A concerning connection exists between animal agriculture and animal experiments in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
A wide range of animals are used for science with the aim of trying to increase the profits of animal agriculture and prolong the life of this industry. Learn more about these types of experiments here.
Going vegan is the best thing an individual can do to stop the cruelty.
By not buying animal products, vegans, vegetarians, and people choosing to eat more plant-based foods are helping decrease the demand for cruel animal experiments. If we didn’t eat animals, then the need for experiments to make farming animals to eat as profitable as possible wouldn’t exist. It really is that simple.
Not everyone who supports an end to animal testing is vegan but is one of the many steps that people can take to help end animal experimentation in NZ.
The Vegan Society of Aotearoa, New Zealand, has an impressive recipes section on its website.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PRCM) have an online Vegan Starter Kit that provides nutritional information for all life stages, including pregnancy and childhood.
The Vegan Society of Aotearoa New Zealand also has its own Starter Guide.
A: Mindful Money is an independent charity on a mission to bring transparency to investing. You can visit their Fund Checker to see what your current KiwiSaver is investing in on your behalf, areas of concern can include animal cruelty, human rights abuses, weapons and fossil fuels.
If your provider is not on this list, go to MindfulMoney, an independent entity with all providers.
A. The team at Pathfinder aims to show that you don't have to choose between investing your money ethically and getting good returns - they would like you to have both! While past performance is not a guarantee of future returns, their three-year returns have been stellar and as an active manager, they strive to continually make investment decisions that grow your wealth and community well-being. Learn more about Pathfinder’s top-ranking returns here.
A. While Pathfinder has policies around animal testing, factory farming, whaling, live exports and the use of animals for entertainment, it isn’t strictly 100% vegan.
For example, they don’t invest in factory farming, but they also don’t avoid investing in companies making products from wool - for example, WoolAid (who make wool bandages). You can find out more here.
A. Yes. "To help you save, the Government will make an annual contribution to your account as long as you meet these conditions:
Note that your employer contributions don’t count; it is what you have paid that matters.
If you contribute less than $1,042.86 from your pay, you can make a voluntary contribution to top up your account to qualify for the Government contribution.