As we’ve spent the last few weeks talking about some legislative measures that have the aim to greatly hinder the animal agriculture industry, we received an email asking what responsibility the vegan activists bear for potentially harming the mental health of farmers (specifically those exploiting animals). Whether it is targeted harassment campaigns, the looming threat of their industry shrinking, or smaller farms constantly being consolidated into industry giants, there is certainly plenty that could cause distress and mental anguish. We’ll ask if this is really a problem or merely disingenuous claims meant to turn public favor against vegans. If it IS a problem, what responsibility do we bear to mitigate it? 

A transcript of this episode will be available here on October 13th.

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Episodes referenced:

Interview with lauren Ornelas of Food Empowerment Project

Are Your Taxes Cancelling Your Veganism? w/ Connie Spend and Laura Reece of Agriculture Fairness Alliance. 

The Links:

Donate to Donate to Lilith Fund

2017 Census Of Agriculture

How a simple CDC error inflated the farmer suicide crisis story—and led to a rash of inaccurate reporting (The Counter, 2018)

USDA statistics

Coalition of Immockalee Workers

Factory Farm Workers – Food Empowerment Project

Prevalence of serious psychological distress among slaughterhouse workers at a United States beef packing plant (National Library of Medicine)

Key Risk Factors Affecting Farmers’ Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Online abuse and farm protests: the vegans impacting on farmers’ mental health

Veganism row breaks out after Joaquin Phoenix is told: be kinder to farmers (Guardian Feb 2020)

Put veganism into perspective (NFU March 2019)

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