Why we feast on meat and hate on vegans – National Post

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By all accounts flawlessly balanced and perfectly constructed, the Popeyes chicken sandwich was billed a gift from the heavens. Selling for a paltry $3.99, it sparked a feeding frenzy in the U.S. this summer. As popular as it was, and still is, it also serves as a batter-crusted reminder of how deeply confused we are about meat-eating.

Roughly 50 billion chickens are slaughtered each year to satisfy our massive global appetite for wings, nuggets, strips and the slabs of breast at the heart of the chicken sandwich wars. The majority of these birds are raised in factory farms the crowded and cramped conditions they live in is, at this point, no secret. Yet an awareness of their discomfort has no impact on our desire for a viral fast-food sandwich.

While most would agree that causing animal suffering is immoral, we balk at recent recommendations to eat less meat and belittle those who choose to cut it out of their diets entirely. Merely mentioning veganism is enough to elicit eyerolls, and reactions to what is a purely personal choice have escalated far beyond the non-verbal.

The seemingly harmless launch of a plant-based sausage roll at U.K. bakery chain Greggs last year was enough to prompt a range of aggressive responses, including one from TV presenter Piers Morgan. Nobody was waiting for a vegan bloody sausage, you PC-ravaged clowns, he tweeted. The meatless rolls popularity ultimately led to a 13.5 per cent increase in year-over-year sales for Greggs, the BBC reports, and Morgans fraught relationship with it inspired YouTube comedian Alizee Yeezy to write Piers Morgans Vegan Lover an X-rated novella centred around an intimate pastry-related act.

In response to a freelance writer pitching a plant-based recipe column a perfectly normal occurrence an editor once saw fit to explicitly express bloodlust. How about a series on killing vegans one by one. Ways to trap them? How to interrogate them properly? Expose their hypocrisy? Force-feed them meat? Make them eat steak and drink red wine? wrote William Sitwell, former editor of Waitrose Food, a supermarket magazine in the U.K.

The anger isnt surprising

This degree of anger, over what amounts to a new menu item and a handful of recipes, seems extreme, but its far from surprising. There are countless examples just like them spanning this past decade alone. The frequency and hostility of such outbursts, though, only serves to detract from the real question, which is: Why do we care if someone eats meat or not? Why is meat-eating so contentious, and antagonizing vegans such a popular pastime?

According to a 2015 study published in the journal Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, vegans in Western society experience discrimination to the same extent as other minorities. Second only to drug addicts in terms of the stigma they face, the BBC reports, vegans are increasingly under fire. And most-loathed of all: those who abstain from meat for reasons of animal cruelty.

As researchers Kelly Markowski and Susan Roxburgh of Kent State University highlight in a study published in the journal Appetite, vegans are viewed as oversensitive as well as physically and mentally weak by the omnivorous masses. The reasons for these negative associations run deep, affecting not just how we feel about meat-eating but our very sense of self.

If all of us are doing something bad, it cant really be that bad, right?

In choosing not to eat meat, the authors write, vegans are rejecting a core tenet of American culture. Meat is central to celebrations if you dont partake in the Thanksgiving turkey, Super Bowl chicken wings or Easter ham, youre not just declining an offer of food, but fracturing an unspoken pact and turning your back on tradition. This prevents one of the central functions of sharing food bonding the prevention of which fosters negative emotions among omnivores, like anger and discomfort, write Markowski and Roxburgh.

At the root of this conflict is a phenomenon Australian psychologists Brock Bastian and Steve Loughnan dubbed the meat paradox our hunger for meat clashes with the knowledge that animals must suffer in order for it to be satisfied. As Julia Shaw writes in Evil: The Science Behind Humanitys Dark Side, Hypocrisy feels less bad, less threatening, when in a group. If all of us are doing something bad, it cant really be that bad, right?

In the name of enjoyment, we might put any concerns related to health, environment or animal welfare aside. We eat that fast-food sandwich knowing full well it was made with a battery chicken. This disconnect between our actions and beliefs leads to another key concept in understanding the emotions tied to eating meat: cognitive dissonance. We have affection for animals and dont want them to suffer, yet we also want to eat them. When we act on the latter belief, the very fact that there are vegans in the world is unsettling, as Hank Rothgerber, a social psychologist at Bellarmine University, Kentucky, told the BBC. Were forced to view our meat-eating as what it is: a choice.

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Why we feast on meat and hate on vegans - National Post

Vegans are brave and they have a point – Spectator.co.uk

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It was a clear and icy night at home in Derbyshire last week. I love these times and, before bed, stepped outside to stand on the lawn in the moonless pitch-black and take it in. All at once the dark was pierced with an awful scream. I was not greatly alarmed the rural night is full of strange noises but stood there, puzzling out what it might be.

The scream, almost human, was repeated, and its provenance seemed to be moving from one side to the other of the field adjacent to ours. Could it be a fox? Vixens do make some blood-curdling cries during the mating season but does that start as early as January? Or might it be a foxs victim a hare or rabbit, perhaps, fighting back as the poor creature was carried off or even an owls prey? Might it be the call of some kind of night-bird? But this was a call Id never heard from anything with feathers.

I felt curious, but only mildly so. Whatever creature was calling, this was nature calling. Alone in the dark I was standing in, not outside, nature, and in nature another animal screaming but posing no threat to me was not a matter for alarm. Animals kill each other, usually for food.

But it made me think about veganism. Ive been thinking about veganism a lot recently. Were told this month is -Veganuary, and more people than I can remember are toying with the idea, if only temporarily, of not eating meat. From time to time Ive done so myself. My lodger in the London flat is a serious vegan and I respect him very much for it. Though we carnivores may grumble about veggies and vegans and think them awkward, the fact remains that its a carnivores world, things are organised to suit meateaters, and people who go against that have to put up with endless inconvenience. They are brave.

They also have a point. I cannot pass a lorry full of pigs being carried to the slaughter without wincing. I switched off a radio discussion of slaughterhouses last week, unable to listen. We try (dont we, most of us?) not to think about the millions of animals being killed each week for our tables; and things we try not to think about are so often things were not confident we could justify.

People who take pleasure in confronting vegetarians with whataboutery (What about your shoes? That violin music you bought though its played on a catgut? And thats a leather armchair you just sat in, ha ha etc) infuriate me. Trying to make the best the enemy of the good often masks our own guilt, and I dare say that in the days of slavery, abolitionists were taunted for using sugar that had been grown in slave plantations.

So my instincts towards veganism are sympathetic. I know and understand the case against using animals for our own gratification; I understand, too, how the logic carries you onward to complete veganism, and I dont question that logic.

But as I stood there in the dark hearing another creature scream last week, it was a contrary thought that troubled me. A thought, no more. I wouldnt dignify it with the word argument, in some ways it was more of a feeling, but it was a strong feeling. Isnt using animals bound up with needing them, and bound up with them (cows, sheep, horses) needing us? Isnt mutual need, however red in tooth and claw, something that binds us into nature, makes us humans a kind of animal, living with animals as animals live with us? Might it be an important corrective against the arrogance that goes with believing we are masters of the universe, a race of gods looking down on the world and the natural order in it but not in the complete sense part of it?

One reason I dare not call this an argument or theory is that our whole evolution as a species seems to point towards that destination. We have so mechanised and specialised and compartmentalised food production that some city people have never even seen a cow face to face, and very few people, urban or rural, have ever visited a slaughterhouse. Maybe thats what civilisation, what we call human progress, means. Long gone are the days when every family could keep and slaughter their own pig.

Yet if thats where were going, perhaps we should say so: acknowledge it to ourselves. It will be a world in which nature is no longer something were part of, but something we control. The world will be our garden. The wild will be what we have decided to designate as the wild. There will be humans, and there will be national parks. Will we still want domestic animals at all, when we have no use for them? Maybe we could keep a few in a zoo, or in farmexperience places you could visit.

Shall we let the animals we include in our master-plan hunt and eat each other? Maybe, and we could watch. Or maybe we could require the carnivores among them to eat meat-like proteins manufactured or grown without the infliction of suffering on any other animal. And gradually over the centuries ahead we could turn our world into a planet where we decided these matters.

The irony (as it seems to me) is that vegans and vegetarians have played an early and important and a very creditable part in the movement to abolish or limit old-fashioned zoos and animal-inclusive circuses: and I approve of much in that mission. Yet the same thinking may lead in the end towards the establishment of the biggest and most ambitious zoo in all creation. The zoo will be the natural world, and we shall be the zookeepers.

I turned away from those screams in the dark and returned to the warm. The itch to discover, and perhaps intervene and correct or rescue, had left me.

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Vegans are brave and they have a point - Spectator.co.uk

Veganism may not save the world, but healthier animals could – Food Dive

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Jeff Simmons is president and CEO of Elanco Animal Health, a global company focused on advancing the health of animals, people and the planet.

At this months Golden Globes, the meal got almost as much attention as the movies with award-winner Joaquin Phoenix and other celebrities touting veganism as a path to saving the planet. The events meatless menu created a lot of buzz and critics gave the effort mixed reviews.

Im a big proponent of reducing our impact on the environment and I applaud people who want to be part of real change. We face big challenges and it will take all of us working together. If theres one thing I can absolutely agree with Joaquin on, its that we should be talking about animals and their impact on our world. But his storyline is missing the bigger picture. Lets make sure the facts dont hit the cutting room floor.

Our bodies need protein. Animal sourced-foods meat, milk, fish and eggs provide unique health benefits that enable us to live life to the fullest. They are the primary dietary source of key ingredients like vitamin B12 and choline, a nutrient that is critical to brain function. In emerging economies, adding animal protein in the diet means less prevalence of stunting, higher levels of physical activity, increased initiative and leadership behaviors, and overall improved health.

We cant focus on our physical health at the expense of our planet. There are things we can and should do better to reduce our impact on the environment, but the solution to climate change isnt eliminating animal agriculture. In fact, we cant create a sustainable environment without animals. The sustainable solution is keeping our animals healthier by being judicious and responsible with the resources available to us.By improving animal health, we can produce more food with fewer animals and a smaller environmental footprint.

Jeff Simmons

Animals act as conservationists for our planet in ways we cannot.

For example, 86% of the 6 billion tons of feed livestock consumed annually is made up of materials people cannot eat. The process of creating human food from plants creates leftovers, such as wheat middlings from making flour, which can be used as animal feed and upgraded into nutrient-rich animal source food. This both reduces the potential impact of disposed food waste and leftovers, and adds to the bounty on humanitys collective dinner table. For example, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, cattle return 1 pound of protein to the human food system for every 0.6 pounds of potentially human edible protein they consume.

And when it comes to emissions, celebrities rides to the Golden Globes have far greater impact on the environment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, transportation accounts for 26% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock production is just 4%.

Experts predict a growing population will drive a need for 70% more protein globally in the coming decades. There can be a future where we meet this demand without jeopardizing our resources. But we need to put the focus and energy in the right places where we can make the biggest impact. According to UC-Davis professor Frank Mitloehner, all Americans practicing Meatless Mondays would only reduce the U.S. national greenhouse gas emissions by 0.6%. Meanwhile, farmers and ranchers are continually working to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, the carbon footprint of U.S. dairy production has shrunk to just a third of what it was in 1950.

Taking nutrient-rich animal source food choices off the table isnt a solution to our challenges. Lets focus on meaningful steps that make an impact like getting farms to carbon neutral and producing protein more efficiently. We need tools and resources for farmers, particularly in emerging economies. We need science and innovation to help raise livestock more efficiently. We need productive public, private, NGO partnerships.

What is undoubtedly good about the conversation is that we can all agree change is necessary. I would welcome the opportunity to talk with anyone celebrity or otherwise about the complex topic of climate and animal agriculture. We can only solve this if we work together for scientific truth and solutions.

It starts with healthy animals. And it also starts with us.

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Veganism may not save the world, but healthier animals could - Food Dive

Part-time veganism: the fewer animal products I ate, the less I wanted them – The Guardian

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Its 2020. We all know the world is melting and we need to do everything we can to help the environment. I already walk everywhere, try to grow my own vegetables, eat seasonally, shop local, try to have zero food waste, have a worm farm, compost, host a beehive, bring my own bag and refuse to use takeaway cups, but for some reason I never switched to a plant-based diet.

I know that it is the easiest thing you can do to stop putting stress on the world from an agricultural and an ethical standpoint with an obvious side effect of overall carbon emission reduction.

But it is hard. For me, it is hard because I write about food for a living. I write about restaurants and bars and aside from the obvious need to eat butter, cheese, meat and other non-plant-based things while reviewing, alcohol isnt plant-based either. You know the reason why your Campari is red? Beetle shells. That wine youre drinking? Its been fined and filtered with eggshells and fish products. And though some people might, a food critic cannot subsist on vodka and unfined, unfiltered wine alone.

But thats no excuse. There are 21 meals in one week and for me only three are reviews. I also know the contents of my fridge (butter, eggs, stock, yoghurt, congee) and I need to be realistic about how drastically I can change my diet. So three months ago I decided that for three days a week nine meals I would eat vegan.

I thought that just because I dont drink milk or eat meat at every meal, I was pretty good already. I was wrong. I am that asshole who does all her meal prep at the weekend so I have at least five days of breakfasts, lunches and bases in the fridge. I had no idea how heavily I relied on eggs for breakfast, how much butter I consumed and how much I relied on stock-based meals until I stopped cooking them.

Since the environment was my primary motivation for adopting a partial vegan diet, I set myself some rules.

1. No processed foods. This meant no fake cheese, spreads, mock meat or any of that factory-made food that requires a lot of energy to produce. The most processed food I allowed myself was tofu.

2 No grains that have been unethically sourced. Im looking at you quinoa. When we went through the big quinoa boom, production ravaged Bolivia. Also food miles. The only quinoa Id be eating had to be locally grown. Cheap? No, but what is the cost of starving a nation?

3. No alt-milks. I dont drink milk but I have some huge problems with industries that take a product that requires tonnes of water to produce, milk it, and then ditch the actual product at the end, creating a food waste. The boom of this category is also a huge bee killer, and no bees mean no food, means no life.

4. No produce out of season. I eat like this already because its better for the environment, not just in terms of farming, but it also reduces my carbon footprint. Its a no-brainer and generally cheaper because there is always a surplus of in-season produce.

Thankfully meal-prepping legume-based dishes like soups, curries and salads takes no time, and any excuse to incorporate more colour and variety of vegetables into my diet is a good thing.

I found myself getting out of my go-to prep or clean-out-the-fridge dishes and making foods I never would have otherwise attempted at home, like dosa (for you sandwich press chefs out there, the batter also cooks very well in a toastie machine and doesnt stink out the office) and finding more creative ways to eat whole grains, tofu and legumes.

Surprisingly, as I cut animal products out of my diet, I found that I wanted them less and less. My three days of plant-based eating slowly became four, then five, and then I found myself eating like a regular person only when I went out with friends or for work.

From an athletic perspective, despite training intensely six days a week, my energy levels and strength did not change. As for my weekly food spend, my grocery bill was halved although if I bought packaged, processed foodsthat wouldnt be the case.

As for the negatives, there are only a few and they barely qualify as negatives. One is a personal preference: I am not a fan of tempeh. No matter how you marinate it, fry it or deep fry it, we will never be friends.

The second negative is that nothing will prepare you for the wind. Im talking about your own, your partners and the fact that you will be holding in a lot of gas so you arent ostracised from society. After a week or two of adjusting, your body gets used to all the starches fermenting in your guts, but you need to hang in there and cross that threshold.

And finally, even though you havent told them youve switched to eating a mostly plant-based diet, people will have very long-winded opinions about it, and they will feel it is imperative that you listen. How very tiresome.

As for the experiment, it has now become a lifestyle choice where most of my meals are vegan. There is nothing unhealthy or destructive about eating more whole-food, plant-based meals. After all, as the sociocultural writer Michael Pollan says: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. And whether it is for the sake of the planet or your own body, he is right.

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Part-time veganism: the fewer animal products I ate, the less I wanted them - The Guardian

Rocker Brian May Would Have Tried Veganism Sooner – If He Realized How Delicious It Is – Plant Based News

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Brian May is loving Veganuary (Photo:Bill Ingalls)

Brian May has revealed that he is loving the food he's been able to eat during Veganuary - and would have tried it sooner if he'd realized how delicious a plant-based diet can be.

The Queen guitarist, who is currently touring in Japan, is a longtime vegetarian and animal advocate, who decided to trial a plant-based diet because he was 'bothered' by campaigners for some animals while eating animal-derived food.

Posting on Instagram, the musician shared a picture of his breakfast, and wrote: "Vegan breakfast for a Big Day! You know, I think if I'd realized how easy Veganuary was going to be, I'd have done it earlier.

"I was under the impression I was going to be 'giving things up', but it seems to be an opportunity to eat more of the things I really love!"

The star revealed he'd be doing Veganuary 2020 last month, sharing the news with his 2.1 million Instagram followers, posting a picture of himself brandishing Veganuary's vegan guide.

He said: "Starting on the first of January I, this coming year I will be doing VEGANUARY. Which means I will eat only vegan food for that month.

"If any of you folks out there are hovering on the edge out there and want to join me too, I'd be delighted. We can mutually support each other! I figured this book is a good place to start.

"My reasons? 1) to lessen the suffering of animals. 2) To lessen the load on our groaning planet. 3) for my health. And...as an animal campaigner, it has been bothering me for a while that I still eat animal-derived food, that has caused indignity and pain to a non-human animal."

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Rocker Brian May Would Have Tried Veganism Sooner - If He Realized How Delicious It Is - Plant Based News

OPINION: Welcome to the 2020s. Veganism is in. – Indiana Daily Student

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Beyond Burger is a plant-based alternative to meat for those looking to go vegan or reduce their animal product intake. Tribune News Service Buy Photos

Vegan diets, which exclude the consumption of animal products in favor of plant-based foods,have become a powerful market force in the United States. Its never been easier for vegans to abstain from meat, eggs and dairy. Maybe you should join them.

The Economist predicted that 2019 would be the year of the vegan, and the prediction panned out well. According to market data from Nielsen, plant-based food sales have grown at more than five times the rate of overall food sales. Milk alternatives, such as almond milk and oat milk, comprised the largest category of sales.

Meanwhile, cow's milk is out. Dean Milk and Borden, two of the countrys largest milk producers, have filed for bankruptcy since November. The companies attributed their financial ruin to plummeting sales of traditional white milk. Americans per capita consumption of fluid milk has fallen 26% over the last two decades, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The plant-based food industry owes some of its runaway success to two companies that sell mock meat: Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. Their lab-produced foods use specially chosen plant ingredients, which mimic the taste and appearance of real meat. Restaurant companies such as Burger King, Qdoba, White Castle and Dunkin have all signed deals with Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods. This week, Impossible Foods announced the upcoming release of a pig-free pork.

However, there's no vegan utopia yet. USDA data showed that overall dairy consumption in pounds per person remained unchanged between 2015 and 2018, owing its resilience to cheese consumption. Similar patterns hold for eggs.

While veganism has become mainstream, it is not necessarily popular. As few as 3% of Americans identify as vegan, according to Gallup. One poll commissioned by HuffPost suggests that more voters would be reluctant to vote for a vegan than would be excited to vote for one.

The rise of vegan food highlights the trend of reducing rather than totally eliminating animal-based foods. A survey from Harris Poll found that as many as 1 in 5 Americans sometimes opt to eat out totally animal-free.

The pattern also reflects a generational divide. Impossible Foods data indicated that more than half of Generation Z and millennials eat plant-based meat at least once per month, compared to just 1 in 5 baby boomers.

Vegans cite numerous reasons for their dietary choices.

One motivation is the environment. A study published in the journal Science identifies greenhouse gas emissions, global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water scarcity as factors that make livestock consumption environmentally unfriendly. Oxford University researcher Joseph Poore, who led the study, concluded, A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth.

Another study estimates that eating vegan for just two-thirds of meals could reduce food-related carbon emissions by 60%.

Animal welfare is a second reason. Peter Singer, a Princeton University professor of philosophy who presented a lecture on animal ethics at IU in 2018, wrote, industrial agriculture denies animals even a minimally decent life.

Citing small cages, disease and chemical poisoning associated with production of food from fish and birds, Singer and animal welfare activist Karen Dawn argue that there is a moral imperative to abstain from fish, eggs and poultry.

While the National Institute of Health emphasizes that red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, consumption of fake meat isnt necessarily healthier.

Emily Gelsomin, a senior clinical nutrition specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, explains, Meatless burgers are good for the planet, but not always good for our health. Patties from Impossible Foods and Beyond Meats are heavily processed and include higher amounts of sodium and saturated fat than typical beef burgers, Gelsomin said.

This type of diet change, the serious reduction of meats and dairies, is feasible for almost anyone with typical dietary needs in Bloomington. Vegan options in Bloomington are numerous. Its easy to buy from Bloomingfoods, Rainbow Bakery and more. Meatless burgers, including Beyond Meats famous patty, are widely available at supermarkets like Kroger. IU even offers on-campus options, too.

Veganism is here to stay in the 2020s. Next time you eat out, maybe hold the cheese.

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OPINION: Welcome to the 2020s. Veganism is in. - Indiana Daily Student

Veganuary: Do this year’s dishes rival the Greggs vegan sausage roll? – BBC News

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Hundreds of restaurants have launched tasty plant-based treats in conjunction with Veganuary, a campaign encouraging people to follow a vegan diet for the first month of the year. From pea protein pepperoni to watermelon steak, will any new products rival Greggs's vegan sausage roll success from last year?

Late at night on New Year's Day, dozens of people queued up outside the Greggs on Grainger Street in Newcastle to be among the first foodies to taste the new vegan steak bake before it was first available to buy on 2 January.

Food blogger Emma Phillips had been invited to the event by Greggs as a peace offering after she ate a non-vegan doughnut that had been mistakenly labelled as vegan.

The 40-year-old from Gateshead said the launch became "quite an experience" after various partygoers joined the queue to see what all the fuss was about.

"Bearing in mind it was New Year's Day, the Greggs in particular that they chose was on the corner beside quite a notorious area of Newcastle for revellers, shall we say - so a lot of quite inebriated people were walking past," Emma said.

After a bit of "ribbing" from non-vegan passersby, "they started to join the queue as well".

Inside, people were rewarded for their wait with trays of steak bakes, a DJ, and some iPads were even given away, Emma said.

It might seem like a lot of hype for just one product.

But Greggs knows how much one star snack can bolster an entire brand.

After Piers Morgan criticised the vegan sausage roll when it launched during the 2019 edition of Veganuary, Greggs's marketing team jumped for joy.

The ITV presenter's characteristically scathing retweet, followed by Greggs's witty reply, helped a video clip advertising the roll to accumulate a cool 5.3m views - and led to widespread media coverage.

The roll became one of the fastest selling Greggs products for years and helped to contribute to what was described as a "phenomenal year" by the company's chief executive.

Annual sales broke 1bn for the first time, with sales growing 13.5% compared to 7.2% in 2018 - and it was announced on Wednesday that all 25,000 staff members would get a share of a 7m payout to celebrate the success.

So, it's safe to say that food chains have realised there is money to be made out of Veganuary.

Food outlets jumping on the bandwagon include Wagamama, which has launched a "tuna" steak made of watermelon, Subway with its Meatless Meatball Marinara and Costa Coffee with its ham and cheese toastie - free from ham and, er, cheese.

Caffe Nero has launched an entire new menu to help people get through the 31-day challenge - complete with raspberry croissants and "meatball" paninis.

Pizza Hut, meanwhile, says it hopes its Veganuary special, a pepperoni-style pizza made from pea protein, will "appease" - oh dear - " even the greatest meat lovers".

So far this year the pizza chain says it has sold an average of 1,400 vegan pizzas a day - up 50% on January last year.

And Leon says its new chipotle and avocado burger has sold better than expected. The fast food chain's vegan burgers are now out-selling other burgers.

Dominos has confirmed rumours it is "getting there" with developing a vegan pizza - but it looks like it is going to miss the chance to make the most of the Veganuary hype.

Alison Rabschnuk from the Good Food Institute says the timing of Veganuary is "perfect" for businesses.

"Health concerns are the primary consumer motivation for eating vegan and January is the number one month for new health-related resolutions," she says.

But she also points out that not all vegan food has to be healthy - and new foods might actually sell better if they are marketed as an indulgent treat.

"Scream flavour and whisper health" is Alison's advice. "The fact that a dish is plant-based is what cues health for the customer - there's no need to overemphasise that point."

Veganuary launched in 2014 as a non-profit organisation encouraging people to try out being vegan in the first month of the year by signing the Veganuary pledge.

It also supports businesses to develop plant-based products "as a way of protecting the environment, preventing animal suffering and improving the health of millions of people".

The campaign claims 200 new vegan products were launched by restaurants and supermarkets at last year's event, when 250,000 people made the pledge.

This year is even bigger.

The number of sign-ups has already surpassed 370,000 (including 150,000 in the UK) and is "steadily rising", according to Veganuary's head of marketing, Toni Vernelli - who adds the "huge response" shows the "positive action" of the campaign is "exactly what many people need right now".

Google Trends also suggests there's much more interest in Veganuary this year.

Search term popularity in January each year

While making money from vegan foods at this time of year should therefore be easy, some food outlets have faced barriers.

Burger King cooked up a storm with its January roll-out of the Rebel Whopper which, although made of a plant-based patty, is not strictly suitable for vegans or vegetarians because it is cooked alongside meat products.

But the Veganuary team has defended the new burger and warned non-vegan customers not to get too picky.

It argues animals are better off with non-vegans eating plant-based burgers, even if they're cooked alongside their meaty counterparts.

PETA has also urged vegans to accept this kind of practice because otherwise restaurants will be put off making vegan products.

The risk of cross-contamination posed by the Rebel Whopper is one of several issues fast food chains encounter when rolling out vegan products.

Another problem for full-time vegans is whether or not to buy food from restaurants which make most of their fortune from meat.

Vegan social influencer Emily Woolnough has been grappling with this question for a while.

When KFC trialled a vegan burger last year, the 20-year-old from Cleethorpes refused to eat it.

"I was against buying something from KFC because they kill millions of chickens [and] I don't want my money to be going into that," she said.

But by the time the zero chicken burger launched across the UK on 2 January, Emily had listened to other influencers and had a change of heart.

"It's good to increase the demand for vegan food," she says - adding that the "amazing" KFC burger is her favourite Veganuary product because "it tastes so realistic".

Emma Phillips agrees it's the multinational big cheeses who will really be able to drive veganism to become mainstream.

"They're not bothered about the animals but I don't care," she says. "No business is there in an altruistic sense. For me, if veganism is to become mainstream... it has to be convenient, it has to be accessible. So the likes of Greggs and KFC are actually pushing that agenda in the way a niche movement wouldn't do."

Toni Vernelli, head of communications at Veganuary, agrees with the bloggers about sometimes-demonised business such as KFC, McDonald's and Burger King. "We don't think we can achieve a vegan world without them," she says.

She points out the huge advertising budgets and overflowing budgets enjoyed by these companies and says, with increased demand, industry giants might invest in growing their vegan menus.

While they may not want to be too closely aligned with a store that sells 1.5m pork sausage rolls every week, Emma and Emily do have one thing in common with Greggs - they're all profiting from Veganuary.

Emma says she got 1,000 new followers in the first week of January.

And part-time Starbucks worker Emily, whose @naturally_vegan Instagram page is smaller than Emma's @veganwomble account, has still had about twice the number of new followers in the first week of January compared with her weekly average.

"Posting the new foods gains a lot of attraction," Emily says.

"It's the hot topic at the minute, it's what everyone's talking about."

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Veganuary: Do this year's dishes rival the Greggs vegan sausage roll? - BBC News

Court To Decide Whether Veganism Is Protected Like Religion Under The Law – The Daily Wire

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A court in Great Britain is being asked on Thursday to decide whether veganism is a philosophical belief akin to a religion and thus should be protected under law.

The case stems from a claim filed by Jordi Casamitjana, who says he is an ethical vegan, and will walk rather than take a bus, which might accidentally crash into insects or birds and injure or kill them. Casamitjana worked for the animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports, according to the BBC, and pointed out to his superiors that the organization had invested pension funds in firms involved in animal testing.

Casamitjana claims that after he informed his bosses, they did not take action, so he spoke to colleagues about the issue and was subsequently fired. That prompted his claim of discrimination against him because of his ethical veganism belief. He asserted,Although the manner in which I was dismissed was intensely distressing for me, some good may come of it if I am able to establish this valuable protection for all ethical vegans. If we are successful in that hearing, we will then proceed to a hearing on the specifics of my dismissal.

The League Against Cruel Sports counters that Casamitjana was dismissed for gross misconduct, though it does not dispute that veganism should be protected.

The BBC explains, ethical vegans try to exclude all forms of animal exploitation, for instance avoiding wearing or buying clothing made from wool or leather, or toiletries from companies that carry out animal testing.

On Thursday, the employment tribunal will consider whether veganism is a philosophical belief akin to a religion.

The BBC writes, Religion or belief is one of nine protected characteristics covered by theEquality Act 2010. It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate directly, by treating an employee less favorably than others because of their religion or belief.

BoltBurdon Solicitors explain:

In seeking to determine whether a belief is a philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010, an individual needs to demonstrate that:

Casamitjanas attorney, Peter Daly, stated, Ethical veganism is a philosophical belief held by a significant and growing portion of the population in the UK and around the world.This case, if successful, will establish that the belief entitles ethical vegans protection from discrimination.The case we have prepared sets out how the belief in principle, and how Jordis particular interpretations of it, comprehensively meet the required legal test.

In an interview from October 2019 with Vegan Life, Casamitjana recollected that he had chosen years ago to study animal societies, specifically the amazing world of social wasps. I chose wasps because everyone seemed to hate them, and would run away from them or kill them at every opportunity. Nobody appeared interested to find out about who they are.

He continued, the very first day I went to observe a wild nest, something extraordinary happened. One of the wasps working as a guard at the time, saw me approaching. She looked at me, assessed my intentions, and she judged me as safe enough, so she did not raise the alarm. My heart was pumping fast when I realized that I had been correctly judged by a one-inch tall individual. She, and not it, was a wise person belonging to a mysterious civilization I was about to enter. And when I did, I discovered things I would never have imagined. These creatures were not that different to us. In fact, they seem superior in so many ways but people would kill them.

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Court To Decide Whether Veganism Is Protected Like Religion Under The Law - The Daily Wire

A lot of people would go vegan if it wasnt for the money, taste, and convenience – ZME Science

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A survey of British men and women found widescale support for veganism, most viewing a completely plant-based diet as more ethical, better for the environment, and healthy. However, despite the overwhelmingly positive attitude, the same people also found veganism very challenging and inconvenient. The main barriers that kept them away from forgoing meat and dairy products dealt with taste, price, and convenience.

The analysis was published this week in the journal Sustainability by a team of researchers at the University of Bath in the UK.

Researchers surveyed 1,000 participants who were recruited online through Prolific, a surveying platform, about their beliefs about vegetarianism and vegan diets. All the participants were meat-eaters with an average age of 34.

According to the results, 73% of the surveyed participants thought veganism is ethical, 70% considered it was good for the environment, 60% found it socially acceptable, while 50% said it was healthy.

At a time of year when many people are considering switching to plant-based diets with Veganuary, this study shows that most people already agree with the ethics of veganism and are aware of the benefits of vegan diets to the environment, Chris Bryant, lead author of the new study and a psychologist at the University of Bath, said in a statement.

If thats the case, why are they still eating meat? On follow-up, 80% of respondents said that they did not think transitioning was easy, 77% said it was inconvenient, and 60% thought it was not enjoyable. Perceptions of vegan diets were significantly more negative than perceptions of vegetarian diets on most aspects.

That many people agree with the principles of veganism is one thing, but in terms of changing behaviours we need to acknowledge that for many it has been seen as too expensive, inconvenient and a sacrifice in terms of taste, Bryant said.

Although most of the respondents perceived cutting meat out of their diets as overwhelmingly positive and considered it too hard to do, its actually never been easier than ever to be a vegetarian or vegan.

For instance, the common argument that a vegan diet is expensive is simply no longer true. While a vegan menu will be significantly more expensive than a conventional, meat-based menu in most restaurants, things are changing fast. Companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat in the United States are now making plant-based products that not only taste and look like meat, theyre also similarly priced to meat-based products.

In the UK, fast food bakery Greggs just launched a vegan steak bake, right on the heels of Subways vegan Meatball Marinara sub and KFCs vegan burger.

Interestingly, in the time since this study was conducted, these things have all changed substantially. Supermarkets, restaurants, and even fast food outlets have developed numerous high quality and affordable vegan options. Having direct replacements for the foods people know and like makes it easier for everybody to consume fewer animal products. If we are to reduce animal product consumption in the UK and around the world, the development of high quality affordable alternatives to animal products is key, Bryant concluded.

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A lot of people would go vegan if it wasnt for the money, taste, and convenience - ZME Science

‘I’m an endurance runner with one kneecap – vegans aren’t weak’ – Metro.co.uk

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Fiona Oakes is an extreme endurance runner. She has broken four Guinness World Records and runs in some of the worlds most inhospitable climates, including the polar ice caps and volcanic rings.

Fiona has achieved all of this with a disability. She lost a kneecap in an injury when she was 17 and doctors told her she would never walk again, let alone run. Despite this its her vegan diet that causes people to question her ability.

I have been vegan far longer than I have been a runner, Fiona tells Metro.co.uk. I actually became vegan when I was six years old, and I have honestly never found my veganism too difficult or compromising to any aspect of my life.

I think the biggest misconception people have about veganism is that it isnt healthy but Im testament to the fact it is.

Ive broken four Guinness World Records for running, having been vegan for 47 years now, and Im very healthy.

I built my athletic strength on a plant-based diet, and all this despite my permanent disability.

Fiona has faced skepticism and disbelief throughout her running career when it comes to her dietary choices. She thinks its vital to change perceptions about what people can achieve on a vegan diet.

When I ran the Marathon des Sables in 2017, I took a film crew with me who were making a documentary about my life Running for Good.

The director asked the guys I was sharing my tent with; what do you think about Fiona? And one answer was; shes not what I expected a vegan to be like.

Remember, this is almost three years ago, before the meteoric rise of vegan and plant-based living, but I can only assume he didnt expect a vegan woman to be out in the Sahara Desert, running the toughest footrace on the planet for the third time.

After decades of veganism, my goal when I started running was to break down the myths and stereotypes attached to it at that time, in that it was some way deficient, hardly adequate and prohibitive to doing anything more than sedentary activity.

Fiona says that one of the toughest moments of her career was the first time she competed in Marathon des Sables in 2012.

Having decided to move up in distance from road running, Fiona was going to be the first vegan woman to tackle the race and there was quite a buzz about it online.

The event itself is unbelievably gruelling. Its a week-long, self-sufficiency, multi-stage race across the Sahara Desert, where temperatures can exceed 50 degrees and the terrain is extremely hostile.

If any sand gets into your shoes it can cause ferocious blistering.

I have actually known of peoples feet becoming so blistered that they needed skin grafts, says Fiona.

What made this first epic race so incredibly difficult, was that one week before the starting gun, one of the elderly horses from the animal sanctuary Fiona started in the 90s had stood on her foot, fractures two toes and caused horrendous swelling.

I wont go into detail but by 82km, I could actually see the bone sticking out of my little toe, Fiona remembers.

My foot was absolutely smashed to a pulp but I managed to keep going and keep strong enough to complete the race. I proves that anything is possible if you want it badly enough.

Running non-stop, for hours at a time through punishing conditions seems unimaginable for most of us. Fiona says the real struggle is often mental rather than physical.

Ultramarathons are a state of mind rather than body for me, she explains. Because I come from an elite road running background I am used to running quite high weekly mileage around 160km so I have the physical base fitness to carry me through, but the mental side of things in ultras is what is different.

You have to manage your body and your mind carefully and always try to look for the positives rather than focussing on the negatives which can quickly seem overwhelming if you dwell on them.

She says the intense, multi-stage races take her to some pretty dark places, and often she has to really battle to keep her demons in check.

You are out there, day-in day-out, on your feet for hours, really pushing through the pain. However, the long-term benefits far outweigh the short-term inconveniences, pain and struggles.

They teach you so much about yourself and, strangely enough, even though you literally have nothing apart from what you carry on your back, you have everything because you have the freedom and the ability to be there.

When you return to your day-to-day life, even the most seemingly trivial events like turning on a tap and fresh, drinkable water miraculously appearing is something to behold and cherish.

Fiona says running enriches every element of her life, and she is deeply grateful for everything it brings her.

I love the freedom of being out in the wilderness and the new and exciting experiences and adventures running always uncovers, she explains.

She adds that it isnt difficult adapting a vegan diet to enable her to achieve such physical extremes its just about working out exactly what your body needs.

Like any other diet, the main thing is that you find the correct nutritional balance for your particular lifestyle, says Fiona.

Mine has always been very active. I used to cycle 30 miles each way in to London to work, and now spend any time Im not running caring for our 550 rescued animals at the animal sanctuary I founded 25 years ago.

I dont fixate over my diet, but I have learned over the years to listen to what my body is telling me and act accordingly.

I dont think there is one set eating plan which suits all as everyones needs are different but basically I adhere to a whole grain diet including plenty of fresh, seasonal, locally sourced vegetables and fruits.

Fiona says that her convinction in her beliefs is what makes her a strong woman.

For the animals, the planet, other human beings, personal health and the future, my veganism is at the core of all I do.

It encapsulates justice and compassion for all something I have always been passionate about.

Strong Women is a weekly series that champions diversity in the world of sport and fitness.

A Sport England study found that 40% of women were avoiding physical activity due to a fear of judgement.

But, contrary to the limited images we so often see, women of any age, size, race or ability can be active and enjoy sport and fitness.

We hope that by normalising diverse depictions of women who are fit, strong and love their bodies, we will empower all women to shed their self-consciousness when it comes to getting active.

Each week we talk to women who are redefining what it means to be strong and achieving incredible things.

MORE: Strong Women: I lost all feeling in one side of my body at 28 but MS wont stop my fight

MORE: Strong Women: We live in a refugee camp and fear for our future but football gives us hope

MORE: Strong Women: Bells palsy changed my face and stole my confidence but yoga helped me heal

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'I'm an endurance runner with one kneecap - vegans aren't weak' - Metro.co.uk

Vegan diet: One thing to know before converting to veganism – NEWS.com.au

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Theres so much to think about when starting the vegan diet and it can get a little confusing to know how much of food groups a person will need to eat. With so many vegan type diets and know how articles online, its easy to miss the important considerations a beginner will need know. But getting it right can make all the difference, so here are some tips to think about before embarking on your first vegan diet.

MAIN NUTRIENTS TO KEEP IN MIND

Iron is one of the main nutrients to keep in mind when starting a vegan diet. The types of food groups to satisfy the level of intake is through plant-based foods like legumes, tofu, nuts and seeds, whole-grains, dried fruits and dark green, leafy vegetables.

Accredited practising dietitian and Spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia Melanie McGrice said the iron level intake is generally around 18mg for women aged 19-50.

From having a handful of seeds, youre going to get maybe 1 or 2mg of iron but not the full 18mg and so thats where its about the whole of your diet and planning for each meal. Ms McGrice said.

For men aged 19-50, the adequate intake for iron is 8mg.

Dietitians Association of Australia reports the type of iron in plant-based foods (non-haem iron) is not easily absorbed, so in order to boost the absorption of iron in plant-based foods is to include food meals rich with vitamin C. This would mean including berries, citrus fruit, Kiwi fruit, capsicum, tomatoes and broccoli.

Along with iron, nutrients such as B12, Calcium, Omega-3 fats, Zinc and Choline will need to be kept in mind according to Ms McGrice.

REPLACEMENTS AND PLANNING IS KEY

Sustaining balanced nutrients while on a vegan diet can be hard to do, especially if youre starting out for the first time. Many people worry about getting enough iron intake or if they get enough protein. But according to Ms McGrice, replacements and planning is key in getting the adequate intake.

According to practising dietitians, this diet involves food groups like fruit and vegetables, bread, cereals, and grains, legumes (lentils, chickpeas, dried beans), soy food like tofu and tempeh, and nuts and seeds.

Ms McGrice said its beneficial to really plan out your diet each day to make sure that nutritional needs are met. Its not about eating these food groups on its own but food groups that are complimentary as well.

Instead of having dairy, youll be having dairy alternatives such as soy milk and for Omega 3 options include foods such as chia seeds. Ms McGrice said.

With calcium it will be about having something like tahini and green, leafy vegetables and for iron, seeds are a good source, she said.

Zinc in plant-based foods are commonly found in legumes, nuts, seeds and oatmeal, and for a balanced intake of Choline, it appears in plant-based foods in small amounts.

Its beneficial to know food groups that contain these nutrients and by eating a well-balanced vegan diet with plenty of whole foods such as tofu, quinoa, and broccoli, its ensuring the daily requirements that are rich in resources.

I guess the key thing is that youre not going to get all of your nutrients just from one of those food types, Ms McGrice said.

The best way for a nutritional balance is ensuring to have complementary proteins within the same meal, she said.

COMMON MISTAKES

There are common mistakes made that affect nutrient adequate intake according to Ms McGrice. Sometimes these common mistakes can be tricky, even for those who have been and currently are on vegan diets.

Not having complementary protein in food groups within each meal is a common mistake its the kind of thinking that theyre going to meet the entire nutrient needs just by eating one food group with a particular nutrient, Ms McGrice said.

Just because someone eats a cup of broccoli doesnt mean that theyre going to meet all of their calcium needs. As mentioned before, its better to plan each meal with complementary proteins.

Ms McGrice said its easier to make an appointment with an accredited practising dietitian to help you to design a plan thats best for starting a vegan diet for the first time.

Or attend a vegan support group and get some practical tips to help you through the process, said Ms McGrice.

POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS

A vegan diet, if not done correctly, has potential for negative side effects.

Iron and B12 deficiency are a common, negative side effect if the nutrient requirements are not met according to Ms McGrice. The body cant make iron itself, so food is needed.

Having an annual blood test is a good idea to check your nutritional profile, Ms McGrice said.

The main cause for iron deficiency, according to Ms McGrice, can be caused by not eating enough iron rich foods. Some people, like children and teenagers, and pregnant women need more iron than others.

Vitamin B12 is needed to help the blood form and for the brain and nervous system to function properly.

The common symptoms of B12 deficiency include tiredness, light-headedness, rapid heart rate, easy bruising and bleeding, weight loss.

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Vegan diet: One thing to know before converting to veganism - NEWS.com.au

Vegan myths: the most common misconceptions about the diet – Her.ie

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These days, there's a lot of vegans out there.

And for every vegan, there's a vegan myth.

For years, there has been an abundance of misconceptions about the diet.

Everything from 'you'll be malnourished' to 'vegans will always tell you when they're a vegan' has been spouted from the mouths of those who enjoy basking in miseducation, or those who are simply naive.

So, as Oprah once posited: what is the truth?

Are all vegans really missing out on nutrients? Are supplements enough? Is being vegan simply too difficult and nobody should bother?

According to vegans - and non-vegans alike - the most common misconception is that somebody following a vegan diet simply cannot access all the vitamins and nutrients that we need to survive.

And although we absolutely don't need a professional to tell us this - just look at all of the entirely healthy vegans there are around us - we found one anyway.

Dietician Maeve Hanan from Orla Walsh Nutrition says that although documentaries like Netflix's Game Changers make it look like everybody needs an entire team around them to be a healthy fit vegan, it's really all about making sure that you've got balance in your diet.

"What you need is a good variety of plant based foods, especially lots of different types of plant based proteins so youre getting all of the essential ammonia acids that your body needs," she says.

Another really important thing is the supplements. Anybody living in Ireland should be considering taking vitamin D around this time of year anyway - we just dont get the sunshine here - so we should be taking about 10 mcg.

"Women of childbearing age should also be considering 400 mcg of folic acid supplement. Again, thats whether youre vegan or not. The most important ones to supplement for vegans are vitamin B12, iodine, and omega 3."

Bronwyn Slater, founder of information website The Irish Vegan, says that she finds much of the confusion around nutrients in a vegan diet comes from the assumption that vegans are missing out on all of the good stuff that meat-eaters aren't.

However, a lot of the time, this simply is not the case.

"In fact, a lot of meat eaters also need to take a B12 supplement because they don't get enough from their diet," she says.

"For meat eaters, B12 comes from animals who ingest the B12 directly from the soil. Because we wash all our vegetables nowadays we remove any soil that might contain B12, hence the need for supplementation.

Another myth about veganism is that anyone who follows the diet struggles to get enough protein when, in actual fact, most people in Ireland are already getting more than enough of the stuff.

"All plants contain some protein," says Bronwyn. "Foods that are high in protein include tofu (made from soya beans), seitan (made from wheat gluten), lentils, chickpeas, beans, soya milk, nuts, and many more."

But it's not just the science that people are misled on. There also seems to be a lot of confusion around the use of the words: 'plant based' and 'vegan.'

While the word 'vegan' means a diet that avoids the use of any animal products, 'plant based' (although sometimes used as a synonym), actually means something else entirely.

Dietician Maeve says that despite what a lot of people think, there is actually "no single definition of what a plant based diet is."

"Its this really broad spectrum of anything from someone having a few meat-free meals during the week to someone who is completely vegan," she says.

"I think the flexitarian approach, where you have lots of plants in the diet, is a really healthy way of living where you dont need to exclude food groups or put a strict label on it. That works for a lot of people."

And although the label might be strict, it's also incredibly common.

Walk into any supermarket in Ireland and you'll be sure to find a selection of products actively marked as vegan friendly.Following the diet is, contrary to what many people still believe, not half as difficult as it used to be.

Sam Pearson, owner of Vegan Sandwich Co, can attest to that. Having been a vegan for three years - and a chef of vegan food for almost as long - he knows first hand the incredible increase of varied vegan options over the past few years.

"You can walk into any restaurant and any shop and find a vegan option," he says.

"What Im doing and what other vegan businesses are doing is trying to make these options as delicious as their meat and dairy counterparts."

And what about the the, ahem, joke that 'vegans will always tell you when they're vegan'? Sam says that at his stall, it's actually the opposite.

"Youll know a meat eater at the stall because theyll tell you," he says."Theyre like: Im not vegan, just so you know but this food is nice."

You can read more of Her's in-depth look at veganism in Ireland here.

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Should Veganism Feature on the UK Pensions Menu? – The National Law Review

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Wednesday, January 29, 2020

The recent Employment Tribunal case of Mr Jordi Casamitjana, which caused quite a stir in the media, focused on the Tribunals decision that ethical veganism was eligible to qualify as a protected characteristic under the Equalities Act 2010. In that case, Mr Casamitjana was dismissed on the grounds of gross misconduct by his employer, the League Against Cruel Sports, where he was a policy adviser. More details on the case can be found in my colleague David Whincupsblog.

A little reported feature of the case was that the straw that broke the camels back (as it were) for the employee was that when he rejoined his companys employment, after a break of several years working on other causes, he was automatically enrolled in a defined contribution pension arrangement where the default fund, among other things, invested in companies which engaged in animal testing, contrary to his philosophical beliefs. Mr Casamitjana chose to invest his contributions in an alternative ethical fund but believed that his colleagues were unaware of the default funds investments. He decided to take matters into his own hands and publicised his views tohis fellow workers to encourage them to switch to one of the ethical funds offered. The employer concluded that he had failed to follow an instruction not to provide what could be construed as financial advice to his colleagues and he was dismissed. He subsequently challenged the grounds for his dismissal and the outcome of that part of the Employment Tribunals deliberations is still awaited.

The principle that workers should not be discriminated against for protected characteristics is familiar in other areas of pensions law, although most of the equality legislation focus in pensions concerns gender or sexuality issues. There has been relatively little case law in relation to religious or philosophical beliefs in the pensions context. However, a recentdeterminationby The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) addressed this point. The complaint was from a member of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund who argued that she would never have joined the Local Government Pension Scheme (into which she had been automatically enrolled) had she known that West Yorkshire invested its fund in part in equities, which the member argued was contrary to her religious beliefs (i.e. contrary to the principles of Sharia law). That member lost her case before TPO, who held that if a scheme member holdsstrong beliefs, it is up to the individual to make the necessary enquiries about a schemes investments (which is of course exactly what Mr Casamitjana did).

What do automatic enrolment regulations say about workers rights not to be discriminated against? Does it matter that the scheme is defined benefit or defined contribution, where there is a much clearer link between the member and the arrangements investments? The short and strict answer is, whether an employee is an ethical vegan or can demonstrate some other protected characteristic in relation to his/her beliefs, that the regulations are silent. Instead, the automatic enrolment regime focuses to a large extent on the requirements of the charge cap applying to the default fund of defined contribution qualifying schemes. In relation to defined benefit pensions, such as the Local Government Pension Scheme, the qualifying scheme test issue is remote from any considerations relating to equality legislation (and of course the charge cap is not relevant) as the test is driven by the accrual rate.

That is not to say that the law regards environmental, social and corporate governance issues as irrelevant. The chairs statement for automatic enrolment schemes requiresdisclosureof trustees policies on these matters, but it is not the case that members have the right not to be discriminated against in the event that an investment fund which is provided for them, whether the default fund or otherwise, is contrary to their religious or philosophical beliefs. The UK is not alone in grappling with such pensions issues the position under US automatic enrolment rules has recently been clarified (see ourblog).

It is tempting to think that Mr Casamitjanas complaint was merely an isolated incident. However, Extinction Rebellion appearances and other, more orderly activist groups, have gained access to Local Government Pension Scheme pensions meetings frequently in recent months. Furthermore, a TPOcasewhich was reported in August 2019 concerned a deferred pensioner of the Shell Contributory Pension Fund who complained about that schemes policy in relation to fossil fuels. The member in question was the beneficiary of financial support from ClientEarth. In that case, the claim concerned disclosure obligations, but TPO found that there were no grounds on which the member could complain that he had been given misleading or inadequate information about the schemes investments. Indeed, TPO found that the trustees and employer had gone above and beyond their strict legal duties. Of course, as a deferred member, the complainant could not opt out of the Shell scheme (although he could presumably have taken a transfer if he was so concerned about the issue).

These cases illustrate that, notwithstanding the inertia on which automatic enrolment rests, many members do care how their pension fund is invested. Whether members actually understand that, in either a trust based or a contract based arrangement, decisions have to be made collectively remains to be seen. However, the argument that the money in such a collective arrangement is not technically the members money but belongs to the trustees/the insurer is of little relevance to complainants. Trustees should note the potential strength of feelings behind member questions and complaints on scheme investments and should seek advice if they are unsure about disclosure obligations.

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Should Veganism Feature on the UK Pensions Menu? - The National Law Review

How a health-focused Mexican fast casual is making room for vegans and flexitarians alike – Restaurant Business Online

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Photograph courtesy of Tocaya Organica

Buzzworthy Brands is a weekly Restaurant Business feature highlighting innovative growth brands that operators should keep an eye on. A fresh Buzzworthy Brands profile will be published each Thursday.

The concept: Tocaya Organica

The details: A 17-unit fast casual that serves health-focused Mexican food, all of which start out as vegan.

The backstory: Tocaya Organica, which first opened in Southern California in 2016, is an offshoot of the full-service concept Toca Madera. As the founders noted demand for that fine-dining concept, they wanted to create a more affordable, limited-service variation. The original concept inspires Tocaya Organicas menu, although they feature quite different offerings. Tocayas most popular dishes are bowls and salads, all of which start out as vegan with meat and dairy add-ons available.

Why its worth watching: Breakwater Management invested $20.85 million in the two concepts in 2018, helping Tocaya Organica add seven units (with more planned) since then. As consumer interest in plant-based and flexitarian eating grows, the chain is well-suited to capture that demand. In August, the chain hired industry veteran Rudy Sugueti, a longtime California Pizza Kitchen executive, as chief operating officer to prepare the concept for growth.

Photograph courtesy ofTocaya Organica

Our entire menu starts out vegan. We do have nonvegan proteins and cheeses. But people who dont want to eat vegan have to opt in. Most vegans are used to going to restaurants that arent vegan and they have to subtract menu items. Its a reverse engineering of the menu.

I havent seen one comment or complaint from a vegan who had an issue with what were doing. We believe in veganism, but as a brand, we are flexitarian. Were realistic about the fact that were not trying to convince people to go vegan overnight. Theres a seat at the table for everyone.

Its healthier food that is also soulful. Guests dont feel like they have to make a sacrifice to eat healthy. Theres an emphasis on the overall experience. Most fast casuals are focused on how quickly they can get people out the door. Were the opposite. We want to restore the romanticism of hospitality without losing the speed of fast casual. There are touchpoints in the buildout, high-quality plates and bowls and smallwares. Gold forks. Nice furniture and lighting. An in-house music director curates the music.

Were trying to always figure out ways to bring that unique experience to the guests. On the catering side, we have beautiful packaging. In addition to that, we have these fun little touchpoints to reinforce the brand. A catering person would send you a Spotify playlist that features songs that are played in our restaurants.

Were working on supporting the environment through a number of different factors, including the Tocaya Life Foundation. We offer complimentary water to our guests. We had little plastic cups. Despite the fact there was some cost associated, weve started to make the transition to reusable water cups. Weve gotten a great response from our guests. Our guests really care about this stuff. People want to vote with their dollars.

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Novak Djokovic Says a Vegan Diet Is the Secret to Great Tennis – LIVEKINDLY

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Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic says his vegan diet is the secret to his success.

Djokovicwho is currently ranked the world No.2 best in mens singles tenniscomes from a family of food-lovers; his parents used to own a pizza restaurant in Kopaonik, Serbia. He still loves food and has even opened his own vegan restaurant, Eqvita, where he lives in Monte Carlo.

But for Djokovic, food isnt just gustatory pleasure. Its the key to his success. Because of my family, Ive always had a love for food,he explained.But as an athlete, it became something more.

[Food is] the fuel that determines how I play, how I recover, and how alert I am on the court, he added.I attribute a great deal of my professional success to my diet.

In a bid to convince others of the benefits of a plant-based diet, he joined the 2018 documentary The Game Changers as an executive producer. The filmwhich features a number of successful athletes including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lewis Hamiltonis all about debunking the myth that meat is a necessary form of protein.

According to Djokovic, he became involved with the film toward the end of the project, because he wasnt very vocal about being a plant-based athlete.

They heard that during Wimbledon last year when someone asked me in the press conference, he said. They wanted me to be a part of it.

I was definitely very happy to be a part of a very impressive group of people,he added.From sport, the movie industry, different fields of life, very successful people who are eating plant-based, being healthy, happy and successful in what they do. This is what it is all about.

Formula One driver Hamilton has also attributed his success to his vegan diet. He recently told GQ,ultimately, you want to feel great. You want to have energy, to be consistent, you dont want to have to the big oscillations and highs and lows in your energy levels. Veganism has eradicated that.

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Novak Djokovic Says a Vegan Diet Is the Secret to Great Tennis

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Vegan athlete Novak Djokovic attributes a great deal of his professional success on the tennis court to his plant-based diet.

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Charlotte Pointing

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LIVEKINDLY

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Novak Djokovic Says a Vegan Diet Is the Secret to Great Tennis - LIVEKINDLY

Can Vegans And Ranchers Work Together To Rebuild The Worlds Soil? – Forbes

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Jindilli, the name of milkadamia's macadamia farm that practices regenerative agriculture.

The agriculture sector is one of the biggest emitters of CO2. A2018 studypublished in Nature concluded that Americans need to eat 90% less beef and 60% less milk to keep global warming under 2 degrees Celsius.

But as awareness spreads around the benefits of a plant-based diet on the environment, a growing regenerative agriculture (RA) movement says livestock is actually integral to shaping farming practices that will save the planet.

The worlds soil has been degraded by humans via their management of animalsploughing, intense grazing and clear-cuttingand according to the United Nations, it will be completely degraded in the next 60 years. This is bad news for the quality of crops, and for carbon emissions, since soil captures carbon and prevents it from going into the environment.

In a separate report from 2017, also published in Nature, scientists note that increasing the carbon content of the world's soils by just a few parts per thousand each year could remove from the atmosphere the same amount of CO2 of the EU.

RA uses holistic farming and grazing techniques to improve soil health in order to rebuild and restore degraded soil, allowing it to sequester carbon and maintain biodiversity. For many, livestock is seen as integral to RAhelping with carbon sequestration, soil biodiversity, nutrient distribution and weed control. After all, there's a lot of land on earth that is grassland, which is not suitable for growing fruits or vegetables on it. Crucially, many believe animals should be allowed to graze in ways that mimic nature. Most of its proponents arent opposed to slaughter, so long as the animal has a good life.

While there is growing awareness of RA, it has some way to go before it becomes mainstream. But, beginning this year, food made from RA practices will have its own food label.

The Regenerative Organic certification will be applicable to foods made of organic agricultural ingredients, sourced from farms that practice pasture-based animal welfare and prioritize soil health, biodiversity, land management and carbon sequestration.

However, there are some doubts around the effectiveness of RA and whether it really can rebuild soil and help it store more carbon. There is evidence that RA can sequester significant amounts of carbon, however, some experts argue that to achieve anything close to the levels required to help mitigate climate change, wed need to see uptake across the entire agricultural sector. For small, family farmers, such a transition can be costly.

One significant barrier to mainstream uptake of RA is the growing appetite for eradicating animal agriculture altogether. Many vegans take issue with the idea that one can farm animals in a moral manner, without causing suffering, since slaughter is usually involved.

But as the RA movement grows, its becoming clear that it has more of a shared goal with plant-based proponents than meets the eye.

There is some crossover with RA and those who argue that soil quality can be maintainedand carbon loss minimizedwithout animal input. A growing group of farmers, for example, want to make farming vegan and organic; rather than depending on by-products such as cow manure or synthetic chemical fertilizers, they use naturally occurring plant matter as compost.

Also, not all vegan products are grown using RA practices. While they may be morally sound in the traditional sense, the practices used to grow them may be exacerbating the degradation of soil.

White Leaf Provisions, one of several companies that sources ingredients using regenerative ... [+] agriculture practices.

Some companies are working to combat this by combining veganism and agricultural practices that support soil. Plant-based drinks company milkadamia, for example, supplies the soil beneficial organic matter in the form of its own compost. From these soils comes more nutrient dense food, loaded with phytonutrients, natures own protective compounds, eliminating the need for chemical sprays. Milkadamia also keeps the soil protected with cover growth between their macadamia trees, and encourages the growth of native shrubs and trees around the property to ensure biodiversity. And biodynamic food company White Leaf Provisions ingredients are also regeneratively farmed, which means farmers use methods that maximize the health and vitality of their soil. So too are the plant-based hemp extracts found in RE Botanicals products, a company founded by John Roulac, a 20-year veteran in the superfood industry and founder of the organic brand NUTIVA.

However, some are skeptical that the same gains can be achieved without animal input, including manure and foraging. The UK's Soil Association argued in a report that grass-fed livestock has a critical role to play in minimizing agriculture's carbon emissions. Grassland for grazing livestock, it states, are important soil carbon stores.

On the other hand, a report citing 300 sources found that grazing doesnt cause a net reduction in greenhouse gases. Journalist George Monbiot argues in response to this report that farm land would be best used for rewildingthe practice of reintroducing species back into the wild.

Even if animals were required on farms for optimum carbon sequestration, this doesnt mean practices need to involve any animal slaughter. Some farms are using animals to mimic the herds that used to roam across the US to graze.

Scientists list ensuring crops are planted all year round, adding crop residues such as mulch, straw or compost, and minimizing tillage practices such as ploughing, as proven techniques. None of the above require the slaughter of animals. RA is in fact a broad term that includes many practices, such as tree planting, reducing fertilizers and increasing biodiversity.

It could be argued that allowing animals to roam isnt practical or easily scalableand giving land over to rewilding certainly isnt. But you could argue that farmers must find a way to do it, in the face of the planet heating up, and growing demand for the vegan diet.

Regardless, theres huge potential for proponents of RA and those against animal agriculture to come together and work out solutions. Yes, some vegans view any animal use as evil, that there is no gradation. And some farmers balk at vegans who want to end their way of life and live unnaturally. Ultimately, though, both agree that factory farmingthe way over 99% of animals are farmedmust end.

At the moment, RA is loosely defined and would benefit from having more clarity around its practices, especially as its exposed to consumers. But rather than staying divided for the sake of ideological differences, theres room to take the best of both worlds and work together to end factory farming while rebuilding soil. Our ability to grow food for vegans and non-vegans may very well depend on it. After all, there is no life without healthy soil, regardless of how animals are treated.

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Can Vegans And Ranchers Work Together To Rebuild The Worlds Soil? - Forbes

Ethical Veganism Is a Philosophical Belief, British Court Rules – The New York Times

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LONDON A British court ruled on Friday that ethical veganism is a philosophical belief that should be protected against workplace discrimination, in a landmark decision sought by a vegan who claimed he had been unfairly dismissed from his job because of it.

The complainant, Jordi Casamitjana, argued that his employer, the League Against Cruel Sports, fired him after he raised concerns about his pension fund investing in companies involved in animal testing.

In addition to not eating animal products, ethical vegans reject all forms of animal exploitation, and usually refuse to wear wool or leather, or to use products tested on animals.

On Friday, judge Robin Postle at the employment tribunal in Norwich, in eastern England, ruled that ethical veganism qualifies under Britains Equality Act as a philosophical belief and that those embracing it are entitled to similar protection as those who hold religious beliefs.

Under the Equality Act, which was passed in 2010, individuals practicing a religion or holding other belief systems are protected from discrimination in the workplace, if those beliefs are compatible with human dignity and dont conflict with the fundamental rights of others.

Judge Postles ruling didnt determine whether Mr. Casamitjana was dismissed because of his veganism. The tribunal is expected to address that issue in a hearing scheduled for late February.

The League Against Cruel Sports is an animal welfare charity that opposes hunting, fighting and bird shooting. Mr. Casamitjana, 55, is a zoologist specializing in animal behavior who worked as an investigator for the league. He documented cases of violations of the Hunting Act, which in 2004 banned hunting of wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales.

A lawyer representing the league, Rhys Wyborn, called the ruling an interesting point of law, but said the league maintained that Mr. Casamitjana was dismissed due to his misconduct and not to the belief he holds.

Mr. Casamitjanas lawyer, Peter Daly, said on Friday that the ruling could lead to more employee protection in the workplace, or in education.

Other experts went further. Following this decision, employers need to be alert to the risk of discriminating against people who hold beliefs that traditionally might not have been considered to be protected under employment law, said Hayley Trovato, a legal expert at OGR Stock Denton Solicitors. Besides veganism, Ms. Trovato added, such beliefs could include pacifism.

A growing number of people have become vegetarian or vegan in recent years, citing dietary, environmental and ethical reasons. Those citing ethical reasons argue that humans shouldnt exploit or eat animals but rather protect them.

Mr. Casamitjana worked for the league from 2004 to 2007 and later became a freelance consultant for various animal welfare organizations. He worked again for the league as its head of policy and research from 2016 until his dismissal in 2018.

Tribunal documents show that as Mr. Casamitjana sought to stop his pension contributions, he was told that the league was reviewing the pension provider and the issue. He argued that he was fired after he informed his colleagues about his concerns.

Ethical Veganism dictates all of my choices from the products and services that I consume, my interactions with the world, the way that I use my time and my employment, he said in a statement given to the tribunal.

Hopefully, from my dismissal, something positive will come by ensuring other ethical vegans are better protected in the future, he said in a statement after the ruling was made public.

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Ethical Veganism Is a Philosophical Belief, British Court Rules - The New York Times

Top 3 Vegan-Friendly Travel Destinations In The World Are Here In Asia – Green Queen Media

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In a new Global Vegan Index by travel agency Hotelfollower, Asian destinations took the top spots for vegans who wish to explore the world. The top 3 countries in the ranking include Thailand, South Korea and Taiwan, while Malaysia and Vietnam made the top 10 travel destinations in the index. As veganism continues on its mainstream journey, more places in Asia are clearly gearing up to provide ample vegan-friendly dining choices for travelers, from dishes that are inspired by Asias long-standing history and culture of vegetarian cuisine to new culinary inventions using innovative products made by a host of plant-based startups.

Analysing several factors such as the number of vegan restaurants, popularity of veganism amongst citizens and annual meat and dairy consumption, a study by Hotel Follower has created a Global Vegan Index. The index ranks global destinations in terms of how vegan-friendly they are to plant-based travelers, and Asian countries nabbed the top 3 spots on the list: Thailand came first, followed by South Korea and then Taiwan. The goal of Hotelfollowers index is to help vegan travelers choose the most accommodating travel destinations in the world, and inform globetrotters about which countries are surprisingly vegan-friendly.

Read: Eco-tourism guide 10 ways to be a responsible traveler

While it might come to a surprise for some people that Thailand took first place in the index, the country fares well on low milk and egg consumption, high animal welfare and incredible choice of 334 completely plant-based restaurants for herbivores to choose from. South Korea, which came in second place, scored highly on animal welfare practices with the local Animal Protection Act, which stipulates that there is a duty of care for animals and that animal cruelty is punishable with imprisonment.

In addition to these three, half of the top 10 countries for vegan travelers can be found in Asia, with Malaysia and Vietnam ranking 5th and 8th respectively. All 5 Asian countries listed scored particularly high for low milk and egg consumption and the number of vegan restaurants on offer. According to the researchers, this result could be linked to the fact that Asian diets rarely contain dairy foods such as milk and cheese, especially because according to some estimates, up to 90% of the continents population are considered lactose intolerant.

Read: Lonely Planet publishes new guidebook for vegan travelers

Another reason underpinning the many vegan-friendly rankings for Asian countries is the regions history and embedded culture of consuming traditional vegetarian food. Many followers of Asian religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, are committed to vegetarian diets, primarily due to animal welfare and ethical reasons. Buddhism and Taoism in China and East Asia in particular, traditionally requires monks and nuns to eat an egg and allium-free vegetarian diet, which in practice is similar to an all-vegan diet since dairy did not become a part of the Chinese diet until modern times. Like strict Taoists and Buddhists, Jainism, which originated in the Indian subcontinent, requires adherents to follow a meat, fish and egg-free diet, which is also similar to a 100% plant-based diet, though some do consume dairy products.

Veganism has also grown in popularity and become more widely available in Asia thanks to heightened global attention towards environmental issues in recent years. Most recently, a study conducted by the University of Bath found that the majority of public opinion supports veganism as ethical and good for the environment. To attract the growing numbers of flexitarian and plant-based diners local and foreign travellers alike restaurants across Asia have been racing to add in vegan-friendly options to their menus using the most innovative plant-based meat substitutes. Impossible Foods, for instance, have had seen great success from launching products across Asia, experiencing a five-fold increase in sales in the region alone and receiving huge funding from major names like Hong Kongs tycoon Li Ka-shings Horizon Ventures.

Want to know where the best vegan eats in Asia are? Check out Green Queens Vegan Travel Guides!

Lead image courtesy of Food Wine Travel.

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Top 3 Vegan-Friendly Travel Destinations In The World Are Here In Asia - Green Queen Media

Starbucks to Add New Vegan Items to Its Menu, But Theres a Catch – SheKnows

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Starbucks has never shied away from giving the people what they want. Take the past couple of years when veganism skyrocketed for example: The coffee giant didnt hesitate to bulk up their menu with a handful of vegan items, from a lentils and veggie protein bowl with brown rice and strawberry and toasted almonds overnight grains, to their many vegan-friendly baked goods, like their vegan macadamia oat cookie, and their cauliflower tabbouleh side salad, which they tested at their Chicago- and Seattle-area stores earlier this year. And the new vegan items will reportedly continue to roll out at Starbucks but theres a catch, of course.

According to Instagram user @vegan_food_uk, Starbucks will reportedly launch two new items to its UK stores, specifically. These items include Smoky Jackfruit & Grains, a bowl filled to the brim with pulled smoky BBQ jackfruit, smoky grain mix, and spiced red pepper sauce, and topped with vegan smoked cheese; and a Vegan Chocolate and Raspberry Mini Loaf Cake, a mini vegan chocolate loaf cake injected with raspberry jam and topped with pink icing and dried raspberry pieces, the product description states.

We believe this may launch for #Veganuary or sooner, along with some other bits, @vegan_food_uk wrote in the caption. They also report that Starbucks will launch its new Vegan Chocolate and Coconut Overnight Oats at UK stores soon stores that already have hearty vegan options on the menu, including dairy-free mac n cheese, a BBQ vegan wrap with jackfruit and coleslaw, and a tofu breakfast burrito.

No word on if or when Starbucks will launch these new vegan menu items at U.S. stores, but we wouldnt be surprised if they didnt at least revamp its vegan food menu sometime next year. In the meantime, you have the next five days to head to one of Starbucks 1,000 Pop-Up Parties, where you can pick up a free espresso drink. Thats right, free post-Christmas caffeine: the greatest gift of them all.

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Starbucks to Add New Vegan Items to Its Menu, But Theres a Catch - SheKnows

VegFest 2020 brings vegan education to UM campus – The Miami Hurricane

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Vegans, vegetarians and the vegan-curious alike gathered for Miami VegFest 2020 at University of Miamis Lakeside Patio on Saturday, Feb. 22.

VegFest, short for Vegan Festival, is an annual event focusing on educating the public on the benefits of eating a plant-based diet.

This year marked the first ever VegFest held in Miami, with roughly 1,500 attendees and 21 vendors selling vegan-friendly food, beauty and fashion products.

The event also welcomed 10 guest speakers, including three medical professionals, who gave presentations surrounding plant-based eating and vegan activism.

Mike Young, a Florida, native, organized the event as part of his non-profit organization, aPlantBasedDiet.org. The organization, headquartered 60 miles north of Orlando, Florida, focuses on educating the general public about veganism through vegan-centered events.

Vendors sell plant-based food and beauty products on UM's Lakeside Patio for VegFest 2020. Photo credit: Essien Duke

Since its founding in 2014, Young has spent most of his time planning annual vegan events across the nation. He is also the founder of SWFL VegFest, which hosts VegFest events in the southwestern region of Florida.

When we started planning all of this 6 years ago, there were hardly any people who were interested in this lifestyle, Young said. Ideally, the goal is to show people that the plant-based lifestyle is fun and doable.

Young hopes to plan another VegFest at UM in hopes of getting more Miami locals involved in the initiative.

We want to get that spark going in people. We want to reach out to everyone, not just preach to the choir who are already into this, he said. As long as people look at this with an open mind, the more they may realize that this is the direction theyre meant to go towards.

Part of Youngs vision for VegFest is to invite prominent researchers, medical professionals and people who have made a significant impact in the vegan community, to speak at the events.

Dr. Michael Klaper a physician trained in surgery, anesthesiology and orthopedics was one of them, invited to Miami VegFest 2020 as the Keynote speaker.

According to Young, Klaper, 72, is a prominent figure in the vegan community and has been invited to speak about veganism at worldwide events.

At Saturdays event, Klaper presented about the benefits of a plant-based diet and gave advice for people who want to improve the status of their health.

Klaper, a vegan of 39 years, decided to switch his lifestyle after being impacted by what he saw while observing a surgery.

Dr. Michael Klaper a physician and vegan advocate prepares to speak at VegFest 2020 as the Keynote speaker. Photo credit: Essien Duke

One day Im in the operating room, watching the surgeon remove a slithery piece of fat from the persons artery, he said. And I thought, That looks an awful lot like chicken fat.

Klaper also reflected on person experiences, citing them something else that shaped his views on eating animal products.

My dad died of clogged arteries, he said. I knew I was going to end up that way unless I made a change.

According to Klaper, he has not faced significant backlash from the medical community for advocating for a vegan diet. However, he does emphasize the importance of spreading truthful information to his medical students and patients.

Its unethical to withhold information that can drastically change peoples health for the better, he said. Im the happiest doctor I know, because my patients get healthy!

Klaper challenges UM students to make small changes in their nutrition and to advocate for introducing more vegan foods in the dining halls.

Going vegan changes everything for your body, changes everything for the animals, changes everything for the future, he said. Stop doing things that hurt you, and make a move towards health.

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VegFest 2020 brings vegan education to UM campus - The Miami Hurricane