PAULA COCOZZA: 'A farmer was recently on the road to the abattoir when he changed direction and drove his trailer full of lambs 200 miles to an animal sanctuary instead. Sivalingam Vasanthakumar, 60, from Devon, now plans to grow vegetables. Vasanthakumar is not the only farmer to perform this kind of reversal... In the US, the Illinois-based charity Free From Harm has gathered tales of many farmers who have had epiphanies and switched to veganism. Farmers know the job when they start it – so what brings about such a major turnaround? “What you are looking at is basic cognitive dissonance,”…

JOSH BARRIE: 'A farmer who was driving his flock of lambs to an abattoir diverted to an animal sanctuary after getting too upset about the coming slaughter. Sivalingam Vasanthakumar, 60, who lives in Cornworthy, Devon, was on his way to have his lambs killed for meat when he had a change of heart. Mr Vasanthakumar said he was due to make about £10k, but, overcome with emotion, travelled 200 miles to Goodheart Animal Sanctuaries near Kidderminster instead. The farmer said he had been tending livestock for 47 years after starting out at his parent’s dairy farm in Sri Lanka. But he said his…

SEAN MURPHY: 'Sainsbury's has announced that it will be the first supermarket in the UK to trial placing meat-alternative products in its meat, fish, and poultry aisles. The trial will be rolled out across 20 of its stores nationwide with the firm saying the move follows the success of its new plant-based range which launched earlier this month. The change will be the first time a UK supermarket has positioned a range of meat-alternatives directly alongside existing meat options in store. With 91 per cent of Brits, according to a report by Mintel Meat-Free Foods, now adopting a…

THE ECONOMIST: 'In a shed on a poultry farm just outside Colchester, in south-east England, thousands of chickens sit on piles of their own excrement. The facilities will not be cleaned until after the birds are killed, meaning they suffer from ammonia burns and struggle to grow feathers. Ants and maggots crawl over the bodies of those that have not made it to slaughter. The chicken industry is a dirty business, but it is also a profitable one. In the oecd, a club of mostly rich countries, pork and beef consumption has remained unchanged since 1990. Chicken consumption has grown by 70%...…

LISA ESPOSITO: 'Athletes who follow plant-based diets could see improvements in their heart health, performance and recovery, suggests a new review of studies published in the journal Nutrients. First, researchers looked at evidence of traditional dietary shortcomings and negative health effects in athletes. Next, they summarized potential benefits of plant-based diets on athletes' heart health, recovery and performance. Vegan diets, which include no animal products whatsoever, were the main focus of the review, researchers noted. However, benefits also appeared from vegetarian diets, which…

HANNA EWENS: 'Vegan food used to be bland. In fact, good vegan food as recently as 2015 was a real rarity... Now, lots of the vegan food you can buy tastes more-or-less decent—and the last few Januarys have been especially thrilling for vegans, since it's the time of year that brands drop all their hot new plant-based products to lure in the rising number of people wanting to give veganism a try... Not everything works; it's obvious when a supermarket or chain has tried to hop on the bandwagon, but given little to zero thought as to how to make their food actually taste of something. Here…

CAROLYN FORTUNA: 'Recent calls for a meat tax reflect growing concerns about holding those most responsible for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of all kinds accountable. In the same way that in the past year, state and local governments across the US have launched a new wave of litigation seeking to hold fossil fuel companies liable for damages caused by climate change, so, too, have an increasing number of individuals, researchers, and organizations called for a meat tax due to the environmental deterioration caused by cattle rearing and associated meat consumption... To achieve climate…

JAMES TAPPER: 'With Veganuary in full swing and scientists delivering an onslaught of post-Christmas advice about the perils of meat eating, butchers are under pressure from all sides, caught in the cleft of consumer demands for better quality food at ever cheaper prices. Take Robert Byford. A year ago, his shop in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, was one of four serving a population that was enthusiastic about steak and bacon. Now Byford Food Hall is the last one standing. “Where we are, three butchers have closed in the last 12 months,” Byford said... Britain had about 15,000 butchers’ shops in 1990,…

TRISH CADDY: 'With Veganuary in full swing, it looks like this year it’s easier than ever to try out a plant-based regime... British retailers and food service operators are coming up with delicious ways to cook vegetables that diners feel good about eating... Veganism has evolved, with great taste and texture being prerequisites, and food service operators are at the forefront of the charge. There has been some interesting innovation in restaurant/takeaway pizza over the last few years. Most larger mainstream pizza outlets now have some type of vegan offering... Retailers have been quick…

KATE STEWART: 'Tie-ins promote one product using the imagery of another, for example by giving away a figurine or toy relating to a popular movie with an otherwise unconnected food product. Tie-ins aimed at children often involve toys based on animals from current popular children’s culture that capitalise on children’s love of the film, TV show or game they represent. They’re given away free with boxed meals typically consisting of a burger or nuggets, fries and a soft drink. According to food writer Eric Schlosser, McDonald’s sells or gives away over 1.5 billion toys a year, accounting for…