Mission, Objectives, and Guiding Principles
Vegan criminology is a fledgling discipline. While the initial thoughts outlined below are intended to provide a starting point, we anticipate many changes as others join in our efforts.
Mission and Objectives
Vegan criminology focuses on animal rights and the rights of those who protect animals. Topics of interest include environmental threats, exploiting animals as entertainment, sport, and experimentation, the role of patriarchy, the legal status of animals, and the widespread acceptance of treating animals as food.
Our goal is a world where humans do not exploit non-human animals.
- Animals have a right to life and freedom.
- Justice for humans is unattainable while animals are being exploited.
- Animal farming is environmentally unsustainable.
Guiding Principles
- Our work is rooted in critical criminology, with strong connections to peacemaking and green criminology.
- We do not criticize non-vegan lifestyles. We are willing to accept veganism as a spectrum, ranging from 100% vegan to something as simple, and obvious, as opposing current factory farming practices. Education and compassion are preferred over defensiveness and moralizing.
- We understand criticism from other vegans. This is unproductive, and given that law and policy are not likely to eliminate meat production, we encourage law and policy focused on humane treatment of animals.
- We acknowledge that becoming vegan can be an incremental process. While the total rejection of animals as food would please us greatly, we fully support those taking their first steps. Vegetarian diets, meatless Mondays, and other incremental efforts can be great ways to get started.
- Veganism is easier, healthier, more economical, and more personally satisfying than many imagine. The failure to accept this reality is a product of our socially constructed diets.
- While we encourage the adoption of plant-based diets, we acknowledge that problems rooted in corporate farming are not limited to meat production.
Note: At this time, we is me. Please join in my efforts to encourage criminology to play a more active role. While I will reach out to criminologists who have published pieces related to vegan criminology, I welcome any and all input. Please use the contact us page to share your thoughts.