Vegan Economics - Vegoutt Launch Presentation

Vegan Economics - Vegoutt Launch Presentation | Ecency

This post contains the video of my vegan economics presentation at the Vegoutt Launch.

Vegan Economics is a term I have come up with to describe a different approach to economics that expands beyond our perceptions as human beings but to the perceptions of all sentient beings. Economics is almost entirely focused on the world from the perspective of humans. In many cases it is assumed to essentially be focused around money, materialism, and output efficiency.

What is especially disturbing is how economics is applied to the meat and dairy industries. Let us take a look at the economic concept of efficiency in the context of the meat and dairy industries. Efficiency is about producing the highest quality and quantity in the fastest time and at the lowest cost. This would involve squeezing as many animals as possible in the smallest spaces. Feeding them the lowest quality genetically modified food as possible. Pumping them with hormones so they grow as big and as fast as possible. Killing them in a way that is extremely painful in order to enhance the flavour of their meat.

Work has been done by David Robinson Simon in his book MEATONOMICS to investigate the externalized costs of animal food production. This work included evaluating costs to the environment, health care costs, and costs of subsidizing the meat industry. MEATONOMICS presented these costs as annual costs and in the form of an adjusted price of a Big Mac.

Vegan Economics goes further than MEATONOMICS. Vegan Economics does not just focus on the costs we (humans) have to pay but the costs to animals themselves. These are not monetary costs. These are costs to the animals in terms of loss of life, loss of freedom, and suffering of cruelty. Vegan Economics aims to create a paradigm shift in economics away from seeing the world through the eyes of just humans.

Vegan Economics also takes a look into our own lives in regards to valuing time and material wealth. The concept of valuing time is a key focus of Vegan Economics. What is the quality of our time spent on this plant? What do we need to sacrifice to have this quality? How do animals value things in life and how is that different from humans? All these can be investigated by studying behaviour and preference. Ultimately we can all live better lives, both humans and animals. We can also live in harmony without the need to impose cruelty.

I have just starting writing a book, which will most likely be titled ‘Vegan Economics’ as this book progresses I will be adding more videos explaining the key ideas of chapters and segments of the book.

The video can be watched at the link below: