Vegan Talk Forums

Partmann · Vegan Talk Beginner Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 6

If everyone becomes a vegetarian, won't this create economic hardship for those who depend on animal agriculture?

BeeTooman · Vegan Zealot Joined: 12 May 2006 Posts: 980

Yes, if everyone becomes a vegetarian, then many people who depend on animal agriculture will have to find a new way to earn a living.

Several hundred years ago, many people's jobs and economic well being depended on the continuation of the slave trade. Nevertheless, the ethics of the situation dictated that the slave trade should be abolished, even though this meant that these people would have to find a new way to earn a living.

There is nothing new or unusual about the process of an entire industry disappearing. For example, people who worked in the horse carriage industry needed to find new jobs after cars were invented.

Quote by Eugene Khutoryansky

lunarflowermaiden · Advanced Vegan Talker Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 84

Indeed, but this is part of life. Change is what moves the world forward. As BeeTooman posted, the trading of slaves was once accepted as a way to earn a living, and many people were in hardship after this ended. Certainly no one would doubt that ending slavary was the right choice because, of course, slavary is immoral, disgusting, and wrong. I would say that farmers who grow plants and fruit would end up benefiting, and the people who did work in animal agriculture would have the chance to earn a living in a way that is cruelty-free.

Calhoun07 · Posted: Sep 19, 2007 12:01 am Post subject:

If they are in animal agriculture, then they could simply plow some fields and start making their money on raising vegetables. Or tear down their pens and plant some fields there if they don't have enough field space.