Why palm oil is bad, but boycotting it even worse
In recent years, the negative effects of palm oil cultivation have regularly been in the news. As palm oil cultivation often includes deforestation and human rights violations, an increasing number of people chooses to buy sustainable palm oil or to boycott palm oil. While this may seem quite logical, this does not contribute to solving […]
The pig industry
In the EU 250 million pigs are killed every year, and 9 million of those are born in the UK. About the same number of pigs are slaughtered in the UK as not many living pigs are exported. Quite a lot of the meat is exported though, namely 300.000.000 tonnes of pork a year. However, […]
Why leather is one of the most polluting and cruel products
How is leather made? Most people know that leather is made from the skin of an animal. However, to become leather, the hide has to go undergo several processes. In slaughterhouses hides are kept seperate and sold to a hide trader. The trader will seperate the big pieces of meat and fat from the hide […]
Animal cruelty in Dutch animal agriculture and why this also concerns people outside the Netherlands
Carnists often defend the consumption of animal products by saying animal agriculture is doing pretty well and isn’t cruel. Cases of animal abuse are considered to be rare occurences. In the Netherlands this argument is often used, as the Dutch agricultural sector is considered to be one of the best in the world, with relatively […]
Is lab-grown meat vegan?
Research into developing lab-grown meat or so-called ‘cultured meat’ has been going on for quite some years now. The first lab-grown burger was developed in 2013 and several other types of lab-grown meat have been successfully made since. It is expected that the price of this type of meat will go down in the coming […]
What is shellac?
Shellac, or E904, is a glazing agent made from the secretion of female lac bugs. After fertilization, the female lac bug finds a spot on a tree and creates a layer of shellac that covers herself entirely. In this cocoon-like place, the lac bug lays her eggs, which will be protected thanks to the shellac. […]