Farm Animals Seminar held in Mumbai

SHARAN conducted a Farm Animals Seminar in Mumbai on the 20th of March. This was organized in conjunction with FIAPO, The Times Foundation, and PAWS (Thane), and titled Farmed Animals in India: Putting Our Values into Action!

The seminar was designed to empower animal protectors with greater knowledge of the fundamental principles that link one's personal life-style choices to the wider movement of ahimsa: adopting a plant based diet. Dr Nandita Shah presented the seminar and also told participants about the health impacts of a plant-based diet as well as the environmental impacts. The seminar started with the Peta dairy and chicken reports and ended with a Vegan Video.

The seminar took place from 10 am - 3 pm, and included a scrumptious vegan lunch. There were 37 participants in total, and each of them was given the Health Fact Sheet, Environmental Fact Sheet and a Tool Kit with several films including the Peta Dairy and Chicken Report, and the Vegan Video so that they could let others know about the facts of Factory Farming in India.

It was important to get the message out that vegan choices are important for the animals and for the environment but also they are the healthiest choices that we can make.

For the animals: Animals raised and killed for their meat, eggs, and milk are forced to endure more suffering, in greater numbers, than any other organized animal abuse. In India alone, there are more than 230 million egg-laying hens confined in battery cages who will never have the chance to stretch even one wing in their entire lifetimes. Cows and buffalo used in dairy production are sent to slaughter when they are no longer profitable and considered "use-less". Usually illegally transported across India, the animals endure relentless confinement, broken bones, untreated wounds, fear and agony before they are slaughtered.

For our health: Some of the incredible benefits of a plant-based diet include the prevention and reversal of diseases like heart disease, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, allergies, many cases of cancers and more.

Topics covered were:
- Farmed animal issues in India
- Understanding our anatomy and its nutritional needs
- Protein, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B12
- Energy input and output
- How to make the life-style changes we care about
- Taking action for Farmed animals.

This event was covered by Doordarshan and broadcasted both in the Marathi and English News on the 22nd March.