Whenever I am asked to explain veganism, I always fall back on the definition championed by The Vegan Society. They say, “Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” I love this definition so much, I included it in my first book!
For me, this concise yet powerful way of describing veganism is the beall and end-all. We adopt a vegan lifestyle because it is our way of lessening the exploitation and suffering of non-human animals. Of course, there are side benefits when it comes to living vegan. The most obvious, and most reported on, is the role plant-based diets play in slowing the destruction of natural environments and their lesser contribution to the climate emergency.