Why We Must Preserve the Term 'Vegan' Amidst Market Trends
OP/ED
OPINION - In recent years, the culinary landscape in the UK has witnessed the unfortunate closure of many vegan restaurants, with some even feeling compelled to reintroduce meat options to their menus. This trend is disheartening for proponents of veganism, as it reflects a broader societal reluctance to fully embrace the vegan ideology. While the word "vegan" has faced scrutiny, particularly from flexitarians who find "plant-based" more palatable, it is crucial to understand and champion the significance of veganism in its true form.
The recent rebranding of Hellmann's Vegan Mayo to Plant Based Mayo underscores a growing sentiment that the term "vegan" can be off-putting to those not fully committed to a vegan lifestyle. This shift, driven by consumer research indicating that flexitarians perceive "plant-based" as more inclusive, highlights a critical marketing strategy. However, while inclusivity is important, it should not come at the expense of diluting the core values and principles that veganism represents.
Veganism is more than just a dietary choice; it is a comprehensive ethical stance against the exploitation and harm of animals. It encompasses a commitment to environmental sustainability, health, and compassion. By embracing the term "vegan," individuals are not only choosing to consume plant-derived foods but are also aligning themselves with a broader movement aimed at reducing animal suffering and promoting a more humane world.
The inclination to label products as "plant-based" rather than "vegan" to appeal to a wider audience is understandable from a commercial perspective. A study by the University of Southern California found that labeling a food gift basket as "vegan" resulted in 20% of people choosing it, whereas the same basket labeled "healthy and sustainable" was chosen by 44% of people. These findings suggest that while the term "vegan" may currently deter some consumers, it also highlights an opportunity for education and advocacy.
Rather than shying away from the term "vegan," we should endeavor to destigmatize it and educate the public about the positive impacts of veganism. This involves addressing misconceptions and emphasizing the health benefits, environmental advantages, and ethical imperatives associated with a vegan lifestyle. By doing so, we can foster a more informed and accepting society that recognizes the profound value of veganism.
Furthermore, the recent trend of vegan restaurants closing or adding meat to their menus is a troubling sign. It reflects not only a failure to sustain a vegan business model but also a societal regression in embracing a truly compassionate and sustainable way of life. We must support vegan businesses and encourage innovation within the vegan food industry to ensure its growth and resilience.
In conclusion, while the term "plant-based" may seem more inclusive, it is essential to uphold and promote the term "vegan" to preserve the integrity and depth of the vegan movement. Veganism represents a holistic approach to living that transcends dietary preferences, advocating for a world where all beings can coexist without harm. Let us champion veganism proudly, educate those around us, and work towards a future where veganism is not just accepted but celebrated.
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General Resources
Books:
Dominion: The Power of Animals in Nature and in Our Imagination by Matthew Scully
Animal Liberation by Peter Singer
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
A Billion Hungry Mouths: Feeding the World Without Consuming the Planet by Colin Tudge
Websites and organizations:
Documentaries:
Articles:
"The Case for Animal Rights" by Tom Regan
‘‘Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism’’ by Melanie Joy
‘‘Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach’’ by Gary L. Francione
‘‘Fellow Creatures: Our Obligations to the Other Animals’’ by Christine Korsgaard
Seeds of Compassion: Finding Jesus Christ in a Vegan World by Michael Corthell
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"Veganism represents a holistic approach to living that transcends dietary preferences, advocating for a world where all beings can coexist without harm."
There is something new on the horizon that you should be aware of, understand, and, I hope, enthusiastically embrace. There is a nonprofit thinktank called RethinkX (https://www.rethinkx.com/) that has forecast and analyzed four "Disruptions" in various stages of development that we are undergoing: Energy, Transportation, Food, and Labor. Obviously, the Food Disruption is the one most relevant to this discussion.
The X in RethinkX stands for crossed logistic, S, curves. The rising curve represents the adoption of a new disrupting technology, and the falling curve represents the bankruptcy of the incumbent technology. In today's world these take about fifteen to twenty years to be completed. Think of the internal combustion engine (soon to be disrupted itself by the EV in the new Transportation Disruption) disrupting the horse (after some three thousand years) at the beginning of the twentieth century, digital photography disrupting celluloid film photography, or Gutenberg's printing press disrupting two and a half millennia of handwritten manuscripts. Food, in the form of two technologies, precision fermentation (PF) and cellular agriculture (CA) is at the beginning of a disruption of the ten-thousand-year-old-plus Neolithic Revolution.
PF, the more basic of the two, is brewing, with the added feature of genetic modification of the fermenting microbe to produce any of the thousands of different nutrient molecules—protein, fat, or carbohydrate. Note that this is not GMO food: the modification is to the fermenting microbe, not to the brewed product, which contains no genetic material. Like other disruptions, this began as an incredibly expensive process, but the price has plummeted and will continue to do so until it is much less expensive than conventional food production, which will drive the disruption. The first product was pharmaceutical: Humulin or human insulin, a precision brew, disrupted animal insulin, a distinctly inferior pharmaceutical extracted and processed from pancreases in slaughterhouses. The acronym for the Standard American Diet, which has unfortunately been spreading worldwide, is appropriately, SAD. It is responsible for the worldwide explosion of the chronic diseases of aging. Its disappearance will be part of the disruption.
CA will be started from cellular biopsies from food animals, which will not harm those animals. The principal expense of producing these cultures is the cost of their distinctive growth cultures. As the cost of PF plummets, the cost of CA will follow, and will bankrupt the slaughterhouse and send it into oblivion. This process should be essentially complete in the early 2040s. Cellular meat will destroy slaughterhouse meat.
PF plus CA will be the Second Food Revolution. The Neolithic Revolution involved the domestication of plants and animals for food. The Second Food Revolution will involve the domestication of micro-organisms as agents of food production. PF plus CA will require about one percent of the land area required for conventional agriculture. This will release for rewilding or other uses an area of land equivalent to the land area of the U.S. plus China plus Australia. This will bring a halt to the Anthropogenic Extinction Event, and with the other Disruptions will first mitigate and then repair the damage to the Earth’s biosphere (atmosphere, soil, and ocean) of the several centuries of fossil-fuel use. In time one can anticipate a universal moral shift to Biophilia: a conversion of humankind from the top predator to the guardian and custodian of the biosphere.