Ecofeminism and Vegetarianism

By Shannon Greene, Researcher at EmpoderaClima

In recent years, there has been increasing coverage in the media on issues surrounding climate change and the depletion of the Earth’s natural resources. This has left many people wondering what they can do to make a difference in our changing climate. With the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations confirming that livestock production emissions represented more than all forms of transport emissions combined, many individuals adopted a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, there being a significant rise in vegetarians/vegans in the last 5 years. 

This year, The Economist coined 2019 as ‘The Year of the Vegan’ due to the amount of traction the lifestyle was receiving. As reported by FAO, livestock farming is contributing to global warming with high amounts of GHGs, threatening Mother Earth’s water supply, and moreover, producing large amounts of methane - which is more potent than a heat-trapping gas.

I became a vegetarian when I found out about the harmful impacts of meat production in the environment. It quickly became something I was passionate about, and advocated for. One day, when researching for a feminist literature essay in school, I came across an essay on vegetarianism and feminism, using the term ‘ecofeminism’. I was intrigued, and began to research more into it. The aligning of the two was very important to me and definitely impacted the way I think about environmental issues now. 

Ecofeminism maintains that all oppression of the natural world and of women is a result of patriarchal power structures that are deeply rooted within society. It draws a parallel between the degradation of the environment and the subordination of women, attributing it to these patriarchal structures. There is a similarity between the exploitation of women and that of nature, the lack of respect for them and their place on the planet. Nature has historically been degraded by culture, while women have persistently been oppressed by patriarchy. 

Even the way we manage the phenomenon of climate change obeys this stereotype. Climate change is often seen as a problem to be solved with science and technology, however, in order to reduce emissions, humans need to change the rate at which they consume and produce waste, predominantly in the Western world. Ecofeminists believe that instead of trying to fix global warming solely with science and technology, we should be focusing on an ideological approach that disregards domination, exploitation, and colonialism, and takes into account interspecies justice and a consideration of the larger environment in which these problems take root.

The Chikpo movement is an example of the relationship between women and the environment. Chikpo, which means ‘hugging’ in Hindu, was a movement from the 1960’s where villagers - predominantly women - hugged trees in India to prevent them from being cut down. In fact, female and feminist activists are pretty much on the frontline of all battles for environmental justice, including the animal rights movement. 

Intersectional ecofeminism (because it’s not feminism if it’s not intersectional!) highlights the importance of gender, race and class in an effort to solve the climate crisis, considering the  integration of feminist concerns with oppressions in the patriarchy and the destruction of the environment. 

Some would argue that among these vectors of inequality, speciesism is included. As we know, intersectionality calls for all forms of oppression to be eradicated to truly abolish them all. Many have even called the act of consuming meat as a product of ‘toxic masculinity’. Of course, there is a strange relationship between meat and the notion of portraying as masculine. I mean nothing says ‘macho’ than a rack of BBQ ribs, right? Wrong! A recent study led by the University of Southampton explored this intersection of masculinity and eating meat. It was observed that although many men were interested in eating less meat, they feared they would be portrayed as ‘less masculine’ for doing so. 

With this link being drawn, if animal abuse and exploitation is a result of toxic masculinity, feminism - with its intention of dismantling these traditionally masculine roles - is in some ways, linked with the liberation of animals. Adopting a vegetarian lifestyle is not going to magically erase the damage that climate change is causing, but it can help to challenge that nature/culture dichotomy, that depicts everything that exists on earth is there to serve humans. It is time we start honoring nature and stop consuming mindlessly, contributing to the demise of Mother Earth. 

However, it is integral that while we are advocating for such lifestyles, whether for the benefit of the environment or the rejection of speciesism (or both) we must not forget the importance of intersectionality. Seeking to eradicate the oppression of animals, while simultaneously ignoring and remaining silent about the very visible oppression of people of color, poor people, persons with disabilities and gender non-conforming folks, is not the right path toward climate justice.

The effects of environmental degradation will affect everyone. We are not the only species that exist on Earth, but we are the only species that contribute (on a massive level) to climate change, and it is time we work alongside nature, not against it. As environmentalist Vandana Shiva articulated; 

“The liberation of earth, the liberation of women, the liberation of all humanity is the next step of freedom we need to work for, and it’s the next step of peace we need to create”.

Share this post to spread the word about ecofeminism and vegetarianism, and show EmpoderaClima to those around you! It is with information, education, and knowledge that we can start being agents of change. 

Want to read more about ecofeminism? Here's our book recommendations:

*The Sexual Politics of Meat - Carol J. Adams

*Ecofeminism - Vandana Shiva & Maria Mies

*Soil not Oil - Vandana Shiva

*Ecofeminist Philosophy: A Western Perspective on What It Is and Why It Matters - Karen J. Warren

*Sensível ao cuidado: Uma Perspectiva Ética Ecofeminista - Daniela Rosendo [Portuguese]