Vegan to eat meat from dumpster diving?

[Amy SF]

I was never forced to eat up my food. Only thing I had to do, was to taste the food. Not allowed to "not like" anything without tasting... But I was brought up on mostly canned and dry food.

Oh, you poor thing. If I go too long without fresh food I get sick.

 

[Joe]

Here in Nashville I know a number of people who have been involved in what they call "bread runs." There are a number of bread-featuring restaurants that advertise fresh bread daily. But that means that the bread has to be disposed of at the end of the day. The "bread run" volunteers would pack up the bread and other donated foodstuffs and take it to a charity, often to the Women's Shelter at the Nashville Union Mission.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I just read about a group in Wigan who intercept excess food stocks at supermarkets and offer meals to the local community.

Food Warriors | News | Wigan Warriors

 

[SapphireLightning]

From the way I see it, a freegan eating meat out of a dumpster is still vegan as s/he is not contributing to the demand for that product. Once the carcass was thrown away the damage had already been done, and the demand already created. If people stopped buying animal products then there would be no more animal argi-business and the store would not buy the carcasses to eventually throw away. The ones who really do the enslaving and murdering of animals are the end consumers who pay the stores for the "product". That in turn causes the store to carry the "product" as it sells, and causes the CAFOs to be filled to sell to the stores. It is all about the money-trail.
That being said, I would never eat meat, dumpster or otherwise. I do not need anything like that in my mouth or body. Besides, don't people know where this stuff comes from?! (/rhetorical)

Sorry if my post came off odd, I am tired at the time of writing.

 

[Andy_T]

That being said, I would never eat meat, dumpster or otherwise. I do not need anything like that in my mouth or body.

Agree on that, not so much on people eating meat from dumpsters and calling themselves vegans.
Yes, if they were starving (can not affort any food), and there was ONLY meat in the dumpster and no vegetables, fruit, bread etc... but that somehow does not sound too likely to me, to be honest.

That is actually similar to the excuse that most "devout Buddhists" that I call out on why they are not vegetarian or vegan themselves, if Buddhism is about not causing harm, give me. "A Buddhist often has to ask for alms, and it would be considered impolite to reject meat if given. Also, it is already dead, so why not go ahead and eat it". Of course, this is what they tell you as they order the "lamb shanks" in the restaurant.

 

[SapphireLightning]

Also, it is already dead, so why not go ahead and eat it". Of course, this is what they tell you as they order the "lamb shanks" in the restaurant.

This is different than the point I was bringing up. The "its already dead" excuse can also (still erroneously) be applied to the meat being sold, by someone buying it. The issue isn't that the animal has already been killed, it is whether or not one is creating the demand for that "product". The store already does the damage by having to re-order more death when they threw out the cadavers. As dumpster diving does not create demand for animal products, that consumption does not become demand down through the supply chain back to the breeders. The "already dead" excuse that people may use before buying flesh does cause a ripple of demand back to the breeders and more animals are brought in to existence to be slaughtered as a result as that will yield more money for them. Also on a similar note: If someone broke in to a store and stole the meat, it would also be supporting animal agriculture as the store would then have to order even more to make up for the stolen "product".
It may seem like splitting hairs, but the demand generating aspect is where the real driver of the crime is. Having said that, I do not promote meat eating under any circumstance, unless you are somehow stuck on a deserted island and have to eat the magic chickens that feed off of sunlight and asinine arguments.

So I guess to me, anyone who abstains from supporting the animal agri-business is a vegan, even if they ate meat from a dumpster or roadkill. It's not about what you eat, it is about who is hurt by your decisions (and payments). As I said before, this doesn't apply in my case as I would never eat such stuff anyways...

edit: The above paragraph could be misconstrued to seem like I would support hunting. I do not, of course. The line "It's not about what you eat, it is about who is hurt by your decisions" would hopefully cover that, but I do want to make it clear that I of course do not support the "sport" of hunting in any way.

 

[Calliegirl]

The same could be said about the meat in the supermarket. It's already dead and will be thrown out if no one buys it. In my opinion, if you eat meat, regardless of how it came about, you aren't vegan.

If you eat meat that was thrown out or roadkill, why not eat eggs from pet chickens, or the calves from a dairy farm that are considered waste, and will be killed and thrown away? Where do you draw the line?

When I worked as a merchandiser, I did the books at kmart. We only returned the covers from the paperback books, the rest was thrown away. Kmart would pour paint over them to discourage anyone from taking them out of the trash. They also did that to any returns that couldn't be put back on the shelf or returned to the distribution center.

 

[Andy_T]

This is different than the point I was bringing up. The "its already dead" excuse can also (still erroneously) be applied to the meat being sold, by someone buying it.

Indeed, and you make an important distinction. To say that the animals is dead and the meat is already in the supermarket, is no argument at all, and most people realize that. Buddhist use the "accepting alms" example (the alm given to them possibly does not drive demand, although that is not really a consideration) to excuse that they themselves blatantly drive demand by actively searching out non-vegan options like ... well, 95 % of the population. But they use their example to justify it

But a freegan diving into a dumpster and hoping for some juicy ham or bacon, well, I would not call that vegan.

That is why I said it was "similar", but definitely not "equal".

 

[Naturebound1]

Imagine though if the whole idea of meat as "food" didn't exist for humans. It probably will never happen, but the more people who practice and preach this concept, maybe the less likely there will be any demand for any kind of meat in the first place.

Roadkill is often eaten by certain wild animals for survival, so humans taking away that "already dead" animal for themselves does hurt someone else. Dumpster diving and finding/eating animal products may not necessarily hurt the animal industry directly, but it does send the message that eating these products is ok and acceptable, whether only in the mind of the freegan or in the mind of those who know what freegans do.

As an ethical vegan, I would have a very very difficult time eating any animal product, even if I was penniless and had no choice. I've sometimes imagined what it would be like to be laid up in a hospital or in jail and having very little if any control over what I can eat, and if it would be very difficult for me to consume an animal, knowing what I know now. I couldn't imagine CHOOSING to do this.

 

[Moll Flanders]

When I worked as a merchandiser, I did the books at kmart. We only returned the covers from the paperback books, the rest was thrown away. Kmart would pour paint over them to discourage anyone from taking them out of the trash. They also did that to any returns that couldn't be put back on the shelf or returned to the distribution center.

So ridiculous, what a waste.

 

[ledboots]

So ridiculous, what a waste.

It's so the authors get paid for their books, and if too many are printed, they take off the front cover. If you see one n a store without a front cover, the author is getting ripped off.

 

[Moll Flanders]

It's so the authors get paid for their books, and if too many are printed, they take off the front cover. If you see one n a store without a front cover, the author is getting ripped off.

I meant the paint thing.

 

[Calliegirl]

It was terribly wasteful, especially since we often got a new shipment a month or so later of the same books we just threw away. I believe it went by what was on the bestseller list and their top sellers as to what was put on the shelf each week. Occasionally we could throw them in the compactor for recycling, but usually they were just thrown away. Hard cover books were returned though.

 

[Amy SF]

Viva la France! Country Bans Supermarkets From Tossing Out Food | Care2 Causes

I wish we had this law in the United States.

 

[Joe]

Viva la France! Country Bans Supermarkets From Tossing Out Food | Care2 Causes

Good article. Except it should be "Vive la France" if one is speaking French. Viva is Spanish and Italian in origin, according to Webster's Dictionary.

As Elvis Presley might say, Viva Las Vegas!

 

[Andre]

Roald Amundsen ate his dogs for protect of the Antarctic Wheather!,, The Ice Caveman ate mamuts for survive in the Ice and Glaciar Times, The Items o tools for survive in the Ice and snow has changed with the time in the human history? Is Vegan lifestyle for Ice survival possible?
Can Veggie and Vegan Survival be possible in the polar exploration in the current?

 

[Second Summer]

Roald Amundsen ate his dogs for protect of the Antarctic Wheather!,, The Ice Caveman ate mamuts for survive in the Ice and Glaciar Times, The Items o tools for survive in the Ice and snow has changed with the time in the human history? Is Vegan lifestyle for Ice survival possible?
Can Veggie and Vegan Survival be possible in the polar exploration in the current?

As long as we have the conveniences of modern life, as do other polar explorers these days, then yes, at least in theory. One issue would probably be suitable shoes and clothing, I can imagine.

 

[Amy SF]

5,000 People Get Free Lunch Made From ‘Ugly’ Fruits And Vegetables

 

[Amy SF]

I just saw an Ad Council ad from this group:

Ad Council | Home

On the one hand, it's nice to address the issue of food waste. On the other hand, the site apparently puts the onus of avoiding food waste entirely on the individual consumer without addressing what society can do as a whole to match wasted food with people who can use it.