Is rennet harvested from live or dead animals?!
As to the fertilizer question, yes, it could be considered non-vegan to purchase organic produce because organic produce is fertilized with only organic materials, typically organic seed meal but also slaughterhouse waste (I've looked into this extensively). It's possible to grow organic produce without the use of any animal waste (basically seed meal and crop rotation and other sustainable farming practices).
There's a growing movement in vegan-organic farming (there's even a website I found that is a bunch of organic growers that only use vegan-organic methods). I would say that it is a statement that vegans do NOT want rendered animals used to fertilize their produce, if it is avoidable - so therein lies your answer.
http://www.veganorganic.net/ (this is a network in the UK)
http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/organic_...
(This is a US site that lists US farms that grow vegan-organic or regular organic)
http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodcoop...
(Organic co-ops and health co-ops, quite a few of these, as I have clicked around and visited sites, seem to support vegan-organic growing; vegans seem to run a few of these as well... didn't spend a lot of time on this site though)
It's fair to say that not all organic produce you purchase in the store was grown using rendered animal flesh, but there's a good chance it was.
However, my point is, I still think conventional growing practices are more harmful for the environment, and in the long run, to animals. Yes, in the immediate sense, we are using rendered animal flesh to fertilize organic produce. However, it isn't like the animals used in the fertilizer were bred JUST for be fertilizer. It is waste from slaughterhouses that would have otherwise been thrown out or worse, seeped into rivers and streams (like some slaughterhouses have been known to do, yuck). At least their remains are being put towards a good use - creating sustainable agriculture in the states.
Here are some sites I have found that explain why CONVENTIONAL fertilizer and growing processes are harmful to the environment (because of the nitrogen, trace salts and other elements in the fertilizers, and the harm they cause to the soil, etc... these also explain in detail much better than I ever could the science behind fertilization and soil):
www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/soilmgmt.p...
(A heavy read, but interesting)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200...
(Organic yield beneficial)
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/news...
(Straight from the USDA - a quote:)
" Conventional farming practices apply synthetic fertilizers, which are the primary source of nitrogen pollution in water systems and the atmosphere. As nitrogen leaches from the farm, ground water transports the nutrient into the surrounding water system. The excess nutrients produce a dense growth of algae and other organisms that reduce oxygen levels in the water, choking out other plants and animals. Nitrogen from farms is also a potential health risk if it leaches into domestic wells."
And much more research, I'll probably share more off of Answers with you when I have time...
ARGH I'm not a student anymore, darn you! Enough with the term-paper long answers to your probing questions. Stop probing me! :(
I guess if you want a straight answer, there was none, I couldn't find an exact quote, though a site called Vegan Society said that organic produce in the end is healthier and better for the environment, which I agree with. I think it's a case of the lesser evil here and it depends on the vegan which they choose - immediate non-vegan organic (it was grown with rendered animals after all!) - or, after time, non-vegan conventional produce (they harm the environment - and the human body - far more than organic ).
I suppose neither is truly vegan. I must now go make a machine that lets me sustain myself solely from sunlight, *sarcasm* But that might be non-vegan because I would have to go stand in the sun and it might block the sunlight off of some poor bug on the ground and they will be cold... ohhhh nooooo... :) :) :)
Answers: Yes, it's from a dead calf...
As to the fertilizer question, yes, it could be considered non-vegan to purchase organic produce because organic produce is fertilized with only organic materials, typically organic seed meal but also slaughterhouse waste (I've looked into this extensively). It's possible to grow organic produce without the use of any animal waste (basically seed meal and crop rotation and other sustainable farming practices).
There's a growing movement in vegan-organic farming (there's even a website I found that is a bunch of organic growers that only use vegan-organic methods). I would say that it is a statement that vegans do NOT want rendered animals used to fertilize their produce, if it is avoidable - so therein lies your answer.
http://www.veganorganic.net/ (this is a network in the UK)
http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/organic_...
(This is a US site that lists US farms that grow vegan-organic or regular organic)
http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodcoop...
(Organic co-ops and health co-ops, quite a few of these, as I have clicked around and visited sites, seem to support vegan-organic growing; vegans seem to run a few of these as well... didn't spend a lot of time on this site though)
It's fair to say that not all organic produce you purchase in the store was grown using rendered animal flesh, but there's a good chance it was.
However, my point is, I still think conventional growing practices are more harmful for the environment, and in the long run, to animals. Yes, in the immediate sense, we are using rendered animal flesh to fertilize organic produce. However, it isn't like the animals used in the fertilizer were bred JUST for be fertilizer. It is waste from slaughterhouses that would have otherwise been thrown out or worse, seeped into rivers and streams (like some slaughterhouses have been known to do, yuck). At least their remains are being put towards a good use - creating sustainable agriculture in the states.
Here are some sites I have found that explain why CONVENTIONAL fertilizer and growing processes are harmful to the environment (because of the nitrogen, trace salts and other elements in the fertilizers, and the harm they cause to the soil, etc... these also explain in detail much better than I ever could the science behind fertilization and soil):
www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/soilmgmt.p...
(A heavy read, but interesting)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200...
(Organic yield beneficial)
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/news...
(Straight from the USDA - a quote:)
" Conventional farming practices apply synthetic fertilizers, which are the primary source of nitrogen pollution in water systems and the atmosphere. As nitrogen leaches from the farm, ground water transports the nutrient into the surrounding water system. The excess nutrients produce a dense growth of algae and other organisms that reduce oxygen levels in the water, choking out other plants and animals. Nitrogen from farms is also a potential health risk if it leaches into domestic wells."
And much more research, I'll probably share more off of Answers with you when I have time...
ARGH I'm not a student anymore, darn you! Enough with the term-paper long answers to your probing questions. Stop probing me! :(
I guess if you want a straight answer, there was none, I couldn't find an exact quote, though a site called Vegan Society said that organic produce in the end is healthier and better for the environment, which I agree with. I think it's a case of the lesser evil here and it depends on the vegan which they choose - immediate non-vegan organic (it was grown with rendered animals after all!) - or, after time, non-vegan conventional produce (they harm the environment - and the human body - far more than organic ).
I suppose neither is truly vegan. I must now go make a machine that lets me sustain myself solely from sunlight, *sarcasm* But that might be non-vegan because I would have to go stand in the sun and it might block the sunlight off of some poor bug on the ground and they will be cold... ohhhh nooooo... :) :) :)
Dead. It comes from the 4th stomach of slaughtered baby veal calves. Male calves have no use to the dairy industry, so they are taken from their mothers at birth, and kept in tiny veal crates to keep them from moving-that keeps the meat tender. They are slaughtered very young, at 3 to 6 weeks. The rennet is used to make cheese and other products. You can get vegetarian rennet for making homemade cheese, and there are several commercial brands of vegetarian cheeses available. Cabot is a good brand, and has a nice selection. Vegetarian rennet comes from a plant bacteria.