Once considered a fringe dietary pursuit, veganism is now a global movement that is growing at warp speed. This rise is indicative of an era of shifting consumer tastes and a renewed sense of urgency about protecting the environment and animal welfare.
November is known as World Vegan Month, and this recognition has grown logarithmically over the last couple of years. Most of this is due to influence of social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram etc. These digital channels have powered this explosive trend with trendy flat-lays of dairy-free lattes and elaborate tofu dishes.
At the same time, the ethical and environmental conscience of young generation is a far cry from a fringe movement with no tangible impact. This mainstream switch to veganism represents a seismic shift in consumer attitudes, which is already changing the ways in which restaurants and hotels cater to their customers.
BIG ON VEGAN
Today, many leading brands are adapting to the new change and are creating new products. Of course, companies are always eager to jump on new trends.
But unlike other movements, veganism isn’t seen as just a passing fad. Major brands such as Pizza Hut and Pret a Manger introduced vegan offering in their chains. This is the clear response to gaining acceptance of plant-based eating habits.
There has been a huge spike in demand for plant-based meat and dairy alternatives as more consumers look to diversify their diet with plant-based foods or are moving to an entirely plant-based diet. Taste, price and convenience are the key factors consumers consider when making food choices.
We often limit veganism to the food and diet, but it is more than that. By centring diet as the soul of veganism, we might be doing an inequity to vegans. There’s far more to the ethos of veganism than simply controlling what one puts in one’s mouth, and ignoring these other facets of the vegan lifestyle denies its power.
Furthermore, there is a myth that adopting vegan lifestyle is being expensive but it’s untrue. Specifically, the country like India, which is culturally inclined to vegetarianism, and many are shifting towards to veganism by excluding the dairy element, animal products and its derivatives in their everyday diet. There are various reasons that contributes towards this inclination such as conscious eating habits, environmental concerns, animal welfare, sustainable development etc.
CATERING TO EVOLVING CHANGES
After COVID-19, things which might have seen as option, has now become the necessity. However, some of us see the pandemic and the ensuing economic turmoil as a historic opportunity to accelerate the pace of change toward the Sustainable Development’s Goal of building more equitable, peaceful, resilient and prosperous societies by making certain changes in their lifestyle.
The three pertinent barriers to cross, while saving millions from mass starvation, are- psychological, technological and economic. Veganism would cut carbon emissions from food production in half, thus, freeing up land for other uses. Therefore, with a quarter of global emissions coming from the food industry, avoiding meat and dairy constitutes one of the most effective ways to reduce one’s environmental impact.
The good news is that there are not only environmental and humanitarian benefits to a plant-based agricultural system but immense economic benefits as well. Economically there would be a potential reduction in GDP of about 1%, but this would be offset by growth in other areas, including the vegan food market. These costs include soil erosion, drought, climate change, pollution from excess nutrients and pesticides, illness caused by unhealthy products, etc.
As consumer demand for plant-based products accelerates, emerging players are seeking points of differentiation to stand out in what is becoming a crowded marketplace. Even though the product development and innovation in the plant-based world is developing at a rapid pace, food plants anthropology, research, technology and application have just scratched the surface.
