UK slaughterhouses killing more animals despite growth of Veganism
UK government figures show almost 28.8 million farm animals were killed for meat in 2019, an increase of 5.4% in 2 years. 78,900 cows, sheep and pigs were killed per day.
LAURA PARNABY: ‘British slaughterhouses are killing more animals for meat every year to supply the overseas market, despite the increasing popularity of plant-based diets in the UK. Almost 28.8 million farm animals were killed for meat in 2019, marking an increase of 5.4 per cent in two years, government figures show.
On average, 78,900 cows, sheep and pigs were killed per day in 2019, up from 74,800 a day in 2017, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs… According to the OECD-FAO outlook report, pig meat consumption in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam is on the rise – whereas in the European Union it is expected to decline…
Meanwhile, this month nearly 400,000 Britons signed up for Veganuary – pledging to eat a plant-based diet for January 2020… One in eight Britons is vegetarian, according to Sainsbury’s 2019 analysis of consumer habits – which predicts a quarter will be by 2025. Veganism has also been growing “exponentially” in this period, and there are now 600,000 vegans in the UK, according to the Vegan Society.
Being vegan means avoiding eating all animal products – including meat, fish, dairy and eggs – and “ethical veganism” became a philosophical belief protected in UK law under the Equality Act 2010 earlier this month. Dominika, a Vegan Society spokesperson, said she was still “very optimistic” about the future of veganism despite the “very saddening” number of animals killed in the UK every year’. SOURCE…
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