Questions tagged [commercial-farming]

Both crop raising and animal agriculture as a business, rather than for subsistence

31 questions
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Are commercial figs vegan?

My parents have a fig tree and, apart from the occasional worm or bug that might reside in the fig and then be eaten by us, those figs are vegan and grown with vegan methods (we basically just water the tree). I was reading this article that…
ecc
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What specific ethical concerns are there about the use of sheep's wool?

I am a vegan and I (believe I) understand the main philosophical arguments and stances that lead to the conclusion that we should not use non-human animals or animal products for our own ends. Accordingly I try to avoid using wool, but wool is a…
Zanna
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Which one promotes the most deforestation: raising crops or animal husbandry?

This seems like an argument that often comes up against plant-based diets: "you eat insert plant and it destroys rainforests". Are there any studies on which activity causes more harm to forests?
Ramon Melo
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How does the cost of production of soya milk compare to cow's milk?

Raising a large animal seems, at first glance, like a much less efficient way to produce some kind of 'milk' than merely growing plants and processing them with machines. Yet somehow, where I live at least, soya milk costs more than twice as much as…
13
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Does the production of down typically involve killing or hurting birds?

Down consists of bird feathers. In principle it could be sourced from feathers that birds have lost naturally, so it should not require to kill or hurt any animal. Are down feathers typically harvested in an animal-friendly way, or are they more…
gerrit
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How common is it for the livestock industry to supplement B12?

In debates, the contra side often claims veganism can’t be good because vegans have to supplement B12 (appeal to nature), while the pro side sometimes claims that even carnists supplement B12 indirectly because the animals get B12 supplements. I…
unor
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How effective is farming crops without animal derived fertilizer?

It is sometimes claimed that materials such as manure are important to attain high yields of crops. While I know that it's possible to farm using only vegan materials, e.g. 'veganic' farming, I'm wondering if the effectiveness has ever been…
10
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How can grazing land be converted to contribute to feeding a vegan world?

Currently large areas of the world are devoted to grazing. Many of these areas have historically been deemed incapable of more profitable food production. If there was no longer a market for animal flesh, they would stop adding food value to the…
James Jenkins
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Are there any farms that sell "cruelty-free" eggs (i.e. that don't slaughter older hens)?

Eggs maybe considered vegetarian by many since most eggs are unfertilized and do not result in the death of any animals. However, egg farms are usually not cruelty-free since when hens get too old to hatch eggs, they are slaughtered for meat. Are…
10
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Do laws about organic foods include directives about animal welfare?

Yep, simple and straightforward: do laws about organic foods include directives about animal wellbeing? For example, if a firm that sells eggs wants to sell them as organic does it have to follow any rules about the place where the chickens live?…
9
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1 answer

Why are agricultural subsidies directed primarily towards animal agriculture?

In the US, 63% of agricultural subsidies support meat and dairy production1. I've heard that other countries also direct more money towards animal agriculture than to other agricultural activities. What is the rationale for distributing subsidies…
nloewen
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Are animal pollinated foods vegan friendly?

Some foods (e.g. almonds) are 100% reliant on animals (e.g. bees) for pollination. Are foods that are pollinated by animals regarded as vegan friendly?
Steve
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Would we be overrun by cows and pigs if we stopped slaughtering them?

I've heard often that there are no good arguments against keeping animals to produce food. (see for example this YouTube video What about this argument: We live in a commercial world. If we do not use animals (for food or something else), I doubt…
Mare
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Do commercial chicken's eggs contain B12?

If chickens are fed with only treated grain, where do they obtain vitamin B12 from? Are these eggs a good source of vitamin B12?
8
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How to avoid being part of the slaughter of cockerels on the free-range egg farms?

Most of the eggs that are consumed are infertile. However would eating eggs from certain farms would increase kills of the male chickens (cockerels)? By killing, I mean brutally slaughtered by the use of lethal gas because of their little value.…
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