Vegan Consumption Guide

Here is another article that reduces veganism to consumption (!)

We started to learn veganism after vegetarianism. The worry that vegans could die due to lack of protein seems to decrease to some extent; questions like "don't you even eat honey?" are heard less often.

Even shampoos that are produced without abusing animals can be found now. Consumption has gotten easier to some extent for vegans.

Let me note first: This article serving as a guideline wasn't written to affirm consumption. The purpose is neither to determine rules for veganism, nor to form a list to promote consumption. The intention is to seek a temporary solution.

For instance, it's not possible to support concentration camps built to "clean up" the streets from animals, we are of the same opinion here. Still, aside from the struggle to extinguish those buildings, we might find ourselves considering medical condition of the animals, monitoring the conditions of the camps, doing the best within given circumstances.

I believe veganism means something different than eating vegan lahmacun (Turkish pizza), wearing leather-like shoes which are not made of leather, washing our hands with abuse-free soaps. That is why veganism should be seen as a political mindset rather than a consumption habit.

While seeking vegan solutions, we should give up talking or worrying about freedom of animals. I guess a legal warning is needed here: Veganism is a political movement being vegan makes you an activist.

A solution regarding consumption is suggested by Güray Tezcan from Yeryüzüne Özgürlük (Freedom to Earth): "List of steps we can take range from stop shopping from big markets or shops to weigh on barter bazaars and projects in which free food is distributed, hitchhiking, cycling rather than cars/buses, walking and if possible shift to a boss-free system in which we produce our stuff/food."

Foods and drinks

I guess this is the most ambivalent matter. If we predicate on İstanbul, there are three places, two of them are in Yeldeğirmeni and one in Tophane, whose every products are vegan.

The reason why this matter is so tricky is that it is possible to find vegan options in kebab shops too; what is worse is that vegan nutrition is becoming a new market. The most concrete example is the establishments in Kadıköy. The establishments, which discovered the vegan population that are employed, have to spend their time outside or cannot find time to cook home, have added one or two vegan options on their menu -I believe more expensive than they should-. When vegans eat outside, they have to sit at restaurants where people eat animal next to their tables.

On one hand this situation is important in terms of the word "vegan" being heard. While we keep in mind that it is an encouragement for more people to sustain their lives without abusing animals, it should also be noted that veganism faces the danger of being exploited for more profit. For this reason, the vegan options, which are put on menu by establishments with the approach "they will eat it anyway", should be the last choices. You may find the places selling vegan food via Happycow.

Dr. Colin Campbell, who makes research focusing on health side of vegan nutrition, is a useful figure for people who seek scientific base on this subject. People interested in the subject may benefit from his influential book "The China Study".

Clothing

I find it surprising to see prominent sensitivities when it comes to talk about clothes. I would like to exemplify it via magazine: In a season of a style competition lasting for four months on TV, a competitor named Sinem had cried upon seeing a fur on some other competitor. After that, "fur sensitivity" become prominent. Upon heavy criticisms from competitors and jury members, it was decided to not wear "real" fur on podium.

Following these incidents, in the show praise on "real" fur and silk continued, and suggestions to wear woolly jumper took place.

Even though it is possible to avoid human abuse by staying away from leather, wool, silk or feather, the situation is a bit different for shoes. Even if you don't wear a leather shoe, in the glue of the material it is possible to find animal product. In this subject, guide website is Vegankicks.

What to do regarding vegan clothing is in fact quite easy: checking the tag. Those produced by cotton, linen, polyester, polyamide, acrylic, polyurethane are vegan. They are sold in much more affordable prices tha leather, fur, wool, silk made ones. A personal advise: if you prefer shopping at Beyoğlu İş Hanı or Terkos Pasajı, there is a higher chance to find vegan products.

Personal care and cosmetics

Despite there isn't much animal ingredient in the consumption materials of this group, it's not vegan as they are tested on animals. There are many certificates to understand whether a certain product is tested on animals.

What should be reminded is that a product's final phase not tested on animals may not mean it is "cruelty free". It is hard to be sure if any raw material used in the product was tested on animals or not despite the laws prohibiting to test the last phase of the product. Because a company might be working with a lot of raw materials while producing it. Besides, even if a company ensures it, there are some laws in countries such as China that necessitate animal testing.

Certificates and logos are important but they might be misleading as well. Most trustworthy certificates and logos are Buav, PETA and CCF.

The more important point is while you see these logos on a product range of a brand, you may not see it on the others; however it doesn't entail that some products of this brand are tested on animals but not the others. These certificates involve all product ranges of the brand.

Cleaning products

You may have difficulty in making a cleaning product by yourself but when the matter is hygiene, you may make them home with regard to your health though you are not a vegan.

Make-yourself websites for cleaning products are quite popular. Apart from these products you may find personal care products such as tooth paste, skin cream, shower gel, and shampoo.

Other than things aforementioned, avoiding circuses, dolphin parks, and pet shops should be kept in mind too.

Veganism is not a matter of neither a diet nor about liking animals. This movement is about defending liberties.

Liberty means the same for all, go vegan! (AE/NV/TK)

Note: This list was prepared completely with my limited knowledge, for your corrections and suggestions:
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Click here to read the article in Turkish