Chapter Two: The Ethics of Dairy and Eggs: What’s Really Going On?

Let's start by answering this question: Why are we vegan?

Is it because we can learn about the nutrients in plants, fruits, and grains to improve our health? That’s one reason. Or is it to prevent diseases like heart attacks, diabetes, and cancer? Let’s call that a bonus—who wouldn’t want a longer, healthier life? Is it to reduce our carbon footprint and support a sustainable future? Definitely a good reason. But above all, we’re vegan for the animals. We’re not just talking about the cats, dogs, and rabbits we treat as family. We mean the cows, lambs, turkeys, chickens, and calves slaughtered in factories to become meat on our plates—the animals we turn away from in disturbing videos. Since they can't speak, we speak for them. We condemn this system.

We choose not to drink milk or consume dairy products—and here’s why.

Have you ever thought about how milk gets to your household? Probably not—otherwise, you might think twice before doing so. Here’s a brief overview: A heifer is artificially inseminated and gives birth after about 283 days, at which point she becomes a cow. Her calf is taken from her immediately after birth and fed a substitute from machines instead of her milk. The mother cow is milked for about ten months, often with the aid of antibiotics to increase production. The milk is pasteurized, packaged in factories, and put on shelves. After a dry period of around 60 days, the cow is artificially inseminated again. This cycle continues until the cow's productivity declines, and she is sent to slaughter. She never gets to feed or even meet the calves she gives birth to. This raises even more ethical questions about the exploitation of female bodies—a topic we’ll revisit in a later chapter. 

Instead of a scene from Cowspiracy, Earthlings, or Dominion, here’s what choosing to go vegan can look like—enjoying a tasty selection of I Am Nut OK vegan cheeses.

If it’s the taste or memories of milk, cheese, and yogurt you’re craving, don’t worry—you can easily make the switch. In almost any store in big cities, you can now find plant-based replacements for these products: parmesan that even cheese lovers can’t differentiate, oat, soy, pea, or almond milk that makes your lattes creamy, and yogurt that’s perfect for tzatziki. Need some inspiration? Let’s say for cheese specifically? Check out brands like I’m Nut Ok, Kinda Co, La Fauxmagerie, Violife, Sheese, and the vegan versions of popular brands like Philadelphia, Applewood, and Babybel. The list goes on, but for those who wish to avoid packaged items, as we’ll guide you in The Recipe section further on, vegan cheese selections are easy to make at home.

We choose not to eat eggs—and here’s why.

Have you ever wondered why there are so many hens in factory farms and where the roosters are? We’ve thought about it, researched it, and what we learned is the reason we don’t eat eggs. In the egg industry, only female chickens are deemed useful. New technologies identify male chicks while they’re still in the egg and kill them. In the worst-case scenario, they’re killed while still in the egg. More often, they’re killed shortly after hatching—either by having their necks broken or by machines—because they cannot lay eggs. The female chickens, which would naturally lay only ten to fifteen eggs a year, are fed high-protein, nutrient-rich food to make them produce up to 300 eggs annually. If they don’t die from bone disease before being sent to slaughter, they typically perish from it later. And all of this happens just because we’re unwilling to give up the taste of omelets.

A Just Egg omelet.

So, why not give up eggs and discover store-bought items like Just Egg, Oggs, Crackd, or homemade aquafaba? It's an essential vegan ingredient made from the liquid left over after boiling or draining beans, like chickpeas. Depending on the recipe, you can also use applesauce, flax seeds, or even soft tofu as egg substitutes. The vegan world is wide, you just have to encounter and uncover.

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