Vegan is Black

Practical Issues > Health - Index > Vegan Index

June 12, 2005
After 60 years of ridicule, Vegan is the New Black

(PRLEAP.COM) Even though the word Vegan is considered a taboo, dirty word by the UK tabloid newspapers, veganism is reaching out and inspiring people all over the world like never before in it�s 60 year history.

Tony Bishop-Weston Author of �Vegan� by Hamlyn says "A journalist from one of the top UK tabloids told me that their editor had banned them from using the word �vegan� as it was too scary for their readers. All health and beauty stories have to be dumbed down to use the word vegetarian instead of vegan. �Herb tea� was also on the taboo list."

"The lack of an amiable vegan in a major TV soap and the apparent UK tabloid decision to reserve the word vegan for crowd control and shock tactics may be the only 2 things stopping a tidal wave of veganism being unleashed" says Tony.

The Vegan Society report a threefold increase in applications to use it�s internationally recognised vegan trademark symbol that identifies authentic vegan products.

Last year Ford and Toyota in the USA targeted vegans recognising them through focus groups to be at the epicentre of their targeted aspirational audience.

Following the World Health Organisation urging world Governments to promote the eating of more fruit and vegetables, now environmental organisations are confirming that reliance on animal protein is completely unsustainable. We no longer have enough land or water to prioritise feeding cows before people.

One of the largest contract caterers in the world after Compass, and Sodexho, Aramark, surveyed 100,000 US college students. 24% said vegan dishes were important to them beating even the lastest GI craze. Only 18% wanted low-carb dishes on the menu.

A whole host of celebrities have recently come out of the closest and joined vociferous vegans such as Moby, Andre Benjamin and Benjamin Zephaniah. With respected sportsman such as Austrailian Cricket ace Greg Chappell singing the praises of veganism and a vegan even running for US presidency (Dennis Kuchinich) the whole world seems perched on the point of critical mass for change.

There are more Vegan cookbooks out at the moment than you can shake a stick at, the Supersize Me director Morgan Spurlock�s girlfriend, even Moby the rock star has a cookbook out.

Despite the fierce competition "Vegan" a healthy but decadent and very innovative new vegan cookbook by Tony and his nutritionist wife is still number 1 bestselling Vegan cookbook on Amazon.co.uk and recipes from the book have been featured on the BBC website.

"When you reach a point when even the straight laced guardians of the establishment such as the BBC start posting up vegan recipe sections on their websites then we know an epidemic of enlightenment is not far away" predicts Bishop-Weston.

The real key to change was manufacturers and retailers finally realising that you didn�t have to be vegan to want to buy vegan products. There is a whole complex list of inter related reasons such as health, environment, allergy issues, religion, animal welfare, improved taste and availability that have effected consumers� buying habits.

Prior to The Vegan Society�s Diamond Jubilee there was one vegan festival a year (in London) now vegan festivals and events to celebrate World Vegan Day on 1st of November are springing up all over the world.

We started with vegan sausages and vegan pork pies, now delicatessens sell vegan caviar and champagne and chemists sell vegan condoms. Vegans even have their own Vegan Internet TV channel � veggievision.

EDITORS NOTES

Position Of American Dietetic Association on Vegan Diets

http://www.eatright.org/Public/GovernmentAffairs/92_17084.cfm

5 A DAY - USA http://www.5aday.com/ - UK http://www.5aday.nhs.uk/

Water Shortages

BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3559542.stm

The UN survey points out that it takes 7,000 litres of water to produce 100 grammes of beef, as opposed to 550 litres to produce enough flour for a loaf of bread.

http://www.unep.org/vitalwater/ - http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/

George Monbiot

http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2002/12/24/the-poor-get-stuffed/

WEBSITES

Vegan Society http://www.vegansociety.com

World Vegan Day http://www.worldveganday.org

Vegan Websites http://www.for-vegans.co.uk

Vegan Awards http://www.vegan-awards.org.uk

Vegan TV http://www.veggievision.co.uk/

Vegan Trends http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/mg18625025.700

Vegan Chocolate http://www.plamilfoods.co.uk

Vegan Fish and Melting Cheese http://www.redwoodfoods.co.uk

Vegan Cookbook http://www.vegan-cookbook.com

Vegan Nutrition http://www.news.foodsforlife.org

Latest Vegan News http://veganworldwidenews.blogspot.com