Why You Should Boycott Fast Food

Lots of fast food places are coming out with vegan options, and while it’s certainly exciting to see giant corporations dip their toe into more ethical waters, does that suddenly make buying from them okay? Is fast food’s reputation going to be redeemed by a couple of plant-based burgers? The short answer is probably not. 

Here are three significant reasons to stay away from fast food restaurants and to not give them any more Support than they already have. 

Low Wages 

There’s no denying the link between poverty and all of the fast food employees who work in hot, crowded kitchens for hours and hours serving impatient customers. Out of all the families of fast food employees, 52 percent of them are in at least one public program. That’s over double the average 25 percent of families on benefits in the American workforce, so clearly, something’s not right. 

Seven billion dollars a year is spent on helping fast food employees and their families get by. So why do they need so much money? To start, 20 percent of these families make below the poverty line, and 43 percent make an income that’s two times the federal poverty level or less. And remember, these are people with jobs. They work for some of the richest corporations in the country, yet they can’t even rely on them for the most basic of salaries. In case you were wondering, this has nothing to do with working more hours, because half of the families in public programs work 40 hours or more a week. They don’t need to work more, they need higher wages. 

Hygiene

Everyone knows that fast food restaurants probably aren’t the cleanest of establishments, but why is that? And how unhygienic are they? In 2008, the Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism published a case study about one fast food employee and how health-food inspections may be insufficient in making sure that they follow the food safety regulations. It validates what we already know about these restaurants — they just aren’t clean enough. 

Health violations usually occur due to a lack of training. Turnover in fast food restaurants is the highest in the American economy. How well can someone be trained in such a short amount of time? And is it even worth trying if the chance of the employee leaving or being fired is so high?  These are valid questions, except for the fact that they’re serving food that — if not handled properly — can make you very sick. Human error is the main reason why health codes are broken, including “improper food-holding temperature and inadequate hygiene practices, sanitation, and hygiene facilities.” Is their food really worth the risk of food poisoning? 

Environment 

Fast food restaurants serve an enormous amount of meat, so it’s impossible to talk about them without mentioning the harmful effects of animal agriculture. Animal agriculture emits a horrific amount of carbon, and as of 2019, had no carbon plan set up to address the environmental impact of the industry. We simply can’t afford to keep pumping the atmosphere with tons and tons of carbon. If the industry doesn’t begin to make changes, by 2050 the meat and dairy will account for 70 percent of the authorized GHG emissions. That’s an enormous percentage — and it doesn’t even account for farming and other essential industries that keep populations fed and alive. 

By ignoring these problems, fast food chains could face “long-term financial sustainability” problems, which would further impact the well-being of their employees. 

Conclusion 

There’s nothing ethical about fast food. Even if some of their products don’t contain animals or animal by-products, the way they treat their employees, the environments, and how they handle their food is enough to never buy from them again. The employees and the families of employees at these establishments deserve better. Your body deserves better. And our earth definitely deserves better.

Related Content:

• One Fair Wage Supports Biden’s Plan to Help Workers Who Rely On Tips
• Thousands of Workers Across Country Walk Off Their Jobs to Demand Racial and Economic Justice
• Climate Activists Protest Against Amazon’s Expansion in France; Say it’s “Destroying Jobs and Climate”
• Addictive Ingredients in Fast Food and their Effect on Your Body

For more Animal, Earth, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter! Lastly, being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!