In the news

Plant milk in schools

On World Plant Milk Day, our Dietitian Heather Russell spoke to The Times about accessibility to vegan alternatives in schools. Receiving front page coverage, Heather served to remind readers that veganism is going mainstream and that vegan parents need to be supported to raise their children in line with their beliefs. Heather spoke about The Vegan Society’s campaign to include plant milks under the government’s school milk subsidy. Including compassionate, sustainable vegan alternatives would be a huge step in the right direction and the common sense choice now more and more families are seeking alternatives to cow’s milk.

Commercial grazing alternatives

As mentioned in the Highlights pages, The Vegan Society has released a new report, written as a practical overview and starting point for farmers and landowners who wish to explore new alternatives in land management. It is often suggested that maintaining open pasture and grazing animals for meat production is the only worthwhile, productive option for managing ‘marginal’ land. The report refutes this by identifying a range of alternative management options that could help us respond effectively to the climate and biodiversity crises. Upon release of the report, Campaigns and Policy Officer Tim Thorpe told journalists that British farmers can lead the way and be the architects of a more sustainable land management policy over the next decade if the report’s recommendations are implemented.

Soya milk and the environment

Over the last few months there has been more discussion on the environmental impact of soya milk in the press. Our Media and PR Officer Matt Turner was on hand to remind the media that a landmark Oxford University study has illustrated quite clearly that the production of dairy milk is far more damaging and less sustainable than soya milk when greenhouse gas emissions, land use and water use are taken into account. 90% of world soya production is used as animal feed, and soya grown closer to home in Europe would satisfy current demand if we consumed it ourselves instead of using it to feed farmed animals.

Future Normal

We know we can create a kinder future for animals, which is why we have launched our biggest campaign yet – Future Normal (full feature starts on page 8). Media and PR Officer Matt Turner spoke on BBC Radio 4’s You & Yours to discuss whether consumers are ready for the Future Normal as vegan sales boom. It appears that the direction of travel is in our favour, as a consumer research survey conducted by the Future Normal campaign found that almost half of Brits feel it’s hypocritical to love some animals while exploiting others, which received mentions in the national press.