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US politician, attorney, and presidential hopeful Kamala Harris has previously discussed her forays into plant-based food, and she’s also spoken about the environment and animal protection.
Read more: Kamala Harris Is An Almond Milk Fan
As of August 1, Democrats formally began the process of nominating Harris as its sole candidate for the 2024 US Presidential elections.
She has been Vice President since 2021 under President Joe Biden and previously served as a US Senator and the California Attorney General. Throughout her career, Harris has prioritized various forms of environmental and animal protections.
Harris has also discussed the negative impact of red meat on health and the environment, and spoken about her penchant for plant-based foods on more than one occasion. Here’s everything you need to know about her stance on the environment, animals, and veganism.
Kamala Harris and the environment
Between 2015 and 2016, Harris secured multiple multimillion-dollar settlements from petroleum companies BP, Chevron, ARCO, Phillips 66, and ConocoPhillips over their inappropriate monitoring of hazardous materials.
Then, in 2020, she secured a USD $44m settlement for 2007’s Cosco Busan oil spill, which was particularly toxic for marine and avian life and prompted a state of emergency.
“In this state, we value our environment. We value our pristine coastal communities, we value the precious wildlife and the oceans that we are proud to call a big part of California,” said Harris at the time, per reporting by Inside Climate News.”
“Anyone who violates the law and endangers our wildlife in our oceans is going to be held accountable,” she added.
There are many different contributors to environmental damage, but farming animals for food is one key driving force. Notably, protecting the environment is also one of the most impactful and frequently cited reasons for eating plant-based. So, what has Harris said about meat consumption?
Kamala Harris and meat
According to Humane Society International (HSI), the sector could make up almost half of the total global emissions budget for 1.5C warming by 2030. In contrast, if the biggest meat-eating countries swapped 30 percent of their consumed animal products for plant-based alternatives, it would free up a carbon sink the size of India, also by 2030.
Speaking to CNN about the climate crisis back in 2019, Harris suggested that the US government incentivize environmentally friendly foods on a national level. She said that that moderation should be “encouraged,” and that people should be educated on “the effects of our eating habits on our environment.”
She also said that she would support updating the national dietary guidelines to reduce the emphasis on red meat, in particular, and expressed support for updated dietary guidelines to encourage the reduction of red meat consumption nationwide.
Red meat consumption has been repeatedly linked with increased heart disease risk, and US beef consumption reached a new high of 30 billion pounds per year in 2021. Along with various other negative health outcomes, the industry contributes to animal cruelty, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and the climate crisis.
“I strongly believe that the American consumer is still left without the information that you need and deserve to have about what it is that you are putting in your body or surrounding yourself with. And the health implications of those things,” said Harris.
Read more: PBFA Urges New UK Government To Prioritize Plant-Based Food
Kamala Harris and animal protection
In 2020, HSI noted that Harris had received a perfect “100” every year since being elected to the US Senate on the charity’s Humane Scorecard, which provides a yearly snapshot of the key animal protection issues being discussed.
At the time, Harris was a cosponsor of legislation to reduce soaring equine abuse and racehorse doping, prohibit the trading of shark fins, and cut down wildlife trafficking. She also supported the PACT Act, which created a felony penalty for malicious animal cruelty.
Along with Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), Harris introduced the Help Extract Animals from Red Tape (HEART) Act to speed up the rescue of fighting animals and shift the cost of care from shelters and taxpayers to those responsible for the abuse. Harris also repeatedly defended California’s controversial foie gras ban, which was left in place in 2023 after nearly 20 years of advocacy and challenges.
Kamala Harris and plant-based food
She previously said she was “dabbling” in veganism while visiting the plant-based Mexican restaurant Tacotarian in Las Vegas. While chatting with staff, Harris said that she tried to eat plant-based before 6pm in order to reduce her consumption of animal products.
She visited the taco shop on the recommendation of her colleague in the US Senate Senator Cory Booker, a Tacotarian regular, longtime vegan, and animal rights advocate.
According to Tacotarian’s co-owner Kristen Corral, Harris picked up a variety of homemade hot sauces along with two mushroom asada tacos, two carne asada tacos, and two super tacos with crunchy shells, refried beans, and wheat flour tortillas.
But tacos aren’t the only plant-based food Harris is partial to. She previously told The Cut about her daily routine, which includes vegan-friendly cereal and dairy-free almond milk.
“I work out every morning,” explained Harris. “Then I get ready. I usually stand at my kitchen counter eating some kind of Raisin Bran in almond milk while I look at my schedule for the day. It’s the generic Raisin Bran that I get from the grocery store.”
Is Kamala Harris vegan?
With all of the above in mind, is Kamala Harris vegan? The answer is probably not. While Harris has undoubtedly voiced support for the protection of some animals, she does not currently follow a vegan lifestyle. It’s worth noting that Harris includes a splash of honey (which isn’t vegan) in her morning tea, meaning her go-to, mostly plant-based breakfast is best described as plant-forward, or flexitarian, rather than vegan.
From 2019 to 2020, Harris published a short series of YouTube videos titled “Cooking With Kamala,” featuring both meat-based and meat-free recipes. In the latter episode, Harris cooks dosa and potato curry alongside comedian Mindy Kaling. (Both Harris and Kaling have family from Besant Nagar in South Chennai, India, where vegetarian dosa is a staple.) But in other videos on her channel, she prepares tuna, cooks with bacon, and bakes with eggs.
In 2020, Virsa Foundation’s mostly BIPOC women-led JIVNITI Women’s Coalition petitioned Harris to take an entirely vegan 31-day challenge, releasing a statement detailing the various benefits of leading by example and moving away from animal products entirely. Harris did not respond to the petition, and there is no recent evidence that she follows a plant-based diet.
Read more: ‘Animals Can’t Vote, But You Can’: Animal Political Parties Unite For European Elections
