Vegan on Greenland: Why I decided to go vegan in the Arctic

As if moving to Greenland is not enough of a challenge, I also chose to go vegan on the exact same day that I moved here! The choice to go vegan has been in the works for about a year now where I’ve been slowly building myself up to it by buying less dairy and egg products.

On September 1st 2015, I chose to become vegetarian after watching a terrible video involving the slaughtering of chickens on facebook. The decision was easy as I didn’t eat much meat to begin with and I simply didn’t feel like eating it anymore. I’ve stuck to the vegetarian diet ever since and I’ve never even considered consuming any meat or fish since. They are animals, living beings, and we all need to take care of them just like we would any human.

The decision to go vegan seems just as natural, although much harder. That is mainly because I’m not any good at cooking, but that is simply something I must learn so I can better myself for the sake of all animals and the environment. Being vegan on Greenland will undoubtedly be harder than if I were to start it in Denmark, but I feel like it’s a fitting challenge to take on – and also, it was on my third veggieversary that I went vegan!

So.. Why even go vegan?

There are many reasons to go vegan, both for the environment and for the animals. Here are some of my reasons why:

• Animals were not put on this earth to be our slaves and we shouldn’t treat them as such. Animals have just as much of a right to live and be free as humans.
• I want to take a stand against animal cruelty – and not just through not eating meat.
• Vegetarianism is a good start, but sadly, the dairy and egg industries are not cruelty free. The production of dairy products causes the deaths of many male calves that for obvious reasons cannot be used to produce milk. Also, countless cows are slaughtered when their milk production decreases. The same goes for the egg industry, where male chicks are often killed shortly after birth because they cannot produce eggs. And those that are used to produce eggs are typically sent to slaughterhouses after just one year despite their natural life span of seven years. Dairy cows are often forced to become pregnant through artificial insemination and when the calves are born, they are typically taken away from their mothers within 24 hours. According to The Vegan Society, this causes distress for both the mother and the calf and they cry out for each other when being separated.
• As for honey, I won’t eat that either as it’s also not vegan, which might come as a surprise for some. The health of the honey bees can be sacrificed when the honey is harvested by humans, as bees will starve if they don’t have their honey.
• There is no such thing as ethical meat, dairy or eggs. Animals are not our slaves and they should not be killed to feed us when it’s no longer necessary. I study archaeology and I KNOW that it was necessary in the hunter/gatherer times, but that’s not an excuse that can be used in today’s society, where there’s so much good and nutritious vegan food available.
• The production of meat and dairy is bad for the environment and I want to lower my carbon footprint. The biggest issue for the environment is actually the food and water used to feed all the farm animals, which contributes to deforestation and species extinction. And veganism also helps the poorest people on our globe, because, according to The Vegan Society, a plant based diet requires just one third of the land that a meat and dairy diet requires. Instead of feeding the farm animals enormous amounts of grains, the plant food could instead be used much more efficiently if fed directly to the local people. Therefore, becoming vegan means that I can reduce my use of food and water resources so less people around the world have to starve.
• Going vegan is also extremely healthy if done correctly. A vegan diet can lower blood pressure and cholesterol and research has also proven that veganism lowers rates of heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. I will be taking vitamin pills to ensure that I get all the vitamins I need and try to eat as varied as possible. The health benefits aren’t the most important thing for me though – the animals are.

These are just some of the reasons to become vegan. You can read much more here: vegansociety.com.

But.. Why on Greenland!?

Well, Greenland is probably the hardest place on earth to be vegan, in fact I can’t think of any place that would be more difficult. Because of the harsh climate, almost no vegetables can grow there. The Greenlandic diet consists mainly of marine mammals, fish, game and birds. For that reason, I think it will be the best place to start the lifestyle, as I might as well start with the toughest place! If I can live a vegan lifestyle on Greenland, I can do it anywhere.

Another reason is that my rent is incredibly low on Greenland; I only have to pay 1000 DKK per month for my room (as opposed to 3500 DKK per month in Copenhagen!) and I’ve actually already paid for all five months. For that reason, I can spend all of my student’s grant (which is about 5.500 DKK per month) on vegan food and travels within Greenland. But since many people argue that being vegan is expensive, I’ll try to do it as cheaply as possible, and I’ll share how that goes right here on this blog!

I have a small dream of showing the world that being vegan IS possible no matter where you live. Even if you live in one of the most isolated and cold countries.