Why Is Veganism Important? The industrialized production of animal products causes enormous harm to animals, the environment and humans. Vegans seek to mitigate this destruction by choosing not to purchase or consume these products. Our society isn't structured in a way that prioritizes animal or environmental welfare.

Environmental Sustainability Many people adopt a vegan lifestyle because it's better for the environment. Meat-based diets use more resources, including land, water, and energy, to produce food while vegan diets require less cropland.

Preventing the exploitation of animals is not the only reason for becoming vegan, but for many it remains the key factor in their decision to go vegan and stay vegan. Having emotional attachments with animals may form part of that reason, while many believe that all sentient creatures have a right to life and freedom.

The few studies directly comparing vegetarian to vegan diets report that vegans may have a somewhat lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and various types of cancer than vegetarians ( 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ).