Most of the global health threats the world is facing come from either farming animals or encroaching into the habitats of wild creatures.
Three in four of the world’s new or emerging infectious diseases come from animals. They are called zoonotic diseases and are responsible for three million deaths a year. These diseases are largely transmitted through trading wildlife (legally and illegally) and factory farming. Among them we find some familiar ones, SARS, MERS, HIV/AIDS, Ebola and Covid-19 and some that scientists believe may cause the next global pandemic such as avian influenza, or bird flu.
Add to that the increasing threat posed by antibiotic-resistant superbugs which are emerging in increasing numbers from livestock farming. Not to mention the devastating environmental consequences of animal agriculture plus the enormous health burden caused by poor diets including meat, fish, eggs and dairy.
We have created a perfect storm driven by the global insatiable hunger for meat and other animal-based foods that results in a mind-blowing 80 billion land animals plus trillions of fish killed every year for food. The solution – it’s very simple – go vegan!
Antibiotic resistance
The overuse of antibiotics, in people and animals, has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria or ‘superbugs’ which can cause infections that are difficult…
Bird flu
Avian influenza (bird flu) viruses spread easily in poultry, like chickens, ducks and turkeys. If infected, they can get very sick and can die rapidly.…
Pandemics
After Covid-19, as we learn to navigate a post-pandemic world, there has never been a more important time to consider the serious threat of future…
Zoonotic diseases
Three in four of the world’s new or emerging infectious diseases come from animals. Responsible for three million deaths a year, these diseases are largely…
