What’s Veganuary?

Happy 2021! To celebrate the beginning of a new year, it’s common for us to come up with resolutions to go into the next 365 days with a fresh start. Something the FFC team wanted to recommend to everyone is considering going vegan!

Now, I know that the word “vegan” sparks many different reactions in people. Personally, I know a few people off the top of my head that would shoo the thought away. And I get it! It doesn’t suit the omnivorous palates that many of us grew up with. But food is something we as consumers take for granted. There’s so much more to the food industry than what we see at the grocery store.

The animal farming industry is not known to be the most humane industry out there, and regardless of whether or not companies label themselves as “organic” or “high-welfare”, it’s not a secret that animals are separated from their families, many are malnourished, and of course, slaughtered much earlier than their natural lifespan.

A crucial part of the food industry is feeding the livestock. The amount of water it takes to produce one steak is 5000 liters compared to 900 liters for a loaf of bread. As much of the world is interested in keeping the Earth as sustainable as possible, going vegan would be the first step in reducing one’s water footprint. If sustainability is our goal (which it is!), then using the crops to feed livestock to instead feed ourselves is a key way to reduce food waste and your own environmental impact.