VEGANISM

ROSHINI NAIR: 'Abstaining from meat has a long, rich history, with roots in world religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Today, in light of the growing climate crisis, vegetarian and vegan diets have gained new currency as the ethical choice by animal rights activists and environmentalists as a way to protest factory farming conditions and the industry's carbon footprint. "People choose to make ethical consumption decisions most closely related to a desire to reduce their impact on the environment," said Emily Kennedy, a professor of sociology at the University of British Columbia,…

ABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN: Everyone knows that Tel Aviv is the vegan capital of Israel, right? After all, it’s home to scores of vegan restaurants and many of the 5 percent of Israelis who eat a plant-based diet. Well, here’s a surprise: Long before you could get veggie shawarma in Tel Aviv, a community in the desert town of Dimona pioneered the vegan lifestyle in Israel. They’re called the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem and they live in a compound called Neve Shalom (Village of Peace). The original 138 members of the community, mostly natives of Chicago, arrived in Israel in 1969. “We…

FRANCESCA SPECTER: 'Not so long ago, vegan eaters were far and few between. Figures show there were 250,000 vegans in 2006 – just 0.25% of the UK population at the time... Now, the landscape has changed drastically, and seemingly overnight. In just a four year period, the number of vegans in the UK has increased fourfold, quadrupling from 150,000 vegans (0.25% of the population) in 2014 to 600,000 (1.16%) in 2018. Eateries which may once have posed a problem for vegan eaters, such as burger chain McDonalds and pub franchise Wetherspoons (celebrated for its hearty meat pies and bangers n’…

GEORGE REYNOLDS: 'Once a niche interest group parodied in TV shows such as The Simpsons (in which a character describes himself as a “level five vegan” who refuses to eat anything that casts a shadow), in the past two years, vegans have been thrust into the limelight. A philosophy rooted in non-aggression has found itself at the heart of some of the most virulent arguments on social media. In November 2018, Good Morning Britain hosted a debate titled “Do people hate vegans?”; the political website Vox tackled the question in even more direct fashion a week later, asking: “Why do people hate…

LAUREN JAMES: 'November is World Vegan Month. As more people are spurred to change their eating habits in the wake of the top-selling documentary The Game Changers, popular proponents of plant-based eating – who avoid meat, dairy and animal-derived foods – share tips on getting the most benefits from the switch. From athletes and models to restaurateurs, popular proponents of plant-based eating share tips on getting the most benefits from the switch. Mistakes they made include not planning ahead, consuming too much protein, and eating too many processed meat substitutes'. SOURCE... RELATED…

ALEXANDRA THOMPSON: 'People in their seventies may benefit from going vegan, an expert has said. Professor John Mathers from Newcastle University claims swapping meat and dairy for a plant-based diet helps “feed” the “good bacteria” in our gut. These bugs typically decline with age as the gut barrier becomes “leakier”, allowing substances from the digestive tract to enter the bloodstream. This may trigger inflammation, which has been linked to everything from dementia and heart disease to cancer. Speaking at the House of Lords, the professor of nutrition said: “A plant-based diet may be…

SABRINA BARR: 'Scientists are imploring members of the public to eat less meat as they warn that the world is facing a climate emergency. In a paper published today in journal BioScience, a global team of scientists have declared a climate emergency, detailing six areas of action they say must be addressed that can help slow down the impact of climate change. The paper, which features more than 11,000 scientist signatories from 153 countries, was authored by scientists from the University of Sydney, Oregon State University, the University of Cape Town and Tufts University. The team of…

MATTHEW ZAMPA: 'The UK’s food and farming systems are in crisis. For years, climate groups and scientists around the world have called for a plant-based food system to avert climate breakdown. When will the government act?... The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affair (DEFRA)... DEFRA is the UK’s chief government body supporting the animal farming industry... The Department announced that it will be conducting an independent review of the future of the country’s food system as part of a National Food Strategy – a strategy that has not been updated in 75 years... To bring…

BETH GREENFIELD: 'Anyone who food shops or eats out, even occasionally, has likely noticed the influx of plant-based meat alternatives on the market... Now comes the backlash — led by both an aggressive ad campaign and a series of legislative efforts. “What’s hiding in your plant-based meat?” asked a full-page ad in the New York Times about the “ultra-processed imitations” filled with mysterious ingredients — to which Impossible Foods shot back “the Impossible Burger has none of the noxious slaughterhouse contaminants that can be found in almost all ground beef from cows.” Call it the…

TOM WILLIAMS: 'Veganism is on the rise in top-level football. Arsenal's Hector Bellerin and Roma loanee Chris Smalling are among the players to have adopted fully vegan diets in recent years, while England internationals Fabian Delph, Jack Wilshere and Jermain Defoe have spoken about the benefits of eliminating red meat and dairy from their meals. No less a figure than Lionel Messi has also cut down on meat consumption, along with his Argentina colleague Sergio Aguero. The trend has become so pronounced that a forthcoming set of UEFA guidelines on nutrition will include a section dedicated…