The growth of vegetarianism and veganism in the UK in recent times has primarily been the result of health scares concerning the meat and dairy industries. But it has also been the result of greater awareness of and compassion with the animals used for food and clothing. Most recently, we have seen the rise of environmental concerns and the universal fight against poverty and particularly food scarcity.
Vegetarian and vegan principles can provide solutions to all of these problem areas: those who follow a lifestyle based on such principles can live healthier lives, free from the unethical abuse of animals as sources of food and clothing; they can live in the knowledge that they have a lower carbon footprint and help maximise the use of agricultural land for the production of crops for human consumption rather than to feed cattle.
The vegetarian and vegan movements in the UK are widespread, widely respected and effective in promoting their set targets. However, TOP Society:
- Believes that a new ethical approach is required for politicians to deal with the advancement of technologies, particularly those involving the use, the rearing and slaughter of animals.
- Considers the killing of billions of animals per year for food and clothing as an abomination and abuse of power.
- Believes that the protection of animals from abuse goes hand in hand with the protection of humans and that public argument is too often and incorrectly based on an “either or” approach, advancing either human or animal rights.
- Believes that humans as potential omnivores have a duty to make moral choices when faced with the question of food, medicines, technology, clothing and in virtually every other sphere of life.
- Supports 'forward strategy' to create trends that further vegetarianism and veganism.
- Supports the use and promotion of data to establish the various benefits of a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle on different levels, viz:
- ethical
environmental
economic- the fight against food scarcity
animal rights
public health
- Believes that a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is an easy and cheap way to make the world a better place. Believes that a vegetarian lifestyle is a valid step on the way to veganism.
- Takes guidance from high cultures throughout history, that promoted abstinence from meat and called for or practised the respectful treatment of animals and in particular leaders such as Pythagoras, Ovid, Plutarch, Leonardo da Vinci and Gandhi.
- Believes that a vegetarian and vegan lifestyle is part of the great human movement towards freedom from dependence on abusive practices against fellow man and animals.
- Believes that the instinctive attributes of kindness, love and care for fellow creatures are often repressed human characteristics which must be set free to allow the cultural evolution of humanity.
- Accepts that for many a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle remains an ideal and that compromises are sometimes made, but we insist that we should never lose sight of the fundamental values required by vegetarian and vegan principles.
TOP Society is dedicated to researching and debating all issues relating to vegetarian and vegan principles. It does not represent any particular political party, but provides a forum for those who agree with these guiding principles, or wish to learn more about them.