Veganism - for the few or the many? - How should food businesses respond to the vegan trend? - Food Ethics Council
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Business Forum Report, January 2020 Veganism – for the few or the many? How should food businesses respond to the vegan trend?
Veganism – for the few or the many? more vegan products in 2018 than any other nation.
But what is driving this growth, is it likely to continue
What is veganism? and what should food businesses do? People are
When we refer to ‘veganism’, most people think of becoming vegans and/or eating more vegan food for a
vegan food. However, for many, the definition of range of legitimate reasons. However, should
(ethical) veganism goes much broader than that. It is: veganism be a lifestyle choice for the (relatively) few or
“A philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude something that many or even everyone aspires to?
- as far as is possible and practicable - all forms of
exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, “…there is a lot to be done to improve the welfare
clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, of animals in certain systems and the way farming is
promotes the development and use of animal-free managed on an environmental basis. We have to
alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the be grateful to vegans and vegetarians for raising
environment.1”. So, veganism can extend beyond food those issues.3”
choices and vegan food alone.
Another definition of veganism includes an appeal for The impacts of the rise in veganism
non-violence: “Veganism… is an everyday, Firstly, has the increase in veganism led to a reduction
fundamental way of life concerned with living without
in the use of animals for meat and dairy products? The
hurting others… There are several roads to veganism short answer is no (or not yet), as globally, demand for
and many individual views of it, but veganism is one meat continues to increase, with perhaps 65 billion
thing and one thing only – a way of living which avoids
land animals incorporated within the farming system
exploitation whether it be of our fellow [hu]man, the
currently. In the UK, according to Defra, prime cattle
animal population, or the soil upon which we all rely slaughtering, beef and veal production and sheep
for our very existence.” (Eva Batt, 1964)
production were all 6-7% higher in September 2019
It was suggested that ethics and environmental than a year earlier. Some of the meat statistics are
sustainability can be consistent with the above presented in tonnes and it was noted how it was
interpretations of veganism. interesting (or challenging to some) that individual
The recent rise of veganism and vegan food sentient beings are sometimes reduced to tonnage.
There are an estimated 600,000 vegans in the UK Has the rise in veganism promoted cruelty-free
(2019). Quantifying the phenomenon, last year 25% of living? There is a problematic relationship around the
new food products launched in the UK were vegan. In by-products of meat production. Fruit and vegetables
2019 nearly two-thirds of Britons chose to eat meat are also often grown using manure, blood and
substitutes, while sales of meat-free foods are bone. And what about harm to human animals?
estimated to have grown 40% to a value of £816 Shocking examples exist of modern-day slavery and
million. There are predictions that the vegan market cruelty to humans in fruit and vegetable production (as
will soon top £1 billion for the first time, which would well as in other sectors). These include harrowing
be a doubling in value in the past 20 years. stories of exploitation, poor living accommodation and
However, some may argue that the recent rise of even sexual exploitation. Surely this is not consistent
veganism is a temporary fad and would highlight that with a principled notion of veganism?
despite recent growth, the number of vegans in the UK There is surely a need for businesses to work for equity
only represents just over 1% of the population. Others for all involved in the production of foods (whether
would point to a quadrupling of the number of vegans plant-based or not) – in terms of fair pay and fair
in the UK since 2014 and argue that the rise in working conditions. Greggs recently awarded staff a
veganism in mainstream society is here to stay. £300 windfall each off the back of a rise in profits in
According to the Vegan Society, interest in veganism 2019, with the vegan sausage roll as its posterchild.
increased seven-fold in the five years between 2014
and 2019, based on Google trends. Many food “…. are we trying to promote ethical veganism or
businesses have responded, with the UK launching plant-based foodism3?”
1 https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism
© Food Ethics Council 1 www.foodethicscouncil.orgWho gets to be vegan? Veganism and health
There is a suspicion that vegans in the UK constitute an It was argued that well placed vegan diets can have
elitist, white, middle-class lifestyle. Is that true and, if positive health impacts. In contrast, vegan fast foods
so, how can that be challenged and how can the can be very high in sugar and salt. Should we be
veganism movement become more inclusive? celebrating the fast-food chains that are producing
There is a very uneven playing field. If either veganism more plant-based foods? There is a suspicion amongst
or an increase in plant-based eating were regarded as some that this is purely something to commodify, a
desirable, then should there be more lobbying to lucrative market, a competitive advantage for
engender a radical shift from farmed animal businesses just to exploit and profit from. No matter
agricultural subsidies, particularly those to intensive how many vegan products the large fast-food chains
livestock farms? The Bureau of Investigative Journalism make, because of the enormous profits gained from
reported that £70 million in subsidies between 2016- the exploitation of animals, it was suggested that many
17 went to those adopting a highly intensive form of vegans would not eat from there unless there was an
animal husbandry, such as poultry mega farms and explicit commitment to change.
intensive egg producers using caged housing systems. Much as not all meat or dairy are produced equally, not
A campaign was proposed to make vegan meals more all vegan food is produced equally – and it is debatable
available in public settings such as schools, hospitals whether ultra-processed vegan food is any ‘better’
and prisons. There are legitimate questions to answer than ultra-processed meat food.
about how to tackle inclusivity and the lack of The importance of language
representation of People of Colour in mainstream There are different perspectives on what a working
images of veganism. definition of veganism should be. What are the
Should governments intervene? differences between veganism and a plant-based food
Will there be government interventions to shift the system? The ethical imperatives that underpin
balance away from meat to more plant-based eating? veganism are in danger of being marginalised or lost
Some have estimated a meat tax in the UK might result when the term becomes mainstreamed. A decade or
in £700 million healthcare cost savings, not including more ago, a vegan was an eccentric figure on the
environmental costs or impacts on farmed animals margins, now it is a trendy celebrity-endorsed lifestyle.
themselves. However, others have argued that there Food businesses sometimes refer to ‘plant-based’ food
would be serious problems with such an approach, not rather than using the term ‘vegan’. What should lab-
least the assumption that all meat is somehow grown food be called? There are huge amounts of
inherently bad plus the regressive nature of taxes such lobbying behind the scenes about what to call products
as these. A Food Ethics Council ‘jury’ found that an or categories of products.
over-simplistic meat tax is likely to create further Language is important. If we treat people as people (or
problems2 and recommended alternative approaches. food citizens), rather than (often powerless)
There are lots that national governments, local ‘consumers’ at the end of a chain, it opens up many
authorities and businesses can – and should – do to more opportunities to (re-)consider our relationship
encourage behaviours and diets that are better for with animals, the land, landscapes and beyond. There
people, animals and the planet. How do we give people are important distinctions to be made too between
real options and empower them through knowledge different types, methods and scales of farming. Hence
and understanding? In everyday conversations, there it is important not to treat all farming of farmed
are prejudices about meat eating being ‘normal, animals equally.
natural and necessary’, while there are often sacrificial The cruelty of nature?
overtures about veganism being 'purgatory'. However, It was suggested that the cruelty of nature can be “way
advocates of veganism argue there is a whole world of beyond what even the cruellest dairy farmer
pleasures out there beyond animal products. exercises”. Taking the example of wild cows, it was
argued that most would have a shorter life span in the
2 Food Ethics Council – meat tax ‘in the dock’
© Food Ethics Council 2 www.foodethicscouncil.orgwild and would be unlikely to get a humane death, buy, and that are more expensive than standard
particularly in comparison to smallholders keeping microbe-based food. In this scenario, the loser would
livestock free-range and humanely. be intensive meat production which would likely be
A critical question to consider is whether farmed under attack from people on ethical, environmental
animals are given a life worth living. While this remains and economic grounds and would be too expensive to
a contested area, what is clear is that if animals are justify its consumption. What would be left would be
farmed, they should be given as much opportunity as greater inequality – high-quality meat and veg for the
possible to live a good life and have a humane death. few, with microbe-based food for the many. For lots,
this will feel like a dystopian vision.
Transparency and honesty are key
It was suggested that problematic farming now is, in
It is important for food and farming businesses to tell large part, the result of very low margins in the sector.
the truth. It is impossible to keep dark, hidden If the margins were higher, then farmers could take
(sometimes violent) spaces away from the public. In additional actions to mitigate harm and/or to maximise
2017, a full-page advert in the Sunday Telegraph by positive impacts from farming.
GoVeganWorld (entitled ‘Humane milk is a myth’)
drew public attention to the lived experiences of dairy The future of veganism
cows. Their depiction of violence and suffering Veganism is something more people are embracing. It
attracted complaints – some of which were from the was argued that veganism can take you on adventures,
dairy industry - that this was an unfair reflection of UK is dynamic and is evolving towards something that is
dairy farming. The Advertising Standards Agency less cruel, less exploitative of both humans and non-
rejected this complaint ruling that the advert’s image human animals and tackling environmental
and information was not misleading. The Washington sustainability. This is gathering momentum, including
Post ran a story about how trying to keep dairy farmers the numbers taking part in Veganuary and the rise in
in the dairy business was a Herculean task, with the product-based innovation. The vegan market globally
suggestion they should move towards plant-based is projected to be worth £24.3 billion by 2026.
agriculture and other opportunities outside of dairy Hope was expressed that mainstream veganism will
production instead. Others argue that humane and evolve in important and profitable ways that are
sustainable dairy farming is possible. conscious of some of the limits and opportunities
identified here. Will the future of veganism come back
The rise of micro-organism-based food?
more closely to achieving some of the ethical ideals
Critique of meat and dairy has largely been from animal
upon which it was grounded and conceived? We are a
rights and environmental campaigners in the past, but
long way away from dismantling of current power
in more recent times, an economic argument has been
structures and creating a shift in social norms where
growing. Brands such as Quorn (fungus-derived) are
non-human animals are no longer thought of as food.
worth hundreds of millions of dollars. A controversial
documentary featuring George Monbiot showed the “The trouble with the vegan approach is that it
Helsinki Solar Foods protein, bacteria fed on hydrogen. throws the baby out with the bathwater by tackling
It is claimed the company is able to produce protein
all meat and all dairy as the same”
that is not only cheaper than meat, but cheaper than
soya. It was suggested they may undercut livestock Some are concerned that the negativity (what they
feed producers and sell the products as animal feed as describe as) ‘militant vegans’ sometimes have towards
an even cheaper alternative. Many challenge such “livestock” farmers is damaging. Whether or not
developments, not least on the grounds that these people agree with more activist approaches, it is
proteins are a move away from ‘real food’. What important to avoid simplifying and polarising complex
happens though if these forms of food, which are not debates. There are many different trajectories and
so much plant-based as micro-organism based, prove pathways for veganism, from ethical reasons and
to be significantly cheaper than not only meat but also concern for the welfare of farmed animals,
farm-grown vegetables? Will attitudes change? environmental impacts, and more personal self-
In one dystopian vision of the future, the wealthy may oriented reason of health.
opt for ‘real’ agricultural-grown food, either meat- or
plant-based, real vegetables, or grains. These might
become niche commodities that foodies will want to
© Food Ethics Council 3 www.foodethicscouncil.orgThe rise of flexitarianism
It is important to note that much of the rise in vegan We’ve created a system with lots of big abattoirs
products in the UK versus the (still relatively) small and those animals that can least cope with it have
proportion of vegans is driven by more people wanting to take that journey. Can we coalesce around this
to eat less meat (and dairy). Many people are exploring as one of the big issues of our time… [It] is not
vegan options without deciding to become full vegans. about being vegan or not, it’s about how we eat in a
Many will welcome the push for “less and better” meat way that takes care of people, animals and
and dairy. However, from an absolutist perspective, is environment.3”
‘flexitarianism’ a watering down of veganism from a
highly principled position of non-violence to vegan
food as just one of a range of options in a diet that
What next?
might still include meat and dairy?
Key questions to ask:
Concluding comments • How can unintended consequences of a shift
What seems to resonate in the public arena currently towards veganism be best addressed?
are messages like ‘plastic is bad’ or ‘veganism is good’. • Should vegans be promoting ethical veganism or
However, (over)simplistic messages like these do not plant-based foodism?
always work. When it comes to sustainable food • How can we help farmers (livestock and arable)
systems, we need to be ready to embrace complexity, transition towards sustainable farming?
rather than shy away from it. Nuances do matter.
Ben Mepham (Founder Director of the Food Ethics Further resources
Council), when reviewing ‘The Animal Rights Debate: 1. Richard White (2018) – “Looking Backward, Moving
Abolition or Regulation?’, concluded “if the aim of Forward: Articulating a “Yes, BUT…!” Response to
ethics is to choose the right, or best, course of action in Lifestyle Veganism” - link here
specific circumstances ‘all things considered’, it is 2. Simon Fairlie (2013) – Meat: a benign extravagance
arguable that adherence to such an absolutist agenda – link here
is simplistic and open to serious self-contradictions.” 3. lowimpact.org (2018) ‘Is eating meat ethical or
Or, as Simon Fairlie put it at the time, “to conclude that sustainable? Interview with Simon Fairlie, author of
veganism is the ‘only ethical response’ is to take a big ‘Meat: A Benign Extravagance’ – link here
4. Food Ethics Council (2019) – Food Policy on Trial jury
leap into a very muddy pond.”
verdict: meat tax ‘in the dock’ – link here
Veganism can be an ethical response, but many will
argue it is not the only ethical response. There is an Other relevant Business Forum reports:
important difference between respecting people • Meat tax: does tax have to be taxing? How can we
choosing veganism and a view that everyone should fairly respond to the meat challenge? – link here
• A steak in the future. Even if we can grow cultured
become vegans. Veganism may not become
meat, should we? – link here
mainstream, but a meal with no meat and dairy is now
• Meat insecurity: Should we worry about eating our
a mainstream option in the UK. What is becoming clear fair share of meat? – link here
is that even if veganism is for the few (currently at
least), more vegan food is for the many. This is a report of the Business Forum meeting on 21st January 2020.
Crucially, the question we should ask is not 'vegan or We are grateful to our speakers, Dr Richard White, Reader in
Human Geography at Sheffield Hallam University; Simon Fairlie,
not vegan' but instead, is it 'ethical or unethical' (or is who runs a microdairy, is an author (including of ‘Meat: A Benign
it ‘sustainable or not’)? Those are more complicated Extravagance’) and co-editor of The Land magazine; and Ruth
questions than ‘plant-based or animal-based?’ Layton, founder of sankalpa and Trustee of the Food Ethics Council.
Hopefully, we can agree that polarising the debate is Patti Whaley, Chair of the Food Ethics Council, chaired the meeting.
unhelpful and what we should strive for are food The views expressed in this report do not necessarily represent
those of the Food Ethics Council, nor its members.
systems that are kind to (or respect) people, animals For more information on the Business Forum, contact Dan Crossley
and the planet. The debate about what constitutes dan@foodethicscouncil.org +44 (0) 333 012 4147.
kindness and respect will rumble on.
3 Quotes from Business Forum participants
© Food Ethics Council 4 www.foodethicscouncil.orgYou can also read
