It's Time to End Humanity's Largest Act of Violence

No more euphemisms: let's call it what it is.

Drone shots from the award-winning documentary ‘Dominion’.

Many people struggle to understand or accept that the animal agriculture industry is, as George Martin describes it, ‘the largest act of systematic oppression and violence in the history of this planet’. It’s important to recognize that this is not speculation; it is an undeniable fact.

The astronomical scale of destruction

To put things in perspective, I’ve created a diagram that contrasts the death toll of the deadliest armed conflict in history (World War II) with the number of animals killed for human consumption:

For the death toll of World War II, I used high estimates. For the number of animals killed, I applied very conservative estimates (60 million animals every 30 minutes). Some sources suggest the actual number of animals killed for human consumption could be more than twice as high.

Also, I’m comparing the number of lives lost during the six years of World War II with the number of animals slaughtered for human consumption per day. You can imagine how the diagram would look if the numbers were compared for the same time period. That’s right: the figures from World War II, no matter how tragically significant, would be virtually invisible on the chart.

No other form of exploitation, no catastrophe, and no other industry in the world can even remotely compete with the scale of needless suffering and destruction caused by animal agriculture.

It’s not just about the killing. Farmed animals spend their entire lives in confinement. From birth to slaughter, most of them will never feel the sunlight or breathe fresh air. In an industry where up to 99% of animals live on factory farms, they suffer unimaginable cruelty. Every trace of what could make their lives worth living is stolen from them.

Even in terms of geographic spread, animal agriculture is by far the largest act of violence in the world. Systematic exploitation of animals occurs non-stop in every single country across the globe. No other human activity occupies as much space as the livestock industry. Research shows that transitioning to plant-based diets could reduce humanity’s entire land use by an astonishing 73%.

“But you can’t equate animals with humans!”

When confronted with facts like the ones above, some people argue that animal and human suffering shouldn’t be directly compared. I understand and respect that this is a sensitive issue for many. However, I want to be clear that this concern does not weaken my argument in the slightest. Here’s why:

1) We don’t need to equate animals with humans to condemn needless violence

Comparing death tolls, as in the diagram above, is crucial for grasping the immense scale of violence involved. Such comparisons do not imply that human and animal lives must be placed on the same level. It is not necessary to equate the value of human and animal lives to recognize that needless violence, especially on such an astronomical scale, is unjustifiable and wrong. Vegans don’t think animals are more important than humans, we think they are more important than a sandwich, a purse, or a shade of lipstick.

2) There is no basis to believe that animal suffering is any less real or intense than human suffering

Humans are animals. Like humans, farmed animals can experience hunger, boredom, stress, sadness, loneliness, fear, and pain. The capacity to suffer does not depend on intelligence. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that the human capacity to suffer is in any way superior to that of other animals. Given their sharp senses and unique sensitivities, some farmed animals may be capable of suffering even more intensely than humans.

3) The animal agriculture industry harms humans as well

Avoiding unnecessary harm to animals and protecting human well-being are not mutually exclusive — these goals go hand in hand. Animal agriculture presents numerous serious threats to human well-being, including atrocious working conditions, the rise of antibiotic resistance, increased pandemic risk, exacerbation of world hunger, and higher rates of deadly common diseases.

Additionally, the industry’s devastating impacts on climate and environment will also take a heavy toll on human life worldwide if we don’t act swiftly to prevent them. Research shows that adopting a plant-based diet is one of the most effective ways to reduce your environmental impact while also offering a wide range of health benefits.

Conclusion

In the face of rising disinformation from the animal agriculture industry, which hurts us all, we can no longer afford to sugarcoat the truth: Anyone who buys animal products is actively supporting and perpetuating the most extensive act of violence ever committed by humanity — in fact, the largest act of systematic violence the world has ever seen.

We must not shy away from calling it exactly what it is. The scale of suffering and destruction caused by animal agriculture is unmatched, in terms of its global reach, the vastness of the industry’s infrastructure, and the sheer number of violent acts involved.

Let’s also emphasize that this system is avoidable. We have the power to change it. By transitioning to plant-based diets, we can mitigate this violence. It is completely unnecessary to continue supporting such a destructive industry.

Phasing out animal agriculture would not only be an extraordinary act of compassion, but would also bring enormous — and direly needed — benefits for environmental and climate protection, food safety, public health, and even pandemic prevention.

While many are aware of the brutality of animal agriculture, too few grasp just how vast and destructive the industry’s impact truly is. Please help raise awareness. If you or anyone you speak to has doubts about the claims made in this article, I’m happy to respond in the comment section.

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