Switching to a vegan diet/lifestyle can be very beneficial to the environment, your health, and other things. However, there are many reasons why veganism is a privilege that not everybody can access. One of the main factors that may prevent somebody from becoming vegan is the unavailability of vegan staple foods, such as alternative foods which replenish vitamins just as meat and dairy does. This is more of a problem in rural areas of the world, with only small food shops and markets, often lacking in vegan diet staples. This is evident in the research conducted by Deb Jarrett in the markets of the rural Indian village she lives in. She found that vegan, vitamin rich staple foods labelled by the west as ‘easy and accessible’, such as beans, kale and whole-wheat pasta were hard to come by: ‘Vitamin A: Sweet Potatoes – no, carrots – seasonal, cantaloupe – no, red peppers – no’ [1]. It is important to remember that not all fruits and vegetables grow in all places, hence veganism is more accessible depending heavily on the foods available in one’s area. Even where vegan foods are available, they are usually considerably more expensive than non-vegan products, particularly vegan-friendly alternatives which are key to replenishing vitamins and nutrients, just as meat and dairy does. For example, it would be more likely for people struggling with poverty to focus on the shelf life and efficiency of food rather than whether it's vegan (e.g. a tin of corned beef may have longer shelf life and more protein than a pack of falafels, and is generally cheaper). The example Katie Kenyon gives in her article is a low-income single mother of three, who ‘by no fault of her own but rather in virtue of the system which veganism condemns but also benefits from, lacks both the financial and educational resources to sustain a vegan diet for her whole family’ [2]. Most vegans take supplements as part of their diet, which can also be very expensive, and yet they’re necessary in a vegan diet to ensure enough minerals are going into the body, such as iron, zinc, etc. Without these vitamins, it is more likely for a vegan diet to cause health problems such as iron deficiency. Health problems are also often a factor which may prevent someone from going vegan. For example people who suffer from coeliac disease, or have allergies to foods such as soy or nuts (essential staples in a vegan diet). According to studies, one in thirteen people in the USA have some sort of nut allergy, so this is a fairly common barrier stopping people from going vegan [3]. With health problems preventing the consumption of essential vegan staple foods, it would be very difficult to maintain a healthy and fulfilling vegan diet. So to conclude, veganism should not be aggressively promoted because it is a privilege, and there are many people who simply cannot go vegan due to economic, social and personal reasons. [1] Deb Jarrett in *Elephant Journal*, September 16, 2016 [https://www.elephantjournal.com/2016/09/veganism-is-a-privilege-not-a-cure/] [2] Katie Kenyon in *Shoutout UK*, August 4, 2020 [https://www.shoutoutuk.org/2020/08/04/veganism-a-choice-or-a-privilege/] [3] *37 Important Nut Allergy Statistics*, n.d. [https://healthresearchfunding.org/37-important-nut-allergy-statistics/]

In many parts of the world, it is meat that is the privilege. Most vegan food is the cheapest in the supermarket (ignoring the meat alternatives). Some people are unable to access all the nutrients they need on a vegan diet. So I think whether veganism, or meat, being a privilege really depends on where you live and what you have access to.

Of course it is a privilege. Just like driving an electric car or being able to afford "carbon-neutral organic beer". It is one of the new badges of social status within certain groups. Just like how Nike trainers used to be a badge of status, the new "cool" is being conscientious about whatever the current trendy social issue is.

I'd say its a punishment really...