All of the recent squabbling in the vegan community over the Impossible Burger has me upset.
The definition of veganism is to exclude—as much as possible—the exploitation and cruelty of animals from our lifestyles. Ultimately, our goal is to change paradigms and shift public opinion, in order eliminate the use of animals in products, and make sure we have a sustainable planet to live on, right.
Climate change is finally accepted as a real threat. With mainstream media and science both pushing for a plant-based diet, there has been a change in the availability for vegan goods. The access to vegan options is increasing, and even large restaurant chain are offering plant-based alternatives. Better yet, it’s likely this will continue.
Yet, in the midst of the change we’ve wanted for decades, here we are bickering about a burger patty. Shouldn’t we be ecstatic, hopeful, energized? I realize the Impossible Burger isn’t perfect, but the Impossible Burger isn’t for us—it’s for the broad carnist community. Omnivores want to change, and the Impossible Burger gets them on the bandwagon. Our upstanding vegan principles don’t hold much weight here. We must learn to be flexible.
We’ve always known the change would be slow. Why would we want to present ourselves as screaming angry vegans when society is changing in favor of animal welfare?
The bottom line is, we are only as good as society at large. While you might be ten steps ahead of the rest as a level 5000 wizard vegan, regressing ten steps back to meet society where it is and indulging in the Impossible Burger if you so wish, isn’t moving our cause backward. We all have to move forward together.
If you want to hear more from Lexi Miller, follow them on Instagram @humanbean.
