PROJECTS
PROJECTS FOR THE F11 SEMESTER
Veggie Challenge
In light of our continuing success with "Veggie Week" from previous years, GSETA has decided to run another Veggie Challenge. Individuals may volunteer to go vegetarian or vegan for a week in exchange for a raffle ticket. The raffle ticket may be submitted in a draw for prizes. The prizes will be either
- a $75 gift certificate to the Cornerstone, or
- 1 of 3 vegan gift baskets.
For more details, you can visit the Facebook event page at:
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=253469558033088
ONGOING PROJECTS
Alternative to Dissection
GSETA is currrently campaigning to bring alternatives to dissection to the University of Guelph. As it stands, students who do not wish to dissect are not provided with an alternate means of learning the material. There exist sophisticated virtual dissection programs that would facilitate this learning and we hope to see them implemented for all those students who seek knowledge without taking lives. We are encouraging students to know their rights and to explore the option of not dissecting. We want students to know that they are not alone in their aversion to dissection. We hope that the University will recognize the need for a humane education option.
PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Free-Run Eggs
There are alternatives to factory farming and part of our campaigning has been geared towards encouraging the University of Guelph to start offering these alternatives in our cafeterias.
Since October 2005, GSETA has been working hard to educate students about battery cages and to convince the University of Guelph to adopt a "cage free egg policy". After more than a year of campaigning, Guelph made national news by becoming the first university in Canada to switch to free run eggs for all products made with shelled eggs. (approx 250,000 eggs per year) After backlash from the egg industry, Guelph has decided to offer students a choice, by displaying signs in the cafeterias which read: "We are currently serving cage free eggs. If you would like a cage reared egg, please ask your server." According to an amused staff member, not many students are choosing this option and one might interpret this sign as: "If you want to be a cruel human being, please ask for a battery cage egg."
While GSETA acknowledges that there are animal welfare problems with free-run egg production, we firmly believe that this has been a big victory for hens. Battery cage egg production is inherently cruel, while there is potential to significantly improve the welfare of hens in free-run (aviary) environments.
The staff and students who helped with this campaign should know that this has been a historical event for animal welfare in Canada. Guelph's decision has set a precedent, and now universities and other institutions are lining up to enact similar policies. To date, Langara College and the BC Institute of Technology have gone cage free, and the city of Vancouver, the city of Richmond and the Municipality of Whistler have removed caged eggs from all of their government institutions. Canada is finally making progress on this issue and we are on course to ban battery cages altogether, just as the European Union has done.
For more info on battery cages and general animal welfare visit: