Homecoming

I am writing this piece as someone who was a committed ethical vegan for six years. I turned to veganism while getting my Ph.D. in the United States, after uncovering the horrors of meat and dairy production there. I am also a Palestinian who comes from a lineage of shepherds, farmers, and fishermen. Now that I am back in my cultural context, I am actively revisiting my veganism, from an ethical, cultural, and practical perspective. My commitments to animal welfare and the planet have not waned, they are just more nuanced. I have gradually incorporated eggs and more dairy into my diet and will occasionally eat fish. I have had to unlearn the guilt built into my vegan practice and unpack what it means to eat from and be connected to the land. Food sovereignty is a liberatory practice, and it comes in many shapes and forms, all rooted in culture and land. This piece is a personal and political reflection.