Anna, our Community Projects Officer blogs about her reasons for becoming vegetarian and then vegan. It all started while a family holiday in France…
I became a vegetarian in the mid-90’s, I was 7 years old. I was on holiday with my family in France, staying in an old farmhouse. One evening I heard the cows in the barn behind the house making a lot of noise, my older sister informed me the cows were being slaughtered to be turned into beef burgers. That evening when my mother presented me with a burger for dinner, I refused to eat it and declared I was now a vegetarian and would never eat meat again. My parents thought it would be a phase but (despite the fact I later learnt the cows were just mooing because they were waiting to be milked) it wasn’t, I never ate meat again. As a teenager and young adult I could never understand why someone would be a vegan, I rationalised that dairy and eggs were by-products of animals, they weren’t hurt in the process. As I reached my 30’s I knew this wasn’t entirely true and after watching the darkly-comic 2017 film ‘Carnage’ by Simon Amstell I could no longer ignore what I had been avoiding. Not only that but the environmental impact of animal farming was becoming more and more apparent. With both the ethical and environmental factors I realised I needed to take the final step to the green side, I became vegan.
It’s now easier to become vegetarian or vegan
For me this was easier than anticipated, the market for vegetarian and plant-based products had grown significantly since the horrors of mid-90’s vegetarian dining which seemed to consist primarily of Linda McCartney sausages that tasted like cardboard and the biggest horror to ever grace the plate of a Sunday dinner, a nut roast! Over the last 7 years the variety and availability of vegan products has exploded and its now unusual to visit a restaurant that doesn’t offer at least one plant-based option. There are vegan versions of almost every type of junk food (thank you Ben and Jerry), some that have always been accidentally vegan (hobnobs, bourbon biscuits, skittles and Krispy Kreme doughnuts to name a few) and plenty of alternatives to meat and dairy such as plant-based milks, cheeses, tofu and meat substitutes that have improved massively over the last 30 years.
What are the environmental factors associated with animal farming?
Globally, farming uses about 70% of the planet’s accessible freshwater. It takes 15,500 litres of water to produce 1 kg beef, contrasted with 180 litres for 1 kg tomatoes and 250 litres for 1 kg potatoes. There is also the crucial issue of land use, animal farming requires crops to be grown to feed the animals when this could instead be directly used to feed people. Large swathes of forest are removed every year across the world to make more space to grow crops that are used for animal feed. In the amazon rainforest, 80% of deforested land is used for cattle grazing. 75% of the world’s agricultural land is used for raising animals – this includes animal feed, pasture and grazing. Then you consider the additional carbon emissions that are created, not only by the animals, but also the industry they are part of. Every year, over one billion chickens, 12 million turkeys, 13 million sheep and lambs, 10 million pigs, 2.7 million cows and 10 million ducks and geese are slaughtered in the UK for human consumption.
The health benefits of a vegan diet
A vegan diet is considered healthier for most people as not only is it easier for your body to digest but it can also reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, maintain blood sugar. Studies have shown it can potentially reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers as well as improving digestion, skin and sleep. Meat, fish, eggs and dairy use around 83% of the world’s farmland and contribute 56-58% of food’s different emissions but only provide 37% of the protein we eat and 18% of calories.
Many athletes are now turning to plant-based diets to improve their performance. Formula One Champion Lewis Hamilton, FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan and Wimbledon Champions Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams are just a few of the household names who have embraced this change to their diet. During an interview with Men’s Health magazine, Leis Hamilton said after switching to veganism: “I have more energy; I’m so much more productive. I wake up feeling way better, clearer in thought and fresher in my body. I recover quicker; I sleep better. My skin cleared up. I have fewer allergies. There are just so many impacts. I’m physically in better shape than I’ve ever been, and I’m more successful than ever right now, and my plant-based programme has played such a big role in that.”
Some interesting statistics…
In 2024 2.5 million or 4.7% of the UK adult population are estimated to follow a vegan diet, that is double the number from 2023. Another 3.1million are vegetarian, 3million are pescatarian and another 7.1million identify as plant-based/flexitarian. In total that’s 29% of the current adult population who have significantly reduced or entirely removed animal products from their diet and it’s a number that is predicted to continue grow as people become more aware of the environmental impact and health benefits. One in nine people in the world today are undernourished, yet around a third of the world’s cereal harvest is fed to animals. Vegan diets result in 76% less land use and 50% less greenhouse gas emissions.
By reducing your consumption of animal products you can have a real impact on your own health and the health of our planet. Small steps can lead to big changes, this World Vegan Day why not try some plant-based alternatives. Maybe consider giving Veganuary a go or reducing your meat consumption each week.
Would you like a vegan recipe using contents from our Member of the Month’s vegetable box?
What did Caroline make with the contents of her Hampshire Market Garden vegetable box?
Follow this link to view the recipe
