Member of the same family as poison sumac and poison ivy
Harvesting is often exploitative, even done by child labor and forced labor camps
Smaller footprint than other nuts (good thing) 5x less water intensive than almonds
"Like sending bees to war." Pesticides, parasites, and other hazards, combined with the huge market for almonds, means it has an especially large impact on swarms used for commercial work
Please forgive me, for my emotional well-being today, I cannot bring myself to source this. I urge you to do your own research. (On all of this, but I can't give you a leg up on this on
Agave harvesting is bad for bats (and humans)
Harvesting is done before bats have a chance to feed
Fantastic plant with many uses that is financially and culturally important where it is grown, making sustainable farming really beneficial both environmentally and for humans, who matter ⬆️
Commercial farming for tequila renders plants sterile, land that formerly held agave that nourished the local wildlife now contributes almost nothing ⬆️
Large companies buy up land, driving prices up and squeezing out local farmers and straining communities that formerly relief on more sustainable practices. This is not the most helpful source, but I'm getting a little stressed rn.
Harvesting is difficult and risky because of the spines, dangerous tools, irritating sap, and field conditions like rough terrain ⬆️
Commercial harvesting is bad for working bees too, but fuck me if I can find the link
There are many varieties with varying impact, but these things are generally true:
Primarily petroleum based leathers or leathers that incorporate petroleum products are harmful because petroleum products are harmful. These are not the future of vegan leather and vegans SHOULD oppose them. They're terrible.
Reality check: Ongoing research into non-animal leather alternatives is promising!
What vegan leather is easily available to buy is generally not as durable as animal leather, and needs more frequent replacing, which is costly financially and environmentally
Real high quality animal leather can last a long time if cared for properly
Reality check: animal leather isn't environmentally great, either
Animal hide tanning involves pollutants that are bad for humans, communities, and the environment. Vegetable tanned leather is better than chrome tanned, so check what you buy
Reality check: while much animal leather does come from animals raised primarily for meat, that is not universally true; some animals are farmed primarily for their skin, like gators or even calves. Animal hides add a meaningful amount to the profit margin for animal farming. Animal leather in general is not a true waste material, the animal was not "already dead/going to die", the value of its hide absolutely went into the math of the value of that animal's life.
Reality check: "real leather" may mean technically there is leather but it is backed or surfaced with plastic.
Reality check: bio-based vegan leather uses plant byproducts; these can probably be improved to yield an affordable product that is less polluting to produce; IMO vegan bio-leather is probably going to wind up being a much more ethical product all around once we get the hang of it and we should be happy about advances that get us closer to that.
Reality check: secondhand animal leather is IMO the best alternative to both animal and non-animal leather available to most people. Hard-wearing, requires no new harm as it already exists, costs less in general, keeps items out of the landfill for longer while remaining biodegradable.
Using neither kind of leather and opting for other textiles is maybe what we should be doing? But then you get into the clothing industry and fiber farming and that's miserable.
Ultimate reality check for everyone:
Corporate greed, industrial farming and manufacturing's indifference to human and animal suffering and indifference to environmental harm, all for profit, is the villain in all of this. Because of cost-cutting at the expense of living things and our world, products that cause harm are currently cheaper than alternatives that do not.
The vast majority of us cannot, under the current system, financially afford to make many ethical choices. All we can do is try, even if that means choosing only one area to focus on. Food is a good place to start, but "never eat or use anything an animal died or labored to make" is not the best way to determine if something is ethical. Production of plant products is often horrendous for wild animals, humans, and the land. Most vegetarians do eventually return to eating some meat or animal products because that sort of diet is often really hard and for some people impossible to sustain for many reasons.
Many people reducing animal use is a realistic, fantastic goal that has a broader impact than the total abstinence of the few who can do that. It acknowledges the impact one person can have and empowers them to make a difference by acknowledging that difference exists. It prioritizes animal well-being over moral absolutes, and prioritizes the environment that lets all life exist over a smaller portion of that life. When the rest of the diet is at least somewhat ethically sourced, that makes it even better.
Some people medically can't subsist on a vegan or vegetarian diet, and many more find their health at least somewhat affected, which we should not require one another to endure. For those people, we NEED to consider how to make animal exploitation as non-exploitative and affordable as possible. Horrible truth. This isn't easy.
Indigenous peoples often have an entirely different relationship to animals and the environment than nonindigenous people, often relationships that emphasize care for the land, and these need to be respected. These communities have a lot to teach about animals/the land AND social justice.
Some people are so softhearted (/positive) they cannot emotionally bear to use animal-related products and will take pains not to. Many are okay with others doing so, many are not. All that is understandable and we should also respect that, as we should cherish and learn from ALL gentleness. They have much to teach.
Some people are opposed to using animals for anything at all, and believe we have no right to force animals to do anything or use them for anything. Domesticated livestock should eventually no longer have to exist. Some think we should not even have pets. There is room for that viewpoint too, as long as those people are willing to accommodate others, value others, and help them as part of their praxis. I happen to be closer to this viewpoint than any other (I have nuanced but differing views about domesticated animals that make people on every side of this issue angry, it's a little amazing). Yes, even though I eat animals, wear them, own them, all of that. I am just...realistically not able to survive without them at this time. And I'm not about to stop living. I deserve to exist and be comfortable and safe as much as a cow or elephant or lion or stray cat. We all do. If I were helped, and I dearly wish someone could, I would happily do better. That is true of nearly everyone, I think. That most people would make different, more sustainable choices if they could or knew how or understood it is necessary. Removing barriers makes more ethical choices possible.
These are HUGE issues. Complex issues, with terrible choices we may have to make to improve them. All I can say, after decades, is that money and greed are evil, and what capitalism has done is horrendous. Money. Just...it's all over money. The systems and people that wield it without decency value nothing. That is where the deepest villainy lies. Urge people to make less harmful choices, yes, HELP THEM, but we have to dismantle what keeps us from being able to choose, or seeing the value in doing so.
We can do better. We CAN.
My thumbs are tired. I am hungry. This may have been unnecessary and meaningless. Goodbye, and if you read this far, here is a cat I fostered who looked a bit like a hamburger for some reason. I would hold him gently like a burger and he would purr. This should please everyone regardless of their vegan-ness?
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