The Growth of the Vegetarian and the Vegan

‘I am a vegetarian’ is a common quote in this day and age, and as a vegetarian myself I am guilty of uttering those words into a fair few conversations. This is also the case for vegans, although they are often stereotyped as being more likely to let everyone know just what they are. When the phrase is uttered there can be the odd eye roll but it has become more common in recent years and there is less of a groan surrounding the subject [well, in my experience there is]. The vegetarian and vegan diet has grown in popularity, particularly as concerns about climate change and animal welfare have come to the fore. The growth of these diets has also been aided by the numerous food products that have developed to cater for vegetarians and vegans.

I decided to become a vegetarian for environmental reasons, although I do have some concern for animal welfare the importance of climate change is what resulted in me making the decision. I remember learning about the impact of the meat industry on the environment and decided that it was a fairly easy lifestyle change to make to reduce my carbon footprint. I suppose I could argue that my reasoning is selfish, I made the decision to stop my guilty conscience about the environment, but if it still does have some sort of impact then there is no harm in the indulgence. I think a number of people show significant concern for the environment and it is perhaps one of the main reasons for the growth in the diet, particularly the vegan diet which has even more of a positive impact on the environment. [Although, my guilty conscience has yet to spread to my cheese addiction].

In my discussions with my dad about my choice to be vegetarian it brought up the issue of whether the meat substitutes that I chose to include in my diet were any better for the environment. I think this is a common question posed to people as well as ‘if you’re bothered about animals then why do you eat fish?’. The fish accusation aside, I do think the question of the environmental impact of meat substitutes is an important one to address. I have noticed that the packaging for these products tends to forgo plastic, with any plastic that is used tending to be recyclable. More often than not though, it seems to be the case that cardboard packaging alone is used. Quorn also makes the effort to promote that their mince has 90% less of a carbon impact on the environment and as a consequence I think it could be suggested that meat substitutes clearly don’t have as much of an impact on the planet than the meat industry does. After all, Quorn isn’t producing vast quantities of methane! There is also the suggestion that the use of palm oil in these products is not sustainable for the environment and the destruction of habitats might also be considered a form of animal abuse. However, most of the vegetarian/vegan companies are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil which evidently gives the impression that they do not source palm oil illegally. Although it is perhaps better to avoid palm oil, the legal, sustainable sourcing of it promotes less of a problem. Similarly, it is extremely hard to lead a lifestyle that is completely environmentally conscious.

As well as the environmental impacts of a vegetarian diet, the vegan diet does appear, to me, to be one that is more concerned with animal welfare. As someone who isn’t a vegan I perhaps don’t have as much ground to express a view on this. However, like most people I do have an opinion on it. I think the vegan diet is a complex one, it clearly boasts many health benefits as well being positive for the environment and animal welfare. As the diet has grown it has become more accessible to lead a vegan lifestyle, and the Veganuary trend is a good one. I know a number of vegans and of course have no issue with their lifestyle, that is their decision to make and it makes no difference to me. As a vegetarian I don’t go out of my way to force my lifestyle on other people or attempt to convince them, in a guilt tripping sense, to take on the diet and so I have no issue with other people’s diet choices. However, it is the militant vegans which pose some sort of negativity, although this is most likely a select group of people it is a group that has a lot of focus.

Militant vegans, as the name suggests, take on an aggressive attitude in regard to their diet and the animal industry. They make an effort to make people feel guilty about their diets if they include animal products, they accuse farmers of rape and murder. Although they, of course, have every right to their opinion, this aggressiveness is something which creates a negative attitude. I believe that this aggression has a lot of emphasis placed on it and thus plays into the stereotype of vegans, which then turns people off adopting the diet or respecting vegans. Surely, if their goal is to promote the diet and try to convince people to adopt it, it is definitely not sustainable to create a sphere of negativity around the subject? They should focus their attention on education and promotion, not on violence and aggression, no matter how strong their beliefs. As they say, the pen is mightier than the sword.

Of course you don’t have to be a vegetarian or vegan to be concerned about the environment, there are many other ways that people can do this. Similarly, on a wider scale, the impact should come from large industries and their impact on the environment but if your find yourself like me, having a guilty conscience, then being a vegetarian isn’t the only way to alleviate it. The idea of having one day a week that is meat free is also a good, healthy, sustainable lifestyle choice for example.

As a vegetarian it was almost inevitable that there would be some discussion on here about it from me. However, the lifestyle you choose to live is ultimately up to you and it should not be questioned by others, unless of course it is in fact questionable.