Hi, my name is Colas and I'm an ethical fruitarian. I believe that plants are sentient and can feel pain. So I only eat fruits in the botanical sense of the word. In other words, I only eat the fleshy part that surrounds the seed. From my perspective, fruits are willingly given by the plant. So by eating fruits and dispersing the seeds, we fulfill the wish of the plant, accomplish the will of God and contribute to turning the Earth into a garden of Eden. I do not eat cereals, leafy greens, nuts or seeds! This way of life fills me with bliss, felicity and happiness. Plants have a brain-like structure in their roots which enables them to feel emotions like us. This is why I consider ethical fruitarianism to be a moral extension of veganism. I believe that carefully harvested fruits are the only food that has the potential to be 100% karma free. Animals are worthy of compassion even though they look different. Well, so are plants! As a Science teacher with an ardent passion for botany, I have developed a profound love for our vegetal cousins. On a spiritual level, I believe that God is everything and that we are all part of Her/Him, even the most cruel animal exploiters. So I love every living being wholeheartedly in a non judgemental fashion. Ethical fruitarianism is also known as Eden fruitarianism, a term coined by author Mango Wodzak. If anyone is sincerely interested in this way of life, please by all means get in touch with me, I'll be more than happy to share my thoughts and experience.
Now, some vegans may object to ethical fruitarianism: "But plants are not sentient, they cannot feel pain as they have no brain!" Well, I empathise with this perspective as I used to think this way myself. I was a vegan for many years before converting to ethical fruitarianism. I also used to believe that plants could not feel pain because they lacked a brain or a nervous system, so I know where vegans that use this argument are coming from. When faced with the typical arguments made by non vegans (and plants though?), I used to repeat devoutly the mantra I had been taught about plants lacking nociceptors and thus being unable to feel pain. I would go on in great details about their so called "sensitivity", which I would argue was nothing but the automated response of mechanoreceptors. To be honest, whether I argued this way or not I can't really remember. Anyway, all of that was before I delved thoroughly into plant anatomy and the root brain theory. All of that was before my certainties about plants shattered into smithereens. I appreciate that when non vegans object to veganism with the traditional "and plants though?", this is sheer hypocrisy as they do not care for plants in the slightest. Nevertheless, the classic vegan counterarguments do not withstand scrutiny and close examination. Crucially, they do not stand up to the latest research in the field of plant neurobiology, which is at the cutting edge of botany. You may want to watch the YouTube talks from plant neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso. I particularly recommend "Are plants sentient?" and "The roots of plants". Many scholars in the field of plant neurobiology believe that plants are sentient. The root apex can sense 15 physical and chemical parameters. The plant uses neurotransmitters and electrical impulses to pass on information. The roots of plants form brain-like structures and for all practical purposes act as brains. Plants communicate with each other and animals, they trade nutrients with fungi, they display memory and learning skills, they show compassion (especially towards their close relative), they are sentient beings like you and I! This is why ethical fruitarianism is the only form of absolute non violence, ahimsa, towards all living beings. Not to mention that when crops are harvested, hundreds of mice, shrews, grasshoppers, etc. are mauled by the tractor blades while their habitat is being destroyed. This does not happen when fruits are carefully harvested. So not only is fruitarianism beneficial to plants, it is also highly beneficial to animals. It is the only path through which the Earth will eventually be turned into a garden of Eden.
Many thanks for reading!
Now, some vegans may object to ethical fruitarianism: "But plants are not sentient, they cannot feel pain as they have no brain!" Well, I empathise with this perspective as I used to think this way myself. I was a vegan for many years before converting to ethical fruitarianism. I also used to believe that plants could not feel pain because they lacked a brain or a nervous system, so I know where vegans that use this argument are coming from. When faced with the typical arguments made by non vegans (and plants though?), I used to repeat devoutly the mantra I had been taught about plants lacking nociceptors and thus being unable to feel pain. I would go on in great details about their so called "sensitivity", which I would argue was nothing but the automated response of mechanoreceptors. To be honest, whether I argued this way or not I can't really remember. Anyway, all of that was before I delved thoroughly into plant anatomy and the root brain theory. All of that was before my certainties about plants shattered into smithereens. I appreciate that when non vegans object to veganism with the traditional "and plants though?", this is sheer hypocrisy as they do not care for plants in the slightest. Nevertheless, the classic vegan counterarguments do not withstand scrutiny and close examination. Crucially, they do not stand up to the latest research in the field of plant neurobiology, which is at the cutting edge of botany. You may want to watch the YouTube talks from plant neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso. I particularly recommend "Are plants sentient?" and "The roots of plants". Many scholars in the field of plant neurobiology believe that plants are sentient. The root apex can sense 15 physical and chemical parameters. The plant uses neurotransmitters and electrical impulses to pass on information. The roots of plants form brain-like structures and for all practical purposes act as brains. Plants communicate with each other and animals, they trade nutrients with fungi, they display memory and learning skills, they show compassion (especially towards their close relative), they are sentient beings like you and I! This is why ethical fruitarianism is the only form of absolute non violence, ahimsa, towards all living beings. Not to mention that when crops are harvested, hundreds of mice, shrews, grasshoppers, etc. are mauled by the tractor blades while their habitat is being destroyed. This does not happen when fruits are carefully harvested. So not only is fruitarianism beneficial to plants, it is also highly beneficial to animals. It is the only path through which the Earth will eventually be turned into a garden of Eden.
Many thanks for reading!