Loyola University Chicago prides itself on its campus sustainability initiatives and social justice mission, so it’s time to take the next step in reducing our carbon footprint and improving public health: changing the default option of the food we eat on campus.

A significant issue that plagues our world currently is factory farming, the primary system of animal agriculture that kills over 10 billion land animals each year in the United States alone, according to data from the USDA. Many of these animals live in their own feces and are continuously injected with antibiotics to control the spread of illness in already cramped and severely confined living conditions. 

Factory farming is not just an issue of animal cruelty. Rather, it is an intersectional social justice issue, since this large scale process of raising and killing livestock perpetuates injustices that affect our environment and human health. For instance, climate change is exacerbated by factory farming through deforestation and emissions of concentrated methane gas. Additionally, factory farms contribute to disproportionate, adverse public health consequences seen in communities of color. This issue is urgent: according to an article published by the Human Rights Watch referencing data from the Food and Environment Reporting Network, 57,536 meatpacking workers tested positive for COVID-19. Moreover, at least 283 workers have died as of February 2021, with the majority of these workers being Black, Latinx, and immigrant individuals. 

To combat the blatant injustices manufactured by factory farming and to uphold our Jesuit values of sustainability and social justice, we should adopt the “DefaultVeg” ideology in campus dining. DefaultVeg is an inclusive and health-forward social justice cause: make plant-based foods the default and give people the option to opt-in for meals with animal products. If we truly value ethics and equity, reshaping the way we order and consume food for the sake of the animals, the planet, and our health is the small yet revolutionary step our community is obligated to take.

Please sign this petition to urge JoAnn Rooney and Loyola University Chicago Administration to adopt “DefaultVeg” practices for campus dining and event programming.