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What is Vegan Farming?
The simple mean of vegan farming is " production of food with minimal animal inputs". Vegan farming is also called Animal-free agriculture.
In animal-free agriculture, animal products or by-products, such as blood meal, fish products, don't meal, faeces, or other animal-origin matters are not supposed to use in farming because the production of these materials is associated with harming, exploiting, and consequent suffering of animals.
A survey of 2019 displayed that veganism in India has been gain rage due to various reasons:
• following vegetarian diet
• Environment concern
• Animal welfare
• Taste and other reasons
Why Vegan Farming?
• To protect public health: It has been suspected as far back as 2004 that increasing demand for animal protein among humans is one of the main risk factors of a pandemic which Covid-19 served as an example to confirm Covid-19 is considered a zoonotic disease which means it comes from an animal, it can be viral, bacterial, parasitic or fungal.
To reduce risk on human health most of the population leaning towards veganism.
• To mitigate climate change: According to a study published in IOP science in 2017 describes that ruminant meat caused 20-100 times greater than plant-based foods in the environment. Dairy eggs, pork, poultry, and seafood impacts 2-25 times greater than plants per kilocalorie of food produced. To mitigate climate change, we have to shift to plant-based production and consumption.
• To restore ecosystems and biodiversity: Ending animal agriculture reduces the mortality rate of animals and saves threatened species and promotes biodiversity on the planet. An increase in veganism and vegan farming permits diverse habitats for animals and balances the ecosystem. The initiation of veganism began to restore our life-giving ecosystem.
• To optimize land use and improve food security: Currently, approx 50 percent of cropland is used to grow animal feed. If we use whole cropland to grow crops for human consumption, we can meet the demand and supply lines simultaneously.
We need to expand the other crops apart from fruits and veggies such as peas, beans, wheat, oats, etc.
Trees are the rapid remedy to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and mitigate climate change. From shifting to plant-based production we can do it at a large scale and through optimization of land, we can balance the ecosystem.
How Vegan Farming?
Now, since we have looked at a view on why vegan farming is essential and due to the increase in veganism in India, it has become important to know how we can drive towards vegan farming and set a trend.
There are three main roads to do animal-free farming. We can do these three with a combination or separate.
• Growing crops for human consumption
• Restoring native trees and ecosystems
• Starting diversification enterprises
Growing crops for human consumption
Ø Protein crops :
Broad beans and fava beans: Fava bean is a hardier variety of board beans and smaller in size. Fava bean is a protein-rich food but with the agricultural revolution, eating beans gradually went out of vogue and people began to consume meat and dairy products as they became affordable and beans were seen as " poor man's food". Now increasing veganism got Fava bean back into the menu. Green peas: Green peas are a tried and tested protein crop which fixes nitrogen in the soil as a legume and is used as a part of traditional crop rotation. In today's period, pea protein powder has become popular among bodybuilders and vegans. Hemp: Hemp is considered the most complete food source on earth. Hemo consists of all 20 amino acids and more protein ( 36 percent) than soybeans. It is the only food source that contains 8 essential amino acids with all 4 essential fatty acids in perfect balance for human consumption. It is considered that at the beginning of human existence, hemp was the most important crop which provided food, fuel, clothing, and shelter and could be grown anywhere.
The seeds of hemp are used to make burgers, milk, cheese, ice cream, protein powder, yogurt, and many more. Three tablespoons of hemp seeds are equivalent to 10 g of protein. Hemp is also considered the only, truly carbon-neutral plant. Wheat: gluten is a dense source of protein that is present in wheat. Triticale: Triticale is a hybrid of wheat and rye that contains more fiber, nutrients, and protein than its parent's grains.
192 g triticale contains 25.1 g of protein. Triticale is called a " Scientific marvel in the world of nutrients ". Triticale helps to control diabetes, improve digestive health, relieve asthma, boost collagen, strengthen bones, improve circulation. Buckwheat: Buckwheat is free from gluten and contains 22.5 g of protein per cup. Lupins: Lupins contain all the essential amino acids. It has higher protein than bones, it contains 26 g of protein per cup.
Lentils
Chickpeas
Chia seeds
Hazelnuts 
Ø Cereals and oil crops
Oats Flax Oilseed rape
Ø Seaweed
It is a tree that is performing underwater and absorbs dissolved CO2. Provides clean and rich habitat for marine life by absorbing excess nutrients, from fish farms or other agricultural run-offs. It contains calcium ten times higher than milk, rich in vitamins, proteins, fibers, and nutrients such as iodine, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. It is also used to make health and beauty products, biodegradable packaging, and enhances the flavor of beer and spirits.
Ø Fruits and vegetables
In the present era, we became capable to grow crops without soil and land and pesticide and herbicides free. Hydroponics and aerobics are such examples. Salads, herbs, fruits, and microgreens are grown in these structures.
Restoring native trees and ecosystems :
Trees are the best cure to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now it's time to reforest and rewild the land. This is the only rapid solution to save the ecosystem and establish biodiversity again. Starting diversification enterprise :
Farmers should have to financially protect themselves. They can find many ways like they create an innovative business, renting farm buildings as storage space, wedding venues, or children's activity centers. For dog walking Park, land can be fenced or rented out for festivals and weddings.
This one can be a method to adopt vegan farming and earn through various endeavors.
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