel pain, stress, and fear just like we do.We can also recall the Yulin dog meat festival, where thousands of dogs are killed every year. When protests take place around the world demanding a ban on this event, no one ever calls for the dogs to be killed “humanely.”

Question 12

There are more important problems in the world than animals; focus on human rights

Accepted Answer

There are indeed many tragedies, wars, suffering, and injustices in our world. But we cannot influence all of them. By sheer willpower alone, we cannot stop russia’s war against Ukraine or solve world hunger — but we can choose not to support the exploitation of animals.And this is not about dropping everything to fight for animal rights. Veganism is a passive action. You can be vegan and still work for human rights, help those in need, volunteer in different organizations, and support people in countless ways.Moreover, veganism doesn’t only help animals. The production of animal‑based products harms the environment, consumes enormous amounts of resources, pollutes water, emits greenhouse gases, and accelerates climate change — all of which directly affect human lives and health.Animal agriculture also contributes to antibiotic resistance, which affects us as well (antibiotics simply stop working). And a very relevant issue today is zoonotic diseases — our treatment of wild and domesticated animals is directly responsible for their emergence.On top of all this, we should consider the people who are forced to work on farms, slaughter animals, and perform other practices that severely affect their psychological well‑being. Let’s be honest: none of us dreamed as children of growing up to kill animals all day long. Slaughterhouse workers suffer from numerous disorders, including post‑traumatic stress disorder.

Question 13

Why honey is not vegan / beekeepers take care of their bees

Accepted Answer

Bee colonies were originally taken from the wild and forcibly relocated into artificial hives. Bees naturally swarm (divide the colony and form new families), and to prevent this, beekeepers often clip the queen’s wings. Queens are also frequently killed and replaced with more “productive” ones.To collect honey, farmers smoke the bees, which causes them severe stress. For bees, smoke signals a fire, and in this state they are unable to sting.The honey in the hive is usually partially or completely replaced with sugar syrup, which leads to various diseases and shortens the bees’ lifespan.If you know a small local apiary that doesn’t use some of these practices, that doesn’t mean all other apiaries in the world are the same. It’s important to note that honey sold in supermarkets comes from industrial beekeeping operations.Bees make honey exclusively for themselves and for their colony. It is their food.

Question 14

Why vegetarianism isn’t enough?

Accepted Answer

We recommend watching the following video by Ed Winters.TW: sensitive contentWhy aren't vegans just vegetarian?

Question 15

Why do vegans eat foods that imitate animal products?

Accepted Answer

First, most vegans didn’t grow up eating a plant‑based diet — they were raised on animal products. Since our taste preferences are formed in childhood, the taste of meat, seafood, milk, or cheese may remain familiar or even comforting. So one reason for eating plant‑based alternatives is simply enjoying the taste.Second, these products help people transition from a “traditional” diet to veganism. When someone is just getting used to new flavors and changing their eating habits, alternatives make the process easier.Third, plant‑based substitutes can be a good source of protein and certain vitamins, and they make meals more filling.Fourth, many “traditional” dishes that are culturally important — especially for holidays — can be recreated using plant‑based alternatives. So for some people, the motivation is cultural.Photo: Vegan shakshuka following the recipe by the blogger Vegan Hruchevo

Question 16

How to help birds survive the winter

Accepted Answer

Hang a bird feeder near your home. Once the temperatures drop, you’ll need to refill it regularly with proper bird food and keep it clean.Here’s what birds enjoy: raw seeds, millet, nuts, peanuts, oats, grated vegetables and fruits.❗️Bread must never be given to birds.

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Frequently asked questions

To eat or not to eat animal products — this is a personal choice

Animals are specifically bred for meat

It’s enough to simply reduce the consumption of animal‑based products

People are more intellectually developed than animals

People have always eaten animals / our ancestors ate meat

Animals eat other animals

Plants feel pain

I buy “homemade” milk and eggs from villagers / in rural areas animals aren’t treated that way

Humans are at the top of the food chain

Animals are also killed for plant‑based foods; vegans are just hypocrites

The main thing is to kill animals “humanely”

There are more important problems in the world than animals; focus on human rights

Why honey is not vegan / beekeepers take care of their bees

Why vegetarianism isn’t enough?

Why do vegans eat foods that imitate animal products?

How to help birds survive the winter