Mexico is a marginally adequate performer under the VACI.
I became a vegetarian after realizing that animals feel afraid, cold, hungry and unhappy like we do. I feel very deeply about vegetarianism and the animal kingdom. It was my dog Boycott who led me to question the right of humans to eat other sentient beings.
Cesar Chavez
Mexico is a marginally adequate performer under the VACI.
Mexico slaughters around 13.3 land-based animals per person / year, which is higher than the global average of 9.7. The country’s dependency on farm animals is also higher than average, with around 4.9 farm animals per person (compared with a global average of around 4). Factory farming is widespread, particularly in pig and poultry production. Mexico slaughters the second highest number of horses per capita (second only to China).
The Mexican diet contains a relatively high proportion of animal products, with around 44.5% of the average Mexican’s diet being made up of land-based animal protein (compared with a global average of 35.2%). This equates to each person consuming around 37.6g of land-based animal protein per day (compared with a global average of 26.7g).
Mexico was given a “D” under the Animal Protection Index (API), and is a moderate performer under the Sanctioning Cruelty category. Animal protection is regulated at a state-level, and not all jurisdictions have prohibitions against animal cruelty. Factory farming practices, such as extreme confinement and mutilations without pain relief, are legal. Learn more about the quality of Mexico’s legislative protections on the API here.