While veganism has been on the rise for many years, it has recently been promoted as the most sustainable diet for one’s health and for the environment. There is little debate that a vegan diet is the most environmentally sound, as it does have a lower carbon footprint than a diet with meat and dairy products, but there are a number of issues with the accessibility and affordability of a plant-based diet. 

The culture of veganism is largely one that is centered in predominantly white communities. There are a number of different factors that contribute to this,  but two of the main issues are cost and accessibility. Lack of access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food is often the largest obstacle that continuously maintains sustainable and healthy diets as an environmental justice issue. 

Often, this lack of access occurs in food deserts, which are communities that do not have convenient access to affordable and healthy options [1]. Food deserts are usually located in low-income and primarily Black and Brown communities; this fact alone creates notable inequalities to the accessibility of veganism. Over 2.2% of households in the United States (2.3 million) live more than a mile away from a major grocery store and lack access to a vehicle [3]. An additional 3.4 million households live between one half and one mile from the nearest major grocery store, and many lack access to a reliable vehicle or other transportation. This alone is just a glimpse into the harsh reality of food insecurity and lack of affordability that many Americans are faced with each day.

Eating a plant-based diet in the most fiscally efficient and economical way generally means cooking with as many whole foods as possible; something that requires sufficient time, a luxury which many people do not have due to work, school, and familial responsibilities.  Otherwise, eating vegan in the era of convenience culture and grab-and-go means spending significantly more money on prepared food which, as previously mentioned, is simply not a reality for many people. 

Moreover, the culture of veganism can seem very aggressively exclusive, with activists often using all-or-nothing tactics to coerce and pressure people into forcing something that may be financially or physically challenging for them. This is often played out and expressed by using the ideology that one cannot be an animal activist or environmentalist unless they perform “perfect” veganism, which would mean consuming and using zero animal products. However, this full-blown vegan diet simply is not accessible to many people as discussed previously. This culture, however, only perpetuates the lack of inclusivity and sense of eliteness, subconsciously feeding directly into white supremacy. 

This does not have to be the case. By working to reform the culture of veganism, and taking critical action to proactively address, acknowledge and solve the barriers upholding the racism and exclusivity that are rampant in veganism, eating plant-based can finally be a tool to increase sustainability in both human health and the environment. In the most tangible and transparent way, this means increased access to fresh and affordable foods all over, but specifically in food deserts, as well as the creation of more community and mutual aid-based urban farms where people and their individualized health are valued over profit. With the implementation of new resources such as these, there is the potential to bring increased awareness to both human health and environmental sustainability through education surrounding nutrition and sustainable farming practices.

Written by Esme Schornstein

References:

1. Ann, F. (2020, January 03). Going Vegan Isn't An Option For Everyone. Retrieved December 12, 2020, from https://medium.com/an-injustice/going-vegan-isnt-an-option-for-everyone-53ad0069136f

2. Oladipo, G. (2017, October 26). Decolonizing Veganism to Make it More Accessible and Less Racist. Retrieved December 12, 2020, from https://wearyourvoicemag.com/white-vegans-accessibility-poc/

3. USDA. (2009, June). Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food: Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences. Retrieved December 11, 2020, from https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/42711/12716_ap036_1_.pdf?v=41055