If your New Year’s resolution is to encourage more people to go vegan, it seems you’re not alone.
Saturday, January the 5th, the first weekend of 2019, witnessed a thrilling exhibition of vegan-related stories from mainstream media outlets.It seems everyone and anyone can’t stop talking about the fact that veganism is here to stay and is going to be a dominant force in society and economics in 2019 and beyond.
CBC dedicated 10 minutes to the plant-based revolution. As ‘meat-eater’ Elmer Kim states: “I’ve got to tell you… This is absolutely going to revolutionize the food industry. The beef industry, if they don’t get this right, they’re going to be like the taxi industry. They’re going to look like Blockbuster because this is coming down like a tidal wave.” Click here to watch this clip which is sure to excite you about the progress we are making!
This was accompanied by both an online article and a clip on CBC Radio promoting Veganuary, that included comments from me about the 7-Day Veggie Challenge and how it can support people doing Veganuary.The Toronto Star’s business section also mentioned the growth of vegetarianism twice in an article highlighting the top things to expect in the economy in 2019.
One of the first things on the list was changes in prices of various food products, where regarding meat they said to expect the price of meat to go down, and that meat is “permanently on the decline” due to growing awareness of the environmental, ethical, and health implications. Another guarantee they expect is a growth in the oat milk industry, with it becoming a common alternative to cow’s milk.
The meat industry is obviously aware of the growth of plant-based products, as the Star’s business section also included an article about entire states in the U.S passing legislation that attempts to ban clean meat and plant-based meat companies from using the term “meat” in their product names (don’t worry, the Good Food Institute was also quoted in this article and is currently fighting back against the legislation. Click here to read the full article).
The dairy industry is also afraid of the momentum building around plant-based foods, so much so that they have even been lobbying some members of the medical community to get them to promote the so-called benefits of milk and cheese. But fear not; public opinion is on our side.After the Star published an article last week that talked about “health risks” associated with the lack of dairy products in the proposed new Canada Food Guide, they received an influx of letters to the editor calling them out for publishing false information, and reminding readers that the proposed new Food Guide is on the right track due to the dangers of animal products to human health and the environment. This is just one letter which was published, sent in from one of TVA’s board members Nital Jethalal, but there were more published on this very special January 5th issue as well including one all the way from B.C.Proof of this momentum is that both the Star and the Globe and Mail included as part of their regular lifestyle content several stories on January 5th demonstrating that a plant-based diet is no longer something on the fringe, but is a part of everyday life and something of relevance to all readers.
One of the Star’s feature travel pieces was about vegan options for tours, shopping, and hotels while vacationing. Click here to read the article and get some fun tips!
The Globe and Mail also had a list of their top ten picks of where to go in 2019. One of them was Edmonton, and in the short paragraph about why they chose it as a must-see destination they said “Refuel at some of the country’s hottest restaurants, including Kanu, a high-end vegan spot.” Yup, a vegan restaurant was chosen as one of only two restaurants to highlight as a reason to visit this often ignored city!
At the Globe and Mail, clearly the editors are aware that readers are increasingly wanting to live a plant-based lifestyle, as the word “vegan” was peppered throughout several small articles: this week’s highlighted gadget was described as having a “vegan leather bicycle seat”, and an article about pillows made sure to include a statement that feather options include both down and “synthetic vegan options”. In a third article in the Globe’s “Pursuits” section on January 5th, developing leather alternatives was the second of five challenges the fashion industry will be focusing on this year.
Wow, that was certainly a mouth full! If this is how the future is shaping up in 2019, we have more to celebrate as we ring in the New Year than I could have imagined.
