Is having a worm farm non-vegan?
Image by Andrea Marutti
RUNI [Jacopo]
Question by ⓋUMIⓋ: Is having a worm farm non-vegan?
I’m dead serious about this.
I’ve been told on a forum that my decision to use worms instead of bacteria to break down my excess food is non-vegan since I’m “using” these animals for my own good and denying them freedom of movement since they’re “caged” in a compost bin.
Is it wrong to use worms this way?
Thanks.
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5 Responses to Is having a worm farm non-vegan?
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That’s the second time today I’ve heard this question (on another forum not here) and as I said there, there are confinement and exploitation issues. Personally I see no harm, others might
Just this guy, ya know
January 29, 2012 at 5:57 am
let me put it this way. If you eat honey and wear silk you can make a worm farm, if you dont, you shouldn’t. It depends how deep you’re willing to dig. Personally, I’m a vegan who eats honey and wears silk, i don’t think that the animals suffer like a mammal/fish/reptile would, i think that they are at a very low level of consciousness and therefore are not aware that their product is being taken, unlike a chicken who could get very distressed by it.
Lola
January 29, 2012 at 6:30 am
You don’t have the right to confine worms to a cage. They have the right to live free from human exploitation. How would you like it if someone kept you in a cage to do their bidding?
Shadow Vegan
January 29, 2012 at 7:21 am
I don’t know..I thought about getting one, but I didn’t like it because they are trapped. So I went with a few ginormous compost bins instead. But when it comes to ‘is it wrong’? I don’t know…After I thought about it, it felt wrong to me, so I didn’t do it. But if someone else had one, I wouldn’t think twice about it…So I’d vote for do what you feel is right/okay.
If desired, perhaps you could create a compost contraption – basically dig a big hole to put the trays into – cut holes into the sides of the trays so if they want, they can leave..and then (carefully) pull it out as needed to remove compost. If located properly, (and covered with old plywood or something), this would keep them cool year round…they’d be free to go..and you could still easily access your compost.
(Now that I wrote that, I want to try it! )
—
To verify – you’re talking about those ‘worm compost bins’ that are fully sealed and the worms cannot get out of – not just a standard dirt-bottom pile of compost that you added some worms to, correct?
um...
January 29, 2012 at 7:49 am
Jeez are you for real? They are worms, they are farmed okay, but you are allowing them to live and do as they naturally do.
worm farms should have soil base so the worms can escape if they get sick of being held captive by the nasty humans.
In fact if you start a compost heap, the worms will come to the compost on their own direction.
But aren’t you taking this a bit far?
What about bacteria & enzymes, surely they have a right to life also? yet we slaughter them by the billion in the name of sanitation. If you were serious you wood never wash again, or clean your kitchen or toilet…
wouldn’t you be equally guilty using bacteria to break down your food scraps? are you not confining them?
What’s the difference here? size? an earthworm is bigger than bacteria?
My suggestion. geez sort it out man, hasn’t the world got bigger problems?
Far Canal
January 29, 2012 at 7:55 am