Now, after years of research and bearing witness to the reality of the animal agriculture industry, I would be utterly shocked to see a person who identifies as peaceful — someone fundamentally opposed to unnecessary violence — willingly pay for the products of such an industry.
I would be shocked, if not for the humbling memory that I, too, spent most of my life eating animals. I remember how easy it was for me to avert my eyes from the horrific, unfathomable suffering taking place in animal confinement facilities and slaughterhouses around the world.
Back then
Even during those years when I consumed animal products, I considered myself a pacifist. I didn’t just try to avoid causing harm where I could; I was explicitly against it. Wars seemed senseless, acts of terrorism unforgivable, and any form of abuse or cruelty an outrageous crime.
Wasn’t there already enough suffering in the world? Why did people feel the need to harm one another, to wage wars, to oppress? Why did so many take out their frustrations and insecurities on others? These questions haunted me, and yet, for so long, I failed to connect the dots between my values and my own choices.
Only later did I realize that amidst all my outward critiques, I was overlooking something immensely important. While I wished for peace in the world and condemned senseless violence, I was actively supporting the largest act of systematic violence in history — every single day, through my consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy.
It was only then that the true meaning of Emma Goldman’s famous words, “Ignorance is the most violent element in society,” struck me. My ignorance had shielded me from seeing how my actions were perpetuating suffering, even as I spoke out against cruelty in other forms.
I realized that outward condemnation alone is not enough to adequately address needless violence in the world. The lasting change we want to see requires a foundation of compassion within ourselves — a commitment to nonviolence as a lived principle, not just a lofty ideal.
To be truly powerful, this commitment must extend beyond human beings to include all creatures capable of suffering. As Leo Tolstoy so profoundly stated: “As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields.” Or, as the saying goes: Peace begins on your plate.
Two Objections you may have:
1 — “But you can’t compare animal agriculture to wars!”
My response:
You can call it whatever you like — war, abuse, exploitation — what matters is not the name, but the undeniable truth: the systematic violence inflicted on billions of sentient beings.
The instruments used in this violence might not be tanks, rockets, or fighter jets, but they are weapons all the same. Guns, gas chambers, rape racks, knives, boiling water, macerators — these tools and killing methods are no less violent because they aren’t used on human targets.
Given the sheer magnitude of the violence, this industry is without a doubt comparable to wars. Every 30 minutes, as many animals are killed for human consumption as people have died in the six years of the Second World War — the deadliest conflict in human history.
Thrown away like trash: hundreds of dead chicks, killed because they weren’t profitable in the egg industry - photo credit: Farm Sanctuary
The number of land animals killed for food every year (~92 billion) is close to the number of humans that have ever lived and died over the course of 192,000 years. The number of sea animals killed each year is estimated to be a staggering 1 trillion to 2.8 trillion. No other form of exploitation, no catastrophe, and no industry in the world can even remotely compete with these numbers.
2 — "But we don’t breed animals for the sake of destruction; we do it to produce food and other products."
My response:
From the perspective of the innocent victims, the motivation behind their exploitation is completely irrelevant. This is what should matter for anyone genuinely interested in compassion and nonviolence.
In an industry where 99% of farmed animals live on factory farms, the experience of most victims is the same. They endure crushing oppression, cold indifference, and merciless violence. Our species robs them of everything that could make their lives worth living.
Most of them suffer lives so horrific that they would make the worst prisons seem like luxury accommodations. Their only crime? Being born into a world that reduces them to commodities, dominated by a species that values profit over life.
None of this is necessary
What’s particularly shocking about animal exploitation is not just the immeasurable cruelty — but also the fact that it is entirely unnecessary. Science has long confirmed that we can live healthy, fulfilling lives without animal products. In fact, studies show that plant-based diets are cheaper and bring a vast array of health benefits.
Bottom line
If you care about peace, compassion, and the rejection of unnecessary violence, choosing to live vegan is not an act of generosity — it’s the natural outcome of honoring your own values.
By choosing this path, you’re doing yourself a huge favor. To quote Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton: “Every person I know who went vegan says it’s the best decision they ever made.”
Choosing veganism isn’t about perfection, nor is it a sacrifice. It’s a tangible way to align your values with your actions, to withdraw your support from systems of harm, and to make a stand for a kinder, more compassionate world. Isn’t that what peace is all about?
If you found this article meaningful, please share it with others who value nonviolence — and kindly ask them for their thoughts.
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It's so heartbreaking. I think most people do it because they just cannot imagine a different way. It's "how it's always been" and in their minds, nothing else is possible. Alternatively, they hide behind "humane meat" labels that are just marketing schemes and console themselves with the notion that they are doing their best.
The killing of just hatched chicks is contempt for the miracle of life. I feel that consuming animals fills one with the violence suffered by those animals. Humans release that violence on each other and every other life form.
It's so heartbreaking. I think most people do it because they just cannot imagine a different way. It's "how it's always been" and in their minds, nothing else is possible. Alternatively, they hide behind "humane meat" labels that are just marketing schemes and console themselves with the notion that they are doing their best.
The killing of just hatched chicks is contempt for the miracle of life. I feel that consuming animals fills one with the violence suffered by those animals. Humans release that violence on each other and every other life form.