Can India lead the ‘vegan economy’ against future pandemics?
With its Vegan India campaign's fight against Covid-19, and its image as a vegetarian powerhouse, there is ample scope in gaining a foothold in the global vegan economy.
ANKUSH DAS AND KOWTHAMRAJ VS: The WHO estimates that 75 percent of new diseases discovered in the last decade have originated in animals (zoonosis). This is primarily because more than 90 percent of the meat we consume is sourced from a vast industry of factory farms that house farm animals in unhygienic conditions. This presents a perfect breeding ground for viruses. To prevent future virus outbreaks, a part of the solution may lie in moving towards a more plant-based diet. In this regard, India might be sitting on a gold mine of opportunity.
The vegan movement advocates for a shift to a 100 percent plant-based diet with the objective of ending animal cruelty. While India is still a milk-loving nation, it is well placed to anchor the movement away from meat consumption. The hostility against the slaughter of animals, immense regulation of abattoirs, and prevalence for meat and egg-free apartments and localities are all proof of India’s natural inclination towards this cause. The WHO estimates that the herbal and ayurvedic market will reach $5 trillion by 2050 from the existing $62 billion, with China and India having 13% and 2.5% shares, respectively…
The time couldn’t have been riper for India to capitalise on this huge opportunity to promote its vegetarian philosophy, products and beliefs. The image that India is one of the only major vegetarian-friendly economies in the world can work to its advantage in the global marketplace if we work hard… In recent years, the Indian state of Kerala has immensely profited from the export of jackfruit for the global vegan market as a substitute for meat. The otherwise nuisance crop in the state is now being exported to the tune of more than 500 tonnes yearly…
The ‘Vegan India’ campaign, with respect to food products, can be constructed as a symbol of the global fight against Covid-19. The brand construction promoting cleanliness, nutrition and safety should be complemented by on-ground institutional mechanisms. Though vegan conferences are not a novel idea, India should strive to create a Kumbh Mela of sorts for vegans to flock to the Indian shores to indulge in Indian vegan delights… With India’s image as a vegetarian powerhouse and the variety of climatic zones and soil conditions it has, there is ample scope in gaining a foothold in the global vegan economy. SOURCE…
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