The Vegan Summer 2010

ISSN 0307−4811 02 Laser Proof

9 770307 481000

in this issue The Bumblebee Conservation Trust say that many crops depend on bumblebees rather than honey bees for pollination.

Without bumblebees broad, field and runner beans as well as many soft fruit crops would not be pollinated and in many areas crop yields are falling because of a lack of bumblebees. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation research suggests that bumblebees are major pollinators of crops in the UK and yet the perception among the general public is that only farmed honey bees need to be preserved. We want to correct this wrong information about pollination and our office volunteer Till and Information Officer Charley have been doing some research into this issue and we have produced an extensive information sheet about bees which can be found here: http://www.vegansociety.com/resources/animals/

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In this issue we feature research which suggests that meat eaters love non-human animals just as much as veg*ans do but they adopt denial strategies which allow them to hold inconsistent views on the subject of animal exploitation. We also feature more information on Global Food Security which is our theme this year and plenty of other items to engage your interest.

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Have a lovely summer!

Rosamund Raha Editor

The Vegan Society

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Donald Watson House

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21 Hylton Street

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Hockley

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Birmingham

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B18 6HJ

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UK

Local rate 0845 45 88244 l Tel. 0121 523 1730 l Fax. 0121 523 1749 l e-mail: info@vegansociety.com l www.vegansociety.com Editor Rosamund Raha Design www.doughnutdesign.co.uk Front cover photo © JasenkaDreamstime.com Printed on Recycled paper

© The Vegan Society Registered Charity no. 279228 Company Registration no. 1468880 The views expressed in The Vegan do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or of the Vegan Society Council.

Nothing printed should be construed to be Vegan Society policy unless so stated. The Society accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine. The acceptance of advertisements (including inserts) does not imply endorsement.

The inclusion of product information should not be construed as constituting official Vegan Society approval for the product, its intended use, or its manufacturer/distributor. Contributions intended for publication are welcomed, but unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a SAE. Contributions will usually be edited.

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VegAN soCietY sPriNg 2010 HigHligHts THE VEGAN PLEDGE We are receiving increasing numbers of requests to take The Vegan Pledge. During the spring quarter we received nearly 400 pledges. Some examples of feedback we have had about the pledge are as follows: “Thanks for your info, for your encouragement, and for the opportunity to take a pledge.”

“I like spending money in ways that I feel helps instead of harms.”

“Your vegan pledge has made a huge life change for me…

I’m in it for the long haul now.”

“This is just what I needed. All the books in the world can’t replace a person coaching you along.”

“I have found it a lot easier than I expected... a lot of that is down to my excellent mentor! Once my pledge is over I intend to carry on!”

VEGANS LAUNCH BID FOR GREAT NORTH RUN SUCCESS The Vegan Society is entering the Great North Run 2010 to finally completely smash the tired myth of the ‘weedy vegan’. The fifteen vegan runners are captained by Elite marathon runner Fiona Oakes.

The Great North Run is on Sunday 19 September 2010, between Newcastle and Gateshead. Our PR/Media Officer Amanda Baker is working on media coverage for this.

Further details will appear in the next magazine.

CLIMATE CHANGE If you have internet access then take a look at our vegan pledge pages: www.vegansociety.com/veganpledge www.facebook.com/TheVeganPledge

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY On Sun 10 Jan 2010 our PR/Media Officer Amanda Baker appeared on BBC WM (the BBC radio channel for the West Midlands) Thought for the Day slot. The theme was Universal Compassion, linking climate change, suffering and veganism.

VEGAN ITEMS IN PRISON SHOPS Vegan Society Information Officer Verity Hunt-Sheppard attended a meeting in London with The Vegan Prisoner Support Group (VPSG) and prison procurement to make the case for better provision of vegan food in prison shops. The range of options is increasing for prisoners all the time but there is always room for improvement!

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On 9 March VS Chief Executive Nigel Winter attended a ministerial and third sector meeting on climate change, the environment and sustainable development. There was a lot of talk about making climate change everyone’s number one priority and involving groups who were not traditionally involved in this issue. Two specific projects that the Society might be able to influence are: ‘Eat into Greener Living’ which will inspire National Trust visitors to eat sustainably and ‘Degrees Cooler’ which will encourage university students to adopt low carbon diets.

The Charity Commission has produced a new good practice standard that will encourage ALL charities to adopt an environmentally sustainable approach to their work. Our next challenge is to convince people that being vegan is part of an environmentally sustainable approach.

FEATURE ARTICLES We have started putting feature articles from the magazine up onto The Vegan Society website. Take a look here: http://www.vegansociety.com/about/publications/veganmagazine/feature-articles/

INFORMATION PACKS

NATURAL AND ORGANIC PRODUCTS EXHIBITION

We are receiving an increasing number of requests for our free information packs since we made it easy to apply for them on our new website. We sent out about 500 in the spring quarter; some by post and some by e-mail.

The Natural and Organic Products Europe (NOPE) exhibition spans the 11th and 12th of April and is one of the most important trade shows in Europe for natural and organic companies and products. The goods range from cosmetics to food items such as tea, oils, snack bars and coconut milks. The Vegan Society exhibited alongside some of our own trademark holders including Redwoods, Faith in Nature and Provamel. Exhibiting alongside the leaders in the industry raises the profile of our trademark scheme and the charity as a whole.

AWARDS Addenbrooke’s hospital were so pleased to win The Vegan Society ‘Best Vegan Hospital or Care Home’ award that they organised a write-up about it in the local paper The Cambridge News and Crier.

THE VEGAN MANIFESTO We asked vegans to write short and positive messages to their General Election candidates in order to try to get the following policies adopted by political parties:

George, Head of Business Development, and Daniel, Business Development Assistant, represented The Vegan Society and were both overwhelmed by the interest expressed in the trademark from companies attending the show. They took details of 30 companies who had a keen interest in joining the trademark scheme and they will be following these up. Make sure you check out the Shop Around pages on pages 16-18 to see what exciting new trademarked goodies are available!

n Work towards better vegan catering in hospitals, schools, care homes, prisons and other publically run places under the terms of the Equality Act. This includes ensuring that local government is procuring vegan food for these establishments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, help food security and ensure healthy diets. n Ensure animal-free medication and food supplements including infant formula are available as required by the Equality Act. n NVQ in catering to include section on catering for vegans. n Help the farming industry move towards stock-free, plantbased farming to reduce greenhouse gases and help global food security. n A legally accepted definition of the word vegan leading to better labelling. n A policy promoting sustainable plant-based diets in international development work. n Fund and develop alternatives to animal experiments. n The National Curriculum to include: Daniel, Ben from 222 restaurant and George - Consideration of different ethical approaches to humannonhuman animal relations, including veganism and rightsbased approaches.

- Honest education about the consequences for nonhuman animal well-being involved in the production of meat, fish, eggs and dairy foods. n To end animal suffering in the name of sport or entertainment. n Add a dietary preference question to the next census.

We will report on any successes in the Autumn magazine.

THE EQUALITY ACT Following media reports debating whether veganism is a protected belief under current and future UK Equality Law, The Vegan Society Chair of Trustees, George Rodger, has sent a letter to the UK Minister for Women and Equality Harriet Harman. George asked for a firm clarification from the Government Equalities Office that veganism is protected under the Equality Act. Indications are that veganism is covered although we cannot be sure until it is tested for the first time in a court of law.

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From tHe CHieF eXeCutiVe Nigel Winter

I was invited to give a talk at the Council for Hospitality Management Education’s Annual National Students Conference. This conference has now been running for about six years with delegates (staff and students) from universities offering Hospitality Management courses across the UK (Leeds Met, Huddersfield, Strathclyde, Gloucester, Surrey, Oxford Brookes, Brighton, University College Birmingham, Cardiff, etc). My talk explained the environmental impact of food and the benefits of vegan food to catering establishments. Many businesses are looking for ways to cut their carbon footprint and serving less meat and dairy is one way to achieve that. I also asked the audience to consider how we are going to feed an expected world population of 9 billion with current production methods. It is important to encourage students of catering and hospitality management to question and challenge current practices.

The evidence to support our arguments keeps on growing with the recently published 2009 Annual Report from the Department of Health’s Chief Medical Officer which states:

The Vegan Society prides itself on well-researched and referenced arguments. The benefit of this was illustrated by feedback from the conference: “What was interesting particularly about Nigel’s talk was its academic credibility and therefore the validity of his argument. We were most impressed as I think that some thought it would be more of an emotional argument.”

It is no longer a case of do we have the evidence to support the benefits of veganism but now a matter of how do we encourage people to change their lifestyle? Looking at how many people are now taking our Vegan Pledge each month, people are getting the message – so much so that we are employing extra staff!

“A recent study examined the health impact of reducing the United Kingdom’s consumption of animal products by 30% by 2030. This reduction would cut greenhouse gases substantially.

There would also be health benefits. It would reduce heart disease by 15% – a substantial reduction – and it would prevent 18,000 premature deaths every year. Taking both deaths and disease related ill health into account, a 30% reduction in animal product consumption would save the equivalent of 175,000 healthy years of life every year.” http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/Ann ualReports/DH_113912

From tHe CHAir oF tHe CouNCil George D Rodger

The Vegan Society has made a submission to the Scottish Government on the future of Scottish agriculture. This was in response to a consultation report on future support for agriculture in Scotland produced by a committee headed by Brian Pack, a prominent figure in Scottish agricultural politics.

The Brian Pack report was mainly concerned with the various farm subsidy systems, which are being reviewed in any case, but The Vegan Society’s submission concentrated on the underlying assumptions and policies on land use.

Our submission criticised the Brian Pack committee for bias towards livestock farmers (a criticism also made by many Scottish arable farmers!), and urged more support for stock-free use of land, especially in LFAs (Less Favoured Areas), particularly for forestry and for energy crops.

The Vegan Organic Network (VON) endorsed our submission and made some more comments of their own.

The final report of the Brian Pack committee comes out in June 2010. It will be interesting to see if we have had any influence on their thinking.

(But don’t hold your breath!)

George D Rodger Chair of Vegan Society Council

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I have written a column for every issue of The Vegan since becoming a Trustee and taking over as Local Contacts’ Coordinator in 2001 but this is the most difficult because it will be the last: as from the last week in May the task of dealing with everything to do with Local and Group Contacts, which up to now has always been done by a volunteer, usually a Trustee, working from home, will be carried out by paid staff in the office. That would have been the ideal situation all along but has not been possible because of lack of staff time and, before the move from St Leonard’s, simply lack of space.

further information about becoming a Contact, please get in touch with Rob on cc@vegansociety.com, or, if you have no e-mail, 0121 253 1738. For help with ideas for contacting the media get in touch with Amanda on cc@vegansociety.com or 0121 523 1737 (07847 664793 out of office hours). And to remind you of what they look like, especially if you haven’t seen Rob since his makeover, here are a couple of nice pics!

Now as one of my final duties I’m delighted to be able to report that the 3rd annual North-East Vegan Festival in April was bigger and better than ever and plans are already underway for 2011 (see www.vegne.co.uk/vegan-gathering) and that Liz Begg, our Angus Contact, is one of a team of 15 members taking part in this year’s Great North Run (www.vegansociety.com/News-AndEvents/News/Vegans-launch-bid-for-Great-North-Runsuccess.aspx).

There are quite a few new Local Contacts and new groups since the February magazine was printed so in the list on p. 42-44 they are shaded to make them stand out. It’s especially good to have Clare as a second Local Contact in the huge county of Devon, that Alwynne in Bolton has returned to the fold and that at last we once again have a group in York, run by Meg, who recently moved from Wales and is keen to hear from people in the area, as are Karen and Kirsch, who have set up new vegan groups in Inverness and Conwy respectively. Alex in Glasgow and Sophie in Leeds were already listed as Group Contacts and, having now been members for more than six months, have been approved by Council as Local Contacts. Do try to ensure you use the contact details in the latest magazine since they can change, but for the most recent details please check the website.

The job will now be shared by Amanda and Rob, both of whom have worked for the Society since shortly after it moved to a light and airy office in the historic Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham three years ago. I have got to know both Amanda and Rob well and to admire them for their sense of humour (and their hard work and dedication too!) so I am confident that they will do an excellent job between them.

Amanda will be handling the PR side of things, liaising with Contacts to increase media coverage etc., and Rob will be dealing with most of the administration, keeping data current etc. They’ll work together to develop the network and train Contacts. In fact in her capacity as PR and Media Officer Amanda has worked with Contacts from the start by encouraging and helping them to write to local newspapers and magazines and to get on local radio and TV: for instance many of you will know of the sterling work done by our amazing Linda in Lincoln to prevent planning permission being granted for the infamous Nocton Dairy Unit. In turn Rob, our Education Officer, has run several courses to train Contacts and other volunteers as school speakers and he set up and has run the School Speaker Network with only minimal input from me.

Well that’s it, folks, and not just until the next time. I feel much as I did when not standing for reelection to Council last year: a mixture of relief (at last! finally time to do some gardening, tidy my office, catch up with evening-class coursework and even start swimming again!) and sadness (I shall miss the close working relationship with colleagues, both Staff and Trustees, and now, added to that, the contact with all our wonderful Local and Group Contacts and other members). Nevertheless, as many of you have become personal friends, I hope we shall keep in touch on a less formal basis and I expect we’ll continue to bump into one another at various events around the country. In addition I am willing to continue to use my professional expertise to help with proofreading the magazine and of course I have no intention of resigning as a Local Contact!

By the way, although it was hard work I did very much enjoy being a Trustee as well as, at various times, National Contacts’ Coordinator and International Coordinator, so I encourage anyone who’d like to give it a go to stand for election to Council. The closing date is 23 July and details are on p.11.

My very best wishes to you all.

Patricia Tricker, former National Contacts’ Coordinator

So from now on, if you fulfil the minimum criteria of full (i.e. not supporter) membership of the Society (for Group Contacts) or full membership for six months (for Local Contacts) and you want

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It’s not what you do but who you know, or rather, who they know or are thought to know and what whoever they are thought to know may or may not be thinking or doing. Take away the number you first thought of and you have some idea what our friends in the Austrian Vegan Society are facing at the hands of a conspiracy-obsessed prosecution. Whatever government is in place in the UK by the time you read this, no one is likely to be jailed for sending Christmas cards to vegan prisoners – or not yet anyway, but as Europe has seen more than once before, what happens in Austria is far from irrelevant to the rest of us and if we let the rot spread we may all be next.

Having imprisoned ten innocent people without evidence or charge (they were finally released following months of international protest), the Austrian authorities are desperate to pin something – anything – on their victims in order to avoid being sued for unlawful imprisonment. To make this a little less obvious, they have roped in another three defendants, so there are now thirteen animal protectionists on trial in Austria for belonging to an imaginary organisation that exists only in the minds of the prosecutors. Our brave friend Marek (who was beaten up by neofascist thugs in Prague, so he knows the score) has set up a website www.shameonaustria.org to coordinate protests against this further abuse of power.

Looking through my notes on the Asia-Pacific region and back over the two European articles, I am amazed and moved by the extent to which they include so many people I have come to know not just as fellow activists but as friends: with very little adjustment, the asterisks could almost mean “friend”, “special friend” and “almost family” rather than members, patrons or whatever. This, together with Patricia’s valedictory column as National Contacts Coordinator, has also led me to realise how much I have gained from my work with the Society over the past decade or so and I hope very much that Patricia will continue to give us the benefit of her wide experience and her widely respected skills in a multitude of languages, including English.

Finally, I echo Patricia’s encouragement to anyone thinking of standing for election to Council. Everything in life has its ups and downs, but I have found being a Trustee generally both enjoyable and worthwhile. We’re always happy to welcome new faces and new skills, so if you’re thinking of standing for election please don’t hesitate – send for an info pack now and make sure you get your nomination in by July 23.

The views expressed in this column are as always, my own (see statement at the foot of page 1).

Have a great summer everyone!

Earlier in this sorry saga, the Vegan Society protested strongly to the Austrian government while individuals around the world took part in a General Confession of involvement in the same activities for which our Austrian colleagues had been jailed. All that is needed this time is one click of protest and support at www.shameonaustria.org, but the more people who join in, the brighter will be the spotlight on this shameful episode and the future of these innocent people, including Felix Hnat, President of the Austrian Vegan Society and a life member of our own Society.

We hope that Felix will be able to give an update on the situation to the European Vegetarian Union “summit” at the new vegan hotel on Lake Constance. Having just completed the second half of my round-up (in the nicest possible way) of European vegan activists (see page 34-35), I was delighted to see that the new Bulgarian society will be represented this time.

Fortunately I bought my train tickets before the volcanic ash saga and am looking forward to spending time with vegan activists in Italy before heading back to France to assist with preparations for the Paris Vegan Festival later this year.

Meanwhile, back at the office Society member Till Strecker from Berlin has completed his first month as a volunteer and will hopefully remain with us until the new staff are in post – look out for him at the Bristol festival along with the rest of the team.

Lest anyone have any doubts about the vegan credentials of the International Vegetarian Union’s world congress in Indonesia in October, organiser Susianto Tseng has named his new baby daughter – wait for it – Vegania! The next “Vegans Around the World” article will cover Asia and Australasia and hopefully won’t need to be in two parts, though if we see the kind of expansion we’ve witnessed in Europe I shall see it as a huge success for veganism rather than an editorial problem.

Vanessa Clarke, International Coordinator

ANIMAL FREE SHOPPER (£4.99) Our most popular book is also the most comprehensive guide to shopping for vegan products ever. This handy pocket-sized guide is ideal for use when out shopping and it’s the easiest way to get started on an animal-free lifestyle.

Covering vegan products ranging from food and drink to home and gardening, with everything in between, this really is an essential guide for the vegan shopper.

It also contains comprehensive supermarket own-brand listings, an introduction to veganism, basic guidelines on healthy eating, E-numbers to watch out for and useful contact details. In fact it’s just full of useful vegan information!

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“I know animals are killed, but it doesn’t bother me…”:

the truth about

meat-eaters Carol Norton, PhD

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s a vegan and psychologist, I was astonished at how meateaters could both love animals and eat them. While there have been many studies of vegetarians, few have inquired into the psychology of meat-eating, so I decided to do the research myself. I spent ten years in the Social Psychology Institute at the London School of Economics studying 217 people, using focus groups, surveys and experiments. The results challenge many preconceptions and wellrespected theories.

My research suggests that meat-eaters are ‘in denial’ about the life and death behind meat: that is, they keep the meat they eat separate in their minds from the animals they love. Meateaters may genuinely believe that they like eating meat more than they love animals, but analysis of their attitudes reveals that the opposite is true and that psychological and cultural processes maintain their illusions of consistency.

Our culture promotes meat-eating through surreptitious farming methods, renaming animals into meat (e.g. pig/pork), different media portrayals between species, and children’s socialisation. But this veil of separation does not completely obscure the former life of filmengulfed flesh on supermarket shelves; it merely enables denial, a paradoxical state in which people simultaneously seem to know, and not know, the truth. Denial is always partial; people always register enough information to trigger their denial strategies.

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These include avoiding or rejecting the truth, attacking the source of information, blaming others, seeking alternative information, or forgetting.

When confronted with the truth, someone in denial may experience being reminded of something unpalatable that they ‘sort-of’ already knew. Their denial strategies then rush to restore the illusion. As an

example, like many vegetarians, I have been asked why I don’t eat meat, only to be interrupted with: “Oh no, don’t tell me, I don’t want to know!”

My research suggests that meat-eaters are ‘in denial’ about the life and death behind meat: that is, they keep the meat they eat separate in their minds from the animals they love.

“… You don’t … it’s ‘meat’; you don’t see it as a sheep; you don’t see it as a cow”

In focus groups, meat-eaters agreed that they did not ordinarily connect animals to meat: “I reckon 90% of people that go into the butcher’s shop … and order a piece of lamb don’t think of that as a sheep”

“If they actually knew how they were killed … there’d be a lot more vegetarians” “It’d put you off for life” “Oh yeah true” However, most meat-eaters argued that they liked eating meat more than they loved animals: hence their views were consistent with eating meat overall. A minority argued that farmed animals are bred to be eaten and therefore eating meat is good for animals. This presupposes that farmed animals lead happy lives and that they would otherwise die out (ignoring the precedent protection of some species). The remaining meateaters were torn: feeling very uncomfortable with no sufficiently valid reason to eat meat: “I see no justification whatsoever … I only eat meat because I don’t think about it. If I thought about it, I couldn’t possibly”

Reasoning about eating meat and loving animals To test these arguments, I experimentally measured meat-eaters’ automatic responses to images of animals, animals being slaughtered and cooked meat. Unlike the focus group discussions, participants could not consciously control these measurements taken by computer.

The results were astonishing: contrary to popular belief, meat-eaters did not like animals any less than vegetarians.

The difference was that, whereas for vegetarians meat was synonymous with animals’ slaughter, meat-eaters did not connect meat with the slaughter of animals. This fog of denial allowed them to eat meat guilt-free.

I also tested people’s satisfaction with their own attitudes, and whether or not their attitudes changed. Meateaters became increasingly uncomfortable as they considered their attitudes. In the end, meateaters’ attitudes towards animals remained highly positive, but their attitudes towards eating meat and animals’ slaughter fell significantly.

Changes in attitudes Yet these results contradicted the focus groups, where most meateaters argued that they liked eating meat more than they loved animals.

The conclusion is that many meateaters are ‘in denial’ about their own attitudes towards meat, animals, and their slaughter.

Further, although meat-eaters claimed that they enjoyed the taste of meat, statistical analysis revealed that underlying their reasons for eating meat was ‘habit’, not ‘taste’.

The psychological explanation is that most of our moral arguments merely justify automatic judgements, made without conscious awareness. Such shortcuts ease our mental workload, but they mean that decisions are often less well-considered than we imagine. For most meat-eaters,

When meateaters were forced to reconnect meat to animals’ slaughter in their minds, they became uncomfortable and, without their usual denial strategies, they changed their attitudes towards animals’ slaughter and eating meat.

‘taste’ seems a better reason to eat meat than ‘habit’. In the same way, many focus group members justified eating meat backwards from their behaviour; reasoning which the experiments discounted. Backward justification works like this: “I eat meat; therefore I must like meat more than animals”. In fact, most meat-eaters eat meat out of habit and like farmed animals more than meat. Further, when meat-eaters honestly consider their own attitudes, they become uncomfortable and reduce their liking for meat.

Facilitating attitude change One of the best ways to change someone’s attitudes is to draw their attention to inconsistencies between their behaviour and attitudes. In this case, the attitude change was contrary to the behaviour of eating meat. This is because meat-eaters’ attitudes towards animals were remarkably stable and because meat-eaters were in denial about animals’ slaughter. When meat-eaters were forced to reconnect meat to animals’ slaughter in their minds, they became uncomfortable and, without their usual denial strategies, they changed their attitudes towards animals’ slaughter and eating meat.

In theory, then, many meat-eaters would become vegetarian if they honestly considered their own attitudes and the reality of animals’ slaughter. To encourage this, we need to grab meat-eaters’ attention without them feeling too personally judged or threatened. In many ways denial strategies have the psychological upper hand as they maintain a safe status quo. Yet my research shows that, if used carefully, the simple truth may lead people to change their own minds, and diets.

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VegAN soCietY eleCtioN AND Agm 2010

The next Annual General Meeting of The Vegan Society will be held on Saturday 20 November at Carrs Lane Church Centre in Birmingham PROPOSALS FOR RESOLUTION Proposals for resolution, to be considered by Council for inclusion on the AGM agenda, must be received at the Society’s office (The Vegan Society, Donald Watson House, 21 Hylton Street, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6HJ) not later than 5pm Friday 23 July.

For your guidance Ordinary Proposals should: n be proposed and seconded by paid-up full (not supporter) Members n in the interests of economy and clarity, not exceed 200 words, including any supporting material n propose some form of action n propose one single action i.e. they must not be composite proposals n not simply comprise a statement of opinion.

Members considering submitting Special Proposals (those seeking to change the Memorandum or Articles of Association) are advised to contact the Company Secretary (Nigel Winter) or the Chair (George Rodger) c/o the Society’s office. Special Proposals must not exceed 200 words.

Proposers are requested to limit their proposals to two.

NOMINATIONS FOR COUNCIL The Vegan Society needs high-calibre individuals on its Council of Trustees.

Being a trustee is a practical unpaid post (although genuine expenses can be claimed) and requires skill and ability to be effective. Trustees are ultimately responsible for the charity and are also directors of the Vegan Society as a limited company. The Society will pay for a one day induction course for new Trustees.

Each candidate must: n have been a full (not supporter) member of the Society for 12 months or longer (as at 20 November 2010) n not be disqualified under company or charity law from being a trustee/director n submit a written nomination duly signed by a proposer and seconder who are paid-up full members n submit a profile of him/herself stating his/her full name (and any previous names). The profile should provide your background in up to 500 words which may include what skills, qualifications and experience you have that will benefit the Society; what you hope to achieve as a Trustee; what are your reasons for being vegan; what experience you have of managing people and working on committees; if you were previously a Trustee, what did you achieve during this time and any other information that you consider relevant.

Candidacy is open to all members of the Society meeting the criteria outlined above. Members with relevant professional skills and qualifications are particularly invited to consider nomination. Essential trustee qualities are a cooperative and team-spirited work ethic, an understanding of good governance (see http://www.ncvovol.org.uk/governance andleadership and http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/ publications/cc10.asp) and a strategic way of thinking to advance veganism.

A large part of the role is managing the charity including risk management, strategic planning, financial planning, health and safety policy etc.

Applicants with the following knowledge and experience would particularly benefit the Society: IT, financial, nutrition, scientific, business (including strategic planning) and PR/media.

Having time to give is a key factor with up to 10 full day meetings a year and time between to contribute to governance and strategy via email/post/telephone.

Trustees may also be required to work on sub-committees to prepare documents for Council to consider.

Candidates need a clear understanding of the difference between the role of staff and trustees. Being a trustee is about nurturing an environment in which staff and volunteers can fulfil the Society’s strategy effectively. A Council of Trustees is there to provide oversight, policy and strategy. Travel and accommodation expenses will be reimbursed for Trustees attending Council meetings.

Past minutes of Council meetings can be read here: http://www.vegansociety.com.

You will need to register in the members’ area to access the minutes.

We look forward to your applications for election. Please address the above needs of Council that are relevant to your abilities in your personal statements as well as giving a glimpse of your personal vision for the future of promoting veganism. If your skills are suited to wider outreach activities, please consider becoming a Local or Group Contact, training to be a School Speaker or volunteering to help on stalls or in the office.

Nominations should be sent to The Vegan Society, Donald Watson House, 21 Hylton Street, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6HJ to arrive not later than 5pm Friday 23 July.

For further details ask for a ‘Prospective Candidates‘ Nomination Pack’ by sending an A5 SAE marked ‘PCNP’ to Council Elections, The Vegan Society, Donald Watson House, 21 Hylton Street, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6HJ or by emailing info@vegansociety.com.

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VegAN CAmPAigNiNg Your PAssioN is Your Power

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hen Vegan Society Local Contact for Lincolnshire Linda Wardale first heard that a planning application for an 8,100 cow Dairy Farm had been lodged with North Kesteven District Council, she immediately got active.

She talked to The Vegan Society, Compassion in World Farming and Viva! who provided information.

Linda looked at the plans and noted down all of the environmental problems which would arise in that area as a result of this huge factory farm being built – the influx of traffic; the damage to wildlife and their habitat; potential pollution problems etc.

Linda was interviewed on local radio Lincs FM and in the Lincolnshire Echo. The article was entitled: “Dairy plan is to face opposition by vegans”. Linda then had a telephone call from The Sunday Times asking if they could interview her and it was published that Sunday. Not wanting to let this opportunity go, Linda contacted the Lincolnshire Echo once more and informed them of the article in the Sunday Times – the next day The Daily Mail ran an article – as a result of this, it went global.

The campaign really picked up speed from that point, and Linda had people contact her saying “I am not vegan or vegetarian, but this is not right, how can I help”. Linda even had a vegan university professor in Canada contact her asking if he could help, as they are battling against these large scale factory farms in Canada (after seeing the damage they cause they are very much against them). Linda wrote to her local MP, and the MP made representations raising Linda’s concerns.

Linda was also interviewed on The Peter Levy Show on BBC Radio Humberside – this was also simulcast on BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

Next 150 MPs raised an Early Day Motion to oppose the farm and Linda got local residents and local agencies like the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, RSPB and Bat Conservation involved.

In a meeting with 80 local people in attendance only three people voted in favour of the farm. David Bellamy got involved and the issue appeared again on the front page of the Lincolnshire Echo. We have since heard that the landowner has decided to withdraw the planning application.

“It’s important to keep the media ‘on-side’ as they are a valuable ally in these kinds of campaigns. They have access to information others couldn’t possibly get to. If you’re passionate about it, keep driving on and you will take others with you. Don’t give up and don’t be ‘fazed’ by big-business, or the media. Try to harness the expertise of others because it is impossible to do it all alone. Finally – If I can do it anyone can” says Linda.

But Linda isn’t complacent, she’s continuing to keep up the publicity in case another planning application is put in by the landowner and has done further interviews for the Lincoln University TV link and Siren Radio.

Linda’s interview with the BBC can be heard here: http://www.veganlincs.co.uk Linda’s daughter Jen Wardale has drawn the stunning picture (top left) which has been made into badges.

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Free Food and Information Fair in Kingston With assistance from a team of enthusiastic helpers, many of whom had cooked delicious food in advance of the event while others distributed colourful leaflets both on the day and beforehand, Vegan Families group organiser Lesley Dove put on a very well presented food and information fair at Kingston Environment Centre during peak Saturday shopping hours. In addition to a wealth of Vegan Society information sheets and booklets, Nutrition and Health Spokesperson Stephen Walsh was on hand to answer questions, ably assisted by Lucy Dove (see picture).

s More Jain Vegans and Vegan Jain Birmingham. Vegan Society group the inauguration of the refurbished Jain centre in The Vegan Society was honoured to be invited to e animal milk with cruelty-free Nitin Mehta spoke passionately of the need to replac contact and leading member of the Jain community Vegan Society, as a secular the which in ways or eggs) and Vanessa Clarke outlined fish meat, no me consu y alread (Jains atives altern y and lifestyle choices. Both none to reduce the hinsa or harm involved in dietar organisation, exists to help people of all faiths and all enjoyed the delicious food and ves of Birmingham Vegetarians and Vegans, and were warmly welcomed, together with representati varied programme of entertainment and celebration. bil Meanwhile, further South, the twice-yearly Ayam s Potter in e templ Jain the at place taking event was Bar. Participants traditionally adhere to a strict Jain vegan diet throughout the nine-day period, but on Jain this occasion the whole event was sponsored by the er memb life y Societ Vegan of ry memo in s Vegan who m), hai.co ndrab late Devendra Shah (www.deve had completed the full cycle of nine nine-day fasts and devoted much of his time to bringing the Jain and vegan communities closer together for the benefit of animals, people and the environment.

As ever, a huge amount of effort was put in by Sunflower standard holders and indefatigable campaigning vegans Mahersh and Nishma of Shambhu’s catering along with other members of Jain Vegans too numerous to mention.

The vegan message was generally well received at tenet both events as the Jain community, with its core of Jain Vegans veganism both in the UK and abroad. Membership ds towar move of respect for all life, continues to sted. to anyone intere (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JainVegans) is open

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London Vegan Campaigns Pledge Month Once again the Vegan Society supported the London Vegan Campaigns vegan pledge both financially and with speakers, including dietitian Sandra Hood and nutrition author Stephen Walsh. The “before and after” meetings also offered health checks, cookery demonstrations and superb vegan food. Participants were given “vegan buddies” and regular tips by email, including a very popular pancake recipe for Shrove Tuesday.

Forty-three Londoners took part, 54% meat and/or fish eaters and the remainder lacto-ovovegetarian. Feedback at the second meeting from 7.5 to 5.7 and there was an average 1.4 ed dropp (one pledger’s cholesterol showed that participants had improved their health month. A trip to Hugletts Wood t and saving an estimated 300 animals in just one kg weight loss) as well as helping the environmen animals” provided further motivation. sanctuary to meet and connect with so-called “food and 33% planned to eat more time: 60% of participants intended to remain vegan The results were even more impressive than last change their diet. For the full report see vegan food while only 3 people did not intend to ge10.htm www.vegancampaigns.org.uk/campaigns/veganpled Society’s on-line pledge at is no need to wait until then: sign up for The Vegan The London pledge will run again in 2011, but there www.vegansociety.com/VeganPledge.aspx

Great Green Success Australia’s newest environmental event and Brisbane’s first vegan event, The Green Earth Festival, took place on Saturday 13 March at the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens.

The wide-ranging festival had live bands, performers and roving entertainment; green cuisine, demonstrations, speakers, a children’s zone, video zone, art and fashion displays, plus stalls from many companies including local not for profit organisations.

The Green Earth Festival was organised by the fledging, notfor-profit environmental awareness group, Green Earth Group Inc. www.greenearthfestival.net

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Verity Hunt-Sheppard, Charley Roberts and Michael Miller

n VegAN CuPCAkes tAke oVer loNDoN!

n FuNkY summer ACCessories

MS CUPCAKE Need a little indulgence in your catering?

Try Ms Cupcake, a London based bakery who provide a vegan range of decadent baked goods. Products include brownies, cookies, tray-bakes, loaf and layer cakes…yes, and cupcakes! www.mscupcake.co.uk/

ESSANIA Essania’s Earth and Surf collection of bracelets, necklaces and earrings are the perfect accessories for summer. Choose from their gorgeous turquoise or funky, twisted, coco bean bracelets and necklaces or go for something more eye catching such as their Maori or animal inspired pendants, their statement neck-tags or their chunky quartz pendants. Featuring natural materials and inspired by the planets scenic beauty Essania’s 2010 range is free from animal shells, just look for the sunflower symbol!

Priced from £1.99 For more details go to www.essania.co.uk or telephone 01202 855090

n eNViroNmeNtAl CleANiNg AND HYgieNe HOME SCENTS Dozens of home and baby products including washing liquid, handwash, bleach alternative, kitchen cleaner, bath salts, aftershave and shampoos for dogs, cats and humans. All environmentally friendly and lovelysmelling from the essential oils they use, though beware as some products contain beeswax. www.homescents.co.uk

n ANti-AgeiNg serum

n VegAN PreNAtAl VitAmiNs BEBE-O Bebe-O contains 44 whole-foods and provides essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and digestive enzymes which are needed before, during and after pregnancy. Sourced from raw plant-based ingredients with minimal processing, Bebe-O aims to be the all-in-one supplement for a healthy mother and baby. (From US $48.95) www.bebe-o.com

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WHITE LOTUS COSMETIC ACUPUNCTURE White Lotus specialise in anti-ageing acupuncture and herbal medicine and have created an anti-ageing body care range harnessing the beneficial properties of Chinese plants which they claim have anti-ageing properties. Their antiageing serum, based on organic camellia oil (green tea oil) is infused with specially selected Chinese herbs and thoroughly moisturises the skin without blocking pores. Their hair restoration spray is said to aid thinning and brittle hair with an infusion that contains ginger and ginseng too. White Lotus ship internationally.

Anti-ageing serum priced at Au $15 For more details go to www.cosmeticacupuncture.net.au

All Shoparound products have been authenticated as

n rAw gooDNess iN CHoColAte Form RAW ALCHEMY Spreading the benefits of raw food to the chocolate market, Raw Alchemy specialise in chocolate products. Everything they use is organic and Fairtrade, and of course uncooked so as to preserve the complex structure of the cacao. Hot Chocolate Elixir is a variant on the traditional Aztec method which contains cayenne and cinnamon and deserves to be tried! (From 70p) www.rawalchemy.org.uk

Not all products in a range are necessarily vegan.

n omegA 3 miCroAlgAe CAPsules SOURCE-OMEGA LLC Get your omega-3 fatty acids directly from the same source that fish get them, from algae!

Pure One’s convenient softgel capsules contain microalgae oil, the primary source of omega-3. Cultured microalgae are produced in controlled environments and therefore free from environmental pollutants. The correct fatty acid balance is important for everyone and omega-3 has particular benefits in terms of heart health and may have other potential health benefits too.

For details of shipping to the UK visit www.sourceomega.com

n orgANiC CosmetiCs SYNTHESIS 345 Synthesis 345 are an Australian company who base their products around the principles of balance and harmony. Their First Love line includes cleansers and hydrating day creams to give you a boost of purity at the beginning and the end of the day, with organic essential oils; rose otto, jasmine, neroli and sandalwood. (From Au $59.95) www.synthesis345.com

n HAND-mADe CosmetiCs HOLISTIX HERBAL PRODUCTS Holistix Herbal Products make hand-made cosmetics, health and bodycare, using plant products. Combining old remedies with new ideas, their catalogue includes a large selection of essential oils, dried herbs and teas. (From ÂŁ2.00) www.holistixherbs.co.uk

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Verity Hunt-Sheppard and Charley Roberts

n Nut burgers (wHolesAle) SILVER WING LTD

n luXurY HAir AND skiN moisturisers ARISE AND SHINE COSMETICS

Silver Wing have been supplying the restaurant trade with high quality food products for nearly 30 years. They produce the NutBurg burger range, a selection of healthy burgers made with - you’ve guessed it nuts, nuts and more nuts, vegetables and herbs. As well as the Original NutBurg, whose recipe was refined in the 1980s and remains unchanged to this day, the range includes Curry, Chilli and Sun Dried Tomato burgers. The chopped nuts give these burgers a wholesome, chunky texture and the flavourings complement the taste of the burgers without being overpowering. The range is GMO free and uses only natural flavours and ingredients. Currently only available wholesale. More details at www.silverwingltd.co.uk or phone 01603 300260.

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Treat your hair and skin with these gorgeous moisturisers from Arise and Shine. Made with unrefined and where possible Fairtrade ingredients, the range includes Rosemary and jojoba and Coconut and lavender hair and skin moisturisers, Dead Sea Mud skin mask and Fairtrade pure cocoa butter and shea butter. Many of the products are particularly kind to dry skin and are said to help with eczema, dry scalps and other dry skin conditions. Arise and Shine’s ethos is to produce luxury, natural products.

Various products priced from £4. More details at www.ariseandshinecosmetics.co.uk or phone 07961 726337.

n boDY CAre witH esseNtiAl oils

n orgANiC DiPs, PAtes AND sAVouries

LOVE THE PLANET Revive and refresh yourself all over with Love The Planet’s super scented hair and body care range. Choose from their Tea Tree & Lavender Cleanser, Lemon & Lime or Mandarin Shampoo, Tea Tree & Mint Conditioner, Grapefruit Sugar Scrub, Lemon Butter Hand Balm, Neroli & Bergamot Moisture Cream and Tea Tree & Lemon Gel to name but a few. Love the Planet’s products include organic ingredients from sustainable sources and are scented with essential oils.

Priced from £3.50 For more details go to www.lovetheplanet.co.uk or telephone 01224 733 955

ORGANIC CONNEXION Tickle your taste buds with the Organic Connexion’s food range.

Their delicious range of pates includes Butter Bean & Garlic, Sundried Tomato & Basil and Greek Olive & Rosemary. For dips, try their Mint & Parsley, Sweet Chilli & Garlic or Aduki & Tamari.

Organic Connexion also produce a popular Brazil Nut Roast and Rich & Thick Fresh Gravy. All food containers are made from recyclable materials and where possible vegetables are sourced from local farms too. For details of suppliers or to enquire about their expanding home delivery service visit www.organicconnexion.co.uk or telephone 01708 477190

The Vegan l Summer 2010

VegAN PAssPort 2010 A

new edition of the Vegan Passport has just been produced, and is available from The Vegan Society for just £4.99.

The Vegan Passport is a pocket-sized book, with a simple message explaining what vegans do and don’t eat, and why, and asking for a vegan meal. The same message is printed in many different languages. The intended use is, when in a foreign country, to show it to your waiter or waitress in a cafe or restaurant, selecting the page for the local language.

The Vegan Passport is also useful for vegetarians, if they don’t mind doing without milk, cheese, eggs and honey for the duration of their holiday or business trip abroad.

The original idea was from Louise Wallis, then Chair of Vegan Society Council, in 1993. After she left Council in 1994, newly-elected Council member George Rodger took over the project.

We appealed for translations through The Vegan and by word of mouth.

We were expecting to produce a very slim booklet with perhaps ten or a dozen languages for main tourist destinations.

In fact translations soon came flooding in. When we went to press in July 1996, we had the basic message in 37 languages (including English and Esperanto). The Vegan Passport was an instant hit and has been a good seller ever since.

A well-liked feature of the Vegan Passport is two pages of drawings headed “If all else fails!”

On one page are lots of fruits, vegetables, heads of grain, nuts and pulses, surrounding a happy smiley face. On the other page are lots of animals, birds, fish, shellfish, eggs, even a big fat udder dripping milk, all surrounding an unhappy face.

Meanwhile, new translations were still trickling in, so we produced a second edition in June 2005. This one had 56 languages! And the drawings of course.

Some of the translations were taken, with permission and acknowledged, from the Vegetarian Passport, published by the Nederlandse Vegetariërsbond (Dutch Vegetarian Society) in the late 1980s.

Since then, new translations, and improved versions of old ones, were still coming in from time to time, so when stocks of the 2005 edition were running out the third edition was prepared, with no less than 73 different languages!

It came out at the end of February this year.

The 73 languages in the new edition are English, Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Basque, Bemba, Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Catalan, Chinese (in both simplified and traditional characters), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Khmer, Konkani, Korean, Lao, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malagasy, Malay, Malayalam, Maltese, Marathi, Mongolian, Nepali, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Shona, Sinhalese, Slovak, Slovene, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Tigrinya, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Welsh, Yoruba and Esperanto.

Offers of additional languages are always welcome. If you give us a translation, you will be assigning copyright to The Vegan Society.

We do not offer payment, but contributors will be acknowledged and given a complimentary copy of the new edition containing their translation.

And our grateful thanks - without the contributors, now numbering well over 100, the Vegan Passport would not exist. And, by the way, no-one gets any royalties, so all sales proceeds go to The Vegan Society.

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Y T I R U C E S

D O O F

L A B O L G

T

n Animals would not be exploited to the brink of extinction, as in the case of sea-life.

Why is this important?

The area currently being used for crops in the UK is 4.7 million hectares. It is estimated that only 3 million hectares would be required to feed the UK population on a vegan diet, therefore it is very likely that sufficient quantities of suitable land would be available for arable use without having to plough pasture.

he Vegan Society is asking political parties to adopt a number of policies promoting vegan aims and ideals. One of these is to “Help the farming industry move towards stock-free, plant-based farming to reduce greenhouse gases and help global food security.”

The world is facing serious challenges in the near future.

A rapidly increasing human population, water shortages and climate change all point to difficult times ahead. The systems of agriculture are a crucial factor in human impact on the environment, and the food we as individuals consume can affect what is being produced and the methods used to produce it. However, the impact of agriculture goes far beyond food production, affecting the national and global environment.

Land that is less suited to growing arable crops can be used to grow annual, shrub and tree crops for food, fuel, fibre, construction materials and other uses with stock-free farming methods. For example, short-rotation coppice willow can be grown on marginal land to produce biomass and initial studies suggest that this benefits butterfly and bird populations.

The options for land use are not limited to a choice between either grazing or industrial arable.

What are the benefits of stock-free farming?

Stock-free farming is farming without the use of animals, either directly for food or indirectly for tilling and manure. Vegan diets are better environmentally for several reasons: n Less water and land is required than for meat and dairy production (only one third of the amount, in the UK context); n Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (the ‘livestock’ sector is globally responsible for 18% of greenhouse gases); n Reduction of deforestation due to land clearance to rear cattle and to grow feed for livestock. Reduction of land-degradation from overgrazing; n Can encourage biodiversity and provide attractive landscapes;

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The problems explained The global human population is set to increase from 6.7 billion to 9 billion by 2050, with the majority of the increase in developing countries. At the same time, demand for fresh water and agricultural land is rising and global trends towards unsustainable Western meat and dairy-based diets are increasing. But the challenge of feeding a growing population can be met by changing to a plant-based diet.

Large amounts of land are needed for livestock, both for growing feed crops for animals and for grazing. Some 70% of the world’s agricultural land and 30% of the world’s surface land area is currently used for livestock farming and one-third of all arable land is used for feed growing. It is a much more efficient use of resources to feed people direct with plant foods.

If everyone ate the kind of meat and dairy-rich diets popular in the west we would require the resources of three Earths to support us. We already know that these diets can lead to health problems and are not sustainable.

Encouraging stock-free farming provides a method for people to provide efficiently for themselves while reducing their impact on the environment.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations predicts that:

“by 2025, 1. 8 bi l l i on peopl e w i l l be l i v i ng i n count ri es or regi ons w i t h absol ut e w at er scarci t y , and t w o-t hi rds of t he w orl d population could be under stress conditions. ”

Stock-free farming has the advantage of using water much more efficiently than farming animals. As increasing water shortages are one of the key threats to food security and a significant cause of conflict, it is crucial to use what water is available for food production as efficiently as possible.

What about poor farmers in developing countries?

Stock-free farming is suitable for small-scale, low income farming, which is often the nature of much farming in developing countries. It is also compatible with environmentally and socially sustainable approaches to developing agriculture and increasing food output.

Trees can often provide food in situations where other crops fail as they are more resilient to drought and can sustain communities during times of famine.

Training in plant-based nutrition would help people to provide better for themselves and their families and make good use of native species of nutrient-rich plants to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry.

Green manure techniques: n Planting nitrogen fixing plants such as clover in fallow years (also good for breaking up dense soil) n Undersowing green manure plants beneath crops n Spreading green manure onto the soil over winter Chemical fertilizers can be used but a large amount of energy is required to produce them and people in developing countries often can’t afford to buy them.

But don’t we need animals to plough the soil?

Low till is the practice of planting crops with minimal disturbance of the soil. The soil is not ploughed before each planting of new crops, as is usually the case in conventional farming. It typically involves maintaining a cover layer of either live crops or harvested crops used as mulch, which protects the soil and leads to soil microorganisms and fauna taking on the task of ‘tilling’ the soil. This has many advantages, including:

n soil erosion is reduced n nutrients and water are more effectively kept in the soil, increasing soil fertility n less carbon is released from the soil n fewer weeds (as their seeds are not exposed to the surface)

Don’t we need manure from animals?

The future of food Maintaining soil fertility without animal manure or chemical fertilisers can be achieved by: n Crop rotation, planting the crops which require most soil fertility soonest after fallow years. n The use of green manure, which also protects soil from losing nutrients during winter as the soil is not bare. n The optional use of compost and plant-derived liquid feeds.

Climate change and feeding a growing population are two of the biggest problems facing the world today. Adopting a vegan diet and using sustainable techniques to produce the food is part of the solution.

References for this article can be found here: http://www.vegansociety.com/References/FoodSecurity.aspx

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RESPONSE TO LETTER FROM SUE LE RAY SPRING VEGAN 2010 To remove oneself from The Vegan Society is in part to remove a vital component of The Vegan Society: a caring individual. If this is done often enough there will be a much reduced influence of vegan ideas in the world. If we withdraw, it will not stop animal experimentation nor the selling of animals alive or dead in supermarkets. To encourage withdrawal allows vegetarianism to fill the gap.

We must interact with non-vegans to gain influence. The postman who brings our mail likes a bacon roll (ugh) before setting out. Should I refuse my copy of The Vegan because he delivers it? If I did, I would not know about Sue Le Ray’s concerns.

Not many people are born vegan. If we withdraw, how can we shake the hand (crosscontamination) of a meat eater and put our case forward? We must show the world that our way of life is as good as it gets and for that we must, on behalf of those we are trying to help, suffer the indignity of cross-contamination. We must not step back into our own personal safe-havens which sometimes can be illusory. We must support vegan companies but should not adopt double standards (even a wonderful, wholesome, vegan loaf may contain the bodies of crushed insects). Oh what a difficult path to tread, but let us do it together.

Peter Griffiths Shaftesbury

Thomas Kuhn

It was fantastic to read Lee Hall’s application of Thomas Kuhn’s thesis on paradigm shifts in the Winter issue of The Vegan. However, Kuhn’s version of how science, history and time unfold is just that - a version. Kuhn implies that vast oceans of time must be expended before these revolutionary upheavals manifestly disrupt convention. It is a theory clearly borrowed from the Enlightenment in which society inevitably transforms and progresses over time. This model of inevitable transformation was heavily adopted by Hegel, Marx, liberalism and today’s secular humanists. Yet applying Hegel, Marx and Kuhn’s theories to history always begs the question, “how long do we have to wait for another paradigm shift or revolution to occur?” Since nobody should have the hubris to predict the future (Marx clearly failed in his anticipation of global communism), the application of such versions of reality to forecast it becomes futile.

Where I play my cards is in the more lateral and pluralist attempt to understand scientific development by Paul Feyerabend.

Without a reliance on the ‘grand narratives’ of the Enlightenment, Feyerabend challenged Kuhn’s notions and argued that to treat science as a rational and objective enterprise was a myth. For all of its supposed endeavours, science has blighted human history with a catalogue of anthropocentric horrors: factory farming and vivisection to name but two. Feyerabend’s objective was to redefine the purpose of knowledge solely towards the principles of freedom – to discredit scientific norms and use science to liberate the enslaved (not to enslave them within a dogmatic set of methodological rules). Thus there is no predictable horizon we can stare at to expect or await the mass acceleration of knowledge or moral progress. If anything, history teaches us that useful emancipatory social movements are arduous, drawn-out wars of attrition, a succession of depths and shallows that may, or may not, lead to universal change on a global scale. This is not cosmic pessimism, but the simple realisation that what we are left with is the daily implementation of our proactive vegan lifestyles – thatis a goal in itself: the revolution every day! (And I’ll take that any day!)

Vegan Blessings, Jonny Redditch

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As a Vegan Society local contact, I’ve been asked a number of times why many products that used to be vegan are no longer labelled as such by companies and supermarkets, and whether these products are still vegan.

The short answer is yes, of course these products are still vegan, as their ingredients have not altered in the slightest.

The longer answer is that changes in labelling regulations mean that companies now have to mention whether a product could conceivably have come into accidental contact with an ingredient – say milk for example – when being made, through crosscontamination on a production line or in an oven. And they must do so no matter how small the chance of contamination may be, or how small the trace ingredient may be (and we are often talking of minute, barely detectable quantities). This results in labels saying things like ‘may contain traces of milk’ even when, according to the ingredients, it contains nothing of the sort.

Now in the case of people with allergies, this information can be vital. But for vegans? The vast majority of vegans – including the Vegan Society – would still consider such a product to be vegan.

After all, the product itself remains unchanged. However, a few vegans (notably a company called Plamil) feel that a product that has even the slightest chance of having been in accidental contact with an animal product is not vegan. And their vociferousness has regrettably led to some companies removing the vegan label from products that had previously been considered vegan, and whose ingredients haven’t changed.

This seems very wrong to me for three reasons.

Firstly, the aim of ethical veganism is not to avoid animal products at all costs, and for its own sake – this is the means to an end.

The end, or aim, is to reduce animal suffering, and the trace of milk that has already been used in another product and which might accidentally find its way into a vegan product does not increase animal suffering, or the market for animal products, in any way. One could I suppose argue that forcing a company to conform to stricter vegan standards might persuade them to ditch their milk products, but in truth it would more likely be the other way round, and they would cease to make vegan products at all.

Secondly, considering these products to be non-vegan drastically reduces the number of vegan options available, making it much harder to be vegan with no benefit to animals whatsoever.

And thirdly, anyone who avoids a product that may contain an accidental trace of milk, when said product probably contains ingredients obtained through harvesting techniques which harm animals, and has been brought to their doorstep by lorries running over animals driven by people who probably eat meat, is surely deluding themselves that they are in any way easing animal suffering by so doing.

I have heard these people called ‘purists’, but that implies some sort of moral superiority which seems entirely inappropriate.

Rather, in my opinion they are ‘extremists’ who are harming the vegan movement and – by extension – animals. Being vegan is about avoiding suffering and harm to animals, and this kind of ‘vegan policing’ is unhelpful at best, and harmful at worst.

Name and Address supplied

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Isabel Hood

C

ookery writer Isabel Hood revisits the food of her Mexican childhood in search of vegan recipes and finds that a salsa is the perfect way to add sparkle and interest to any dish.

Salsa, which simply means sauce in Spanish, has become synonymous with Tex-Mex style fast food. Available in a jar, it is blood red and sour, tastes of nothing but tinned tomatoes and chilli powder, and bears no resemblance whatsoever to its countless Mexican relatives. In Mexico, a salsa is brimming with personality and potential – it is a boisterous, exuberant combination of

diced raw vegetables and/or fruit, which invariably includes chillies and herbs and is used as a condiment, a relish, an accompaniment to enhance and expand a main dish.

If you wander past a food stall on any Mexican street corner, you will notice an assortment of salsas, to which customers will help themselves a gusto, to taste.

There is bound to be salsa cruda, raw sauce, a straightforward and very traditional mixture of tomato, onion, chilli and fresh coriander, as well as guacamole, made from unctuous, ripe avocadoes. Each region will use its typical chillies, and toasted seeds and

nuts crop up everywhere. In the southern states, a variety of tropical fruits will find its way into the local salsas, often partnered with the inky black beans of the Yucatán peninsula and the juice of limes and bitter oranges. But ask a street cook for her recipe, and she will smile and shake her head – she has no recipes. Every cook makes salsas her own way, or perhaps the way her mother and grandmother made them, with regional and seasonal ingredients, and whatever takes her fancy that day – and her customers will spoon them into soups and stews, over tacos and quesadillas, or just roll them up in a warm, fragrant tortilla.

sweetCorN souP witH AVoCADo sAlsA Sopa de Elote con Salsa de Aguacate Serves 4 For the soup:30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil 200 g/7 oz onions, peeled and coarsely chopped 400 g/14 oz frozen or tinned sweetcorn, defrosted and well drained 750 ml/1 1/4 pints soya milk 1 bay leaf Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper For the salsa:125 g/4 1/2 oz red cherry tomatoes, quartered 50 g/2 oz red onions, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced 15 black olives, pitted and quartered lengthways 30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil 2 small ripe avocadoes 15 g/1/2 oz fresh coriander, coarsely chopped 1 large lime, juiced Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan, add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not brown. Stir in the sweetcorn and some seasoning, then the milk and the bay leaf. Bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Cool slightly, remove the bay leaf and blend in a food processor until very smooth. Strain the soup through the medium blade of a mouli-légumes or a wide mesh sieve – do not be tempted to skip this step as one of the charms of the soup is its velvety smoothness. Check the seasoning.

Make the salsa while the soup is cooking. Place the tomatoes, onions, garlic, chilli, olives and olive oil in a bowl, season and mix gently. Peel and stone the avocadoes and dice into 1cm/1/2 inch pieces. Add to the bowl with the coriander and lime juice.

When you are ready to eat, ladle the soup into four warm bowls, place a good spoonful of salsa in the middle, and serve immediately with the rest of the salsa on the side to add as you eat the soup.

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YUCATECAN BEANS WITH PINEAPPLE AND POMEGRANATE SALSA Frijoles Yucatecos Serves 4 For the beans:500 g/18 oz black beans (soaked and cooked or canned) 1 bay leaf 30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil 275 g/10 oz onions, peeled and coarsely chopped 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1 hottish red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 15 ml/1 tbsp cumin seeds, coarsely ground in a mortar or spice grinder 250 g/9 oz creamed coconut, coarsely chopped Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Warm tortillas, bread or cooked rice, to serve (optional) For the salsa:1 small pomegranate 200 g/7 oz diced fresh pineapple, peeled and prepared weight 1 green chilli, as hot as you like, deseeded and finely sliced 40 g/1 1/2 oz red onions, peeled and finely chopped 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed 1 large lime, juiced 1 small orange, juiced 30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil 15 g/1/2 oz mint leaves, coarsely chopped Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the beans in a colander and rinse them under cold, running water. Put them in a large saucepan with the bay leaf, add enough water to cover by 10 cm/4 in, and bring to the boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer very gently for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 or 4, until the beans are totally tender. Check them every now and then to make sure that they are not drying out and are covered by at least 1 cm/1/2 in of water.

When the beans are pretty much ready, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, garlic, chilli and some seasoning, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until soft and just starting to brown, about 20 minutes.

Add the cumin and cook for a further five minutes.

Pour in the beans and their cooking liquid, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir the coconut cream into the beans and cook for a minute or two longer until it has melted. Check the seasoning.

Prepare the salsa while the beans are cooking: combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir gently.

To serve, divide the beans between four warm plates and top with a good spoonful of salsa, adding more salsa as you eat.

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Miss Best

APPLE AND PECAN PIE www.miss-best.com

Start by making the filling. Cut the peeled and cored apples into food-processor friendly chunks and blend into a puree.

Serves 6-8 Filling 6 Apples (about 800 g), peeled and cored 2 tablespoons lemon juice Pinch vanilla powder or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Small pinch salt 2 2⁄3 tablespoons maple or agave syrup 1 teaspoon zest from an organically grown or unwaxed lemon 2 2⁄3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder 4 teaspoons olive oil Crust 1 cup almonds 1 cup sunflower seeds 1 cup raisins 1 teaspoon cinnamon Pinch dried ginger ½ teaspoon ground cardamom 4 teaspoons water Pinch salt Topping 3 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts 3 teaspoons maple or agave syrup

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Mix in the lemon juice and zest, vanilla, agave or maple syrup, salt and oil. While the processor mixes your filling, sprinkle in the psyllium powder.

It should thicken nicely.

Transfer to a bowl and give your processor a quick wash and dry so you can make the crust. Put the almonds and sunflower seeds into the processor and blend until the size of bread crumbs.

Add the raisins, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger and process again before adding the water.

It should now stick together into a nice dough.

Flatten the dough into a cake form or on to a plate. Press down along on the inside edge of the base to make a small ‘crust’ to contain your topping.

Pour in the filling and smooth down. Top with pecans, a drizzle of syrup and apple slices. Store in the refrigerator if not eating immediately. This is delicious served with raw vanilla sauce, or soya vanilla sauce/cream.

Christine Mackay

SUMMER GARDENING

S

ummer can be a hectic time of year in the vegetable garden. If you are anything like me you will be constantly battling to keep the vegetable beds free from invasive weeds and grass paths under control. It can be especially time-consuming to hand weed around closely spaced crops such as leeks and onions. If you can access a suitable mulching material, it is a good idea to cover as much soil round crops as possible before weeds start to appear.

You could ask your friends and neighbours to keep grass cuttings.

These can be laid at least 2 inches thick onto beds to inhibit the growth of weeds. This will also help to prevent the soil drying out too much during the hottest part of the year. Keep fresh grass away from the stems of young plants though.

At the height of the growing season most of the garden will be planted up, but there is always likely to be at least one bed that becomes free as the season progresses.

For example, spring planted potatoes will be ready for harvesting in summer. Just as it is better to keep soil covered around planted crops, it is also good to ensure that soil is not left bare after harvesting.

Green manures are sown to replace nutrients taken out by crops and to provide cover. Field beans can be sown after potatoes and will fix nitrogen in the soil. In spring these can then be dug into the soil or if you prefer not to dig, chop down the tops, hoe in the roots and leave the tops on the soil as mulch. I have also had good success with a green manure called phacelia when sown from late summer into autumn. Other varieties suitable for sowing in August include red clover, alfalfa, tares and annual ryegrass.

There are many other green manures that

Grow Vegan Puzzler Question; Name a suitable mulching material to keep weeds under control.

Send your answer on a postcard to: The Vegan Society (address on page 1) by 19 July 2010 The winner receives a copy of Being Vegan.

The answer to the Spring Grow Vegan Puzzler is: The Brassica Family Winner: Andrew Davis

provide an excellent alternative to animalderived products for use by the veganorganic gardener. Some green manures have deep roots so need to be dug rather than hoed. Check for suitable sowing times before planting green manures.

Successive sowings of crops can be made well into summer and autumn, especially for crops that grow to maturity quickly such as salads. Regular sowings can be made of radish, turnip, peas, chard and spinach to ensure a continuous supply for as long as possible. Late summer is also a good time to grow varieties of oriental vegetables such as pak choi, oriental spinach, choy sum and chopsuey greens. These crops will run to seed if they are grown when conditions are too hot and dry. Other leaf crops that can also be grown in late summer and their season extended under cover include winter cress, claytonia, parsley, lambs lettuce and turnip broccoli. I bought seeds of the latter from the Real Seed Catalogue (www.realseeds.co.uk). It is described as the equivalent of sprouting broccoli from the turnip family and it has a delicious mildly spicy flavour.

Another good source of organic and unusual crops is Beans and Herbs (www.beansandherbs.co.uk).

It is worth taking a chance on the weather staying mild until late autumn and extending the season for as long as possible. If you have harvested broad beans by midsummer it may be possible to entice a second crop later in the season by simply chopping the plants down to near ground level from where fresh shoots will grow. The second crop may not be as substantial but still worthwhile. This can also be done with leeks and lettuce, which will re-grow from the base.

Resources See www.mclveganway.org.uk or ring 0845 458 9595 for details of very useful gardening and related publications from The Movement for Compassionate Living (MCL). To find out about joining MCL email mcl.ystalyfera@googlemail.com or ring 01639 841223 See VON information sheets on www.veganorganic.net for information about the basics of vegan-organic growing, making compost, attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your garden and much more.

Are you interested in commercial horticulture? Could you be a vegan-organic market gardener of the future? Glyndwr University offers foundation degree courses in Organic Horticulture Management.

Stock free organic production systems and standards are a strong element of the programme and bursaries to help you study may be available from VON. See ‘undergraduate courses – science and environment’ at www.glyndwr.ac.uk Joining the Vegan-Organic Network is an excellent move for the vegan-organic gardener and for anyone interested in animal rights and the environment; the twice-yearly VON magazine is packed with helpful information. Write to: VON, 80 Annable Rd, Lower Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2DF phone 0845 223 5232 (local rate, 10am to 8pm) or email info@veganorganic.net Visit the VON website and join online at www.veganorganic.net

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n BADGER CULLING NOT EffECTIVE AGAINST TB IN CATTLE Badger culling is unlikely to halt the spread of tuberculosis in British cattle herds, according to Jenkins HE, Woodroffe R, and Donnelly CA (2010) in their survey The Duration of the Effects of Repeated Widespread Badger Culling on Cattle Tuberculosis Following the Cessation of Culling. What is more, Imperial College London and the Zoological Society of London have found that culling costs two to three times more than it saves the farmers.

The Welsh Assembly should seriously consider using a badger vaccine, as was used in England this year, the surveyors have suggested. The Secretary of State for the Environment had already suspended badger culling in England in 2008, while the Welsh government is currently considering doing it again.

n EATING CHICkEN IS A MAjOR SOURCE Of INTESTINAL INfECTIONS According to the European Food Safety Authority in their study Scientific opinion on quantification of the risk posed by broiler meat to human campylobacteriosis in the EU, preparation and consumption of chicken is responsible for up to a third of human cases of campylobacteriosis in the European Union.

This is the most common infectious disease transmissible from animals to humans through food. It causes serious diarrhoea and gastroenteritis. Over 200,000 cases of human campylobacteriosis were reported in 24 EU member states in 2007, but many others are not recorded in the statistics.

n VEGAN BODY TAN WINNER ON IRISH DRAGON’S DEN Vegan Society Trademark holder Tan Organic has come first on the Irish TV programme Dragon’s Den. Founder Noelle O’Connor made a good impression to the judges, and one of them is now investing €50,000 (approx £44,300) in her business. More information on the website: www.tanorganic.com.

n GOVERNMENT TO fORBID WILD ANIMALS IN CIRCUSES “I am minded to pursue a ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in England,” the responsible minister Jim Fitzpatrick announced in response of a public consultation almost 13,000 people had joined. A total of 94% voted in favour of a total ban, 95.5% said there is no wild species that can be kept in circuses under acceptable conditions.

Animal rights groups have been campaigning against the use of wild animals in circuses for many decades because of the poor conditions of transport, the unnatural environment the animals have to live in and the cruel methods used during training. www.captiveanimals.org

n THE REAL BREAD CAMPAIGN The Real Bread Campaign is trying to get more supermarket bread to be made using just flour, water, yeast, salt and nothing else. If they are successful this is great news for vegans who can often find that whey and other animal products have been added to bread. www.realbreadcampaign.org

n VEGAN REAL ALE The Birmingham Campaign for Real Ale is working with The Vegan Society and the Real Ale for All group to have a vegan-friendly bar at their Real Ale Festival in October 2010. A new vegan-friendly way to make real ale – called ‘Fast Cask’ – was launched by the brewer Marston’s at the start of April 2010.

n CALLING ALL PARENTS, GUARDIANS OR TEACHERS If you have contact with schools (perhaps you are a teacher or have school age children) please contact our Education Officer, Rob, to offer assistance in raising awareness of our services to schools: youth@vegansociety.com

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n VEGAN RUNNERS It’s been a fantastic start to 2010 for the Vegan Runners. 33 year old Anna Finn continued to run through one of the toughest winters in recent history.

On April 3rd and a week ahead of schedule she finally realised her ambition and broke a world record becoming the youngest woman ever to complete 100 marathons. Despite having run the Bletchley Enigma marathon only the day before, Anna showed few signs of fatigue and completed her 100th race, the Compton 40 Mile Downland Challenge in Berkshire, in less than 8 hours – coming home 4th lady.

In January, Neil Ford marked his comeback to racing by winning the Berwick 4m Cross Country race – leaving a trail of 136 others behind his Vegan Runners vest.

It was the first time Neil had felt racing fit since a car crash in 1992 and also, the first time he’d been able to race in the VR vest.

Elite athlete, Fiona Oakes has had a great few months of training and looks set to swap the London marathon in April for the Geneva marathon in May. As ever, Fiona’s training as an elite athlete takes place against a backdrop of caring for her 400 plus rescued animals at her home, Tower Hill Animal Sanctuary in Essex and quite how she does both so impressively remains a mystery to most of us. Despite Fiona’s deflection to the Geneva marathon, Vegan Runners still has an impressive team of 8 entered into the London Marathon and we’re hoping for a record number of vegan supporters en route.

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The Vegetarian Cycling & Athletic Club (VC&AC) has been around since 1888.

And throughout January and February, Vegan Runners battled with the mud in other cross country events up and down the country - including the South of England Cross Country Championships in London, the Nottinghamshire County Champs at Berry Hill, Notts. and the English National Cross Country Championships at Roundhay Park, Leeds.

Vegan Runners were also represented in half marathons in Watford, Reading, Brighton, Wokingham, Berkhamsted, Llanelli, Larne and Liverpool and the Nottingham to Derby Kilomathon.

But, world record holder or not, Anna shows no signs of stopping. She still plans to run the Paris Marathon, the ‘Brathay 10 in 10’ which is 10 marathons around Lake Windermere in 10 days and the Grand Union Canal Race which is said to be ‘Britain’s longest, toughest, non-stop running race’, competitors must complete the 145 mile distance from the centre of Birmingham to the centre of London along the Grand Union Canal.

MORE VEGAN RUNNING

Meanwhile, Ian Hodge took part in the 20m Wadsworth Trog, the 24m Anglezarke Amble, the 31m Kipling Caper and 31m Haworth Hobble. Frances Humphries ran the 25m Stansted Stagger, 30m Punch Bowl Marathon in Surrey and the 30m Sevenoaks Circular. Maria Hamilton headed to Malta for the Malta Marathon while Hallam Smallpiece took part in the 40 mile Country to Capital race from Wendover to London.

January also marked the start of our new monthly London training sessions. The first saw our vegan runners vests dashing past intrigued tourists and bemused locals in Hyde Park. In subsequent sessions Regent’s Park, Richmond Park and Clapham Common have played host.

The sessions are planned to cater to all abilities and we always aim to find a vegan friendly café nearby to adjourn to afterwards so even members who are too ill or injured to run can join us postsession.

We always welcome new members of all abilities. For more info and for race results see http://www.veganrunners.makessense.co. uk/index.html

The club’s two main pro-active vegan runners are Andy Harper (in the photo) from Hitchin and Robert Mottram Jones of Penkridge, Staffordshire. Andy has been a member since 1998 and Robert since 2001. Andy is experienced at the marathon distance and since going vegan in November 2008 has achieved a marathon time of 3 hours 42 minutes at the Luton event in December 2009.

At the half marathon distance in 2009, Andy’s best was 1 hour 34 minutes at Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

Robert Mottram Jones has returned to his best form over the past year or two even though he is in his late 40s. At the Birmingham half marathon in October 2009, Robert achieved 1 hour 26 minutes (213th out of more than 10,000 runners) and at the Brathay Windermere Marathon in May 2009, 3 hours 26 minutes.

On the cycling scene and away from competition, vegan cyclist and secretary Noel Molland, resident in the Dartmoor region, is working hard to bring together veggie and vegan cyclists in the southwest of England for rides at various locations and similarly broaden the appeal of the VC&AC throughout the UK. For more information on the VC&AC visit: www.vcac.vegfolk.co.uk

n jOURNALIST BECOMES VEGAN It was thought to be only a one month vegan trial, but journalist Grant Butler has become enthusiastic about vegan life: “Vegan eating, I discovered, is anything but boring, and the cooking experience is exhilarating and fun. And it comes with some fringe benefits. Physically, I feel great. During the day, I have so much energy that I’ve kicked my afternoon coffee habit. At night, I’m sleeping better.” Grant has decided to stay vegan and to accompany this with a twicemonthly column called FOODday in The Oregonian. www.oregonlive.com/foodday/index.ssf/20 10/03/a_vegans_journey.html

n MOVEMENT fOR COMPASSIONATE LIVING CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY Kathleen Jannaway was Hon Secretary of The Vegan Society for many years until she co-founded (with her husband Jack) The Movement for Compassionate Living (MCL) in 1985. Kathleen died in 2003, but the MCL continues to promote compassionate lifestyles and the importance of trees to humanity. The Vegan Society would like to congratulate the MCL on all of their good work over the last 25 years. www.mclveganway.org.uk

n SCHOOL SPEAkER TRAINING We’ve been organising educational visits for almost three years with some great successes in schools and other institutions all over the UK. We’re now starting to think about arranging a visitor training/induction day in the north of England. Please let Rob Jackson, our Education Officer, know on education@vegansociety.com if you would like to take part and become registered to speak on behalf of The Vegan Society.

n MORE AND MORE COUNCILS BAN fOIE GRAS It is no longer permitted to sell foie gras in council-run premises or land in Eastbourne. The Council’s decision has followed other local authorities such as York, Stockport, Norwich and Bolton. So the next French market in Eastbourne, where foie gras was still sold last year, will be free from “fatty liver” (the translation from French).

Foie gras is produced from the liver of a duck or goose that has been force fed, causing the liver of the bird to swell up to ten times its normal size. A pipe is inserted down the throat of the bird and pulped maize is pumped into their stomach, sometimes resulting in severe injury or death.

We are particularly looking for those with public speaking experience and good vegan knowledge. You can find out more about being a visitor here: http://www.vegansociety.com/vseducation/visitor-service/being-a-visitor.aspx.

All school visitors will need to undergo a CRB check.

n MYSPACE Calling all MySpace users! Does anyone out there have experience designing MySpace pages? The Vegan Society MySpace page is in need of updating and we’re looking for a volunteer to take on the task. We will provide all the content, but we need someone to manage the design and layout of the page. Think you’re up for it? Drop a message to us on MySpace at www.myspace.com/thevegansociety with an example of another MySpace page you’ve designed and some suggestions about what to do with ours.

n VEGAN VENTURES WORkSHOP The annual Vegan Venture cookery course, organised by the Vegetarian Charity in memory of its founder Maxwell Lee, will be on 21 August 2010.

Please look at www.vegetariancharity.org.uk for details of how to apply. Note this course is only open to under-26s who are vegetarian or vegan.

n GOOD AND BAD NEWS fOR VEGAN INfANTS We were delighted to hear that negotiations at the Department of Health had finally led to the licensing of a non-animal vitamin K product for newborns, only to find that the new product is currently in a gelatine capsule! We are working on this and hope to have more news in due course. Meanwhile, the only remaining vegan infant formula has been discontinued, so this is another area in which we are asserting our rights under the Equality Act. Courteous comments from individuals and local groups also carry a lot of weight with both government and commercial organisations, so do support our efforts with representations of your own.

For contact details look here: http://www.vegansociety.com/News-AndEvents/News/Vegan-Infant-Formula.aspx

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SECOND NATURE: THE INNER LIVES OF ANIMALS

By Jonathon Balcombe Published by Palgrave Macmillan ISBN: 978-0-230-61362-1 Price: US $27.00 Reviewed by Michael Miller Balcombe is an animal behaviourist who grew increasingly dissatisfied with the institutionalised abuse of animals in the name of science.

In this book, Balcombe argues that animal minds are incredibly diverse, and the presumption that humans trump all with our intelligence is a fallacy.

Although humans have a finely tuned intelligence (& emotion), there is no reason to extrapolate superiority from this – it is just the particular capacity emphasised by the path of our evolution. If sentience is “the capacity for pain and pleasure”, then all animals have this and deserve moral treatment.

Beginning with a fascinating and detailed discussion of the sensory and psychological world animals live in (including the author’s speciality: bats), Balcombe discusses various species’ proven ability to sense, perceive, feel and think in ways like and unlike our own. He then moves on to animals’ complex social lives and the moral sense this requires, and finally challenges some entrenched notions of nature as inherently violent, and humans as the pinnacle of evolution. The final section provides thoughtful and emotive analysis of the hypocrisy in our treatment of animals.

Sometimes the sheer wealth of information makes this hard reading, but perseverance is well worth it.

THE PASSIONATE WAY OF VEGAN BAKING

By Günter Eberwein Available from www.guntersvegancakes.com Price: Special sale price of 10.00 GBP for all Vegan Society Customers by request from gunter@guntersvegancakes.com Reviewed by Charley Roberts Warning: before you start looking at this ebook, have a cloth handy to wipe the drool off your computer screen.

You’ll need it. Günter, a trained pastry chef, has created vegan recipes for some of the most delicious, indulgent cakes you could hope to eat. Recipes such as Chocolate Caramel Torte, Lubecker Marzipan Cake, Dutch Apple and Date Cake, Black Forest Torte and Lemon Meringue Pie are all accompanied by good quality colour photographs and are straightforward enough for a competent home cook to follow, although some are more time-consuming than others.

This collection is largely European influenced, inspired by the traditional German cakes Günter’s mother baked, which makes it very different from the usual selection of cookies, cupcakes and brownies that seem to predominate vegan baking recipe collections.

A great book for anyone wanting some new inspiration and ideas or something a bit more extravagant than your standard sponge cake. Buy the book and check out the photo gallery at: www.guntersvegancakes.com

LOVING LIFE - LOVING DESSERTS

By Miss Best E-book available from www.miss-best.com Price: £9.99 Reviewed by Rosamund Raha This beautifully designed e-book contains ‘43 delicious, but secretly healthy recipes to make you smile’ and there are photographs of many of the desserts. It has a solid introduction in which Miss Best gives information about the different ingredients.

The recipes use ingredients such as fresh and dried fruit, agave syrup, cacao, psyllium and nuts and many of the ingredients are raw (although Miss Best isn’t strict about this and often suggests non-raw alternatives for people who don’t visit health food shops). Most of the recipes are easy to make (some of them very easy). The Chai hot chocolate shot is amazing! Please see page 26 for an example of one of Miss Best’s excellent recipes.

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism - The Belief System That Enables Us to Eat Some Animals and Not Others

By Melanie Joy Ph.D. Published by Conari Press ISBN 978-1-57324-461-9 Price: £19.99 Reviewed by Amanda Baker Opening with a vivid wordpicture - a sophisticated dinner host serving Golden Retriever meat - this book is already ‘infamous’.

Author Melanie Joy squarely addresses the dominant culture of the USA, her home country. She explores how we can collectively ‘numb’ our empathy, disconnect from our compassion and so, eat meat. This hidden yet pervasive system of numbing is ‘carnism’, a mainstream ideology which says that it is normal, natural, necessary and morally acceptable to eat some animals.

As vegans, we sometimes struggle to realize that most meat-eaters are truly compassionate at heart - yet choose to support the violence in each plate of meat. This book offers invaluable new insights about our struggle to talk constructively to meat-eaters.

Already prompting debate on USA TV, this inspiring volume offers you new ways to help ‘carnists’ break away from the ideology of meat.

THE GOOD SHOPPING GUIDE

By The Ethical Company Organisation Published by: The Ethical Marketing Group ISBN: 978-0-9552907-5-6 Price: £14.95 Reviewed by Daniel Therkelsen As the price indicates, this book is a comprehensive guide to ethical goods, boasting 700 consumer brands across 364 pages ranging from DVD players to tea and coffee. The ethics of each brand is rated according to four categories; environment, animals, people, other. In each area, such as boilers, a clearly broken down and digestible introduction to the possible pitfalls and consequences is discussed.

The merits of veganism and The Vegan Society are mentioned and a company can only achieve the top-rating for animals in the areas of food and drink if they are trademarked with The Vegetarian Society or The Vegan Society. Furthermore, passages on animal testing are included when introducing areas like shampoos and conditioners or sun protection lotion.

However, The Good Shopping Guide does fall down compared with publications such as the Ethical Consumer Guide by describing fish as ‘renewable resources’, amongst other things.

This is a clearly laid-out reference guide which is easy to dip into and covers a very broad range of consumer goods. Be prepared to pull a face every now and again when non-vegan items are discussed – or alternatively, write a polite little letter to the editor so some areas are improved upon in the next publication.

THE SIMPLE LITTLE VEGAN DOG BOOK – CRUELTY-FREE RECIPES FOR CANINES

By Michelle A. Rivera Published by Book Publishing Co. ISBN: 978-1-57067-243-9 Price: $9.95 Reviewed by Tarron Hevican Should you introduce your dog to a vegan diet? Granted they may eat meat in the wild (amongst other things), and so one might worry about denying them their natural quarry, but what vegan wants to be scraping meat out of a can? Luckily a dog can live healthily and happily as a vegan.

If you would like to understand a little more about dog nutrition, and see what you can cook up yourself The Simple Little Vegan Dog Book is invaluable. It’s got everything you need to know in an easily digestible language and layout: expert advice and guidance on dog nutrition, a shopping list of the staple ingredients you’ll need, and all importantly, a lot of exciting recipes which include: mains, biscuits and special treats.

Cost-wise you could probably go completely home-made for small to medium sized dogs, time willing, but costs run higher for larger dogs (as I found), so you may want to try a mixture of home-made and commercial vegan dog food, according to your time and budget. Also be warned that all dogs are different, and so yours may not like certain meals or ingredients (like celery for example!).

Experiment!

Having tried the recipes, I can tell you that I had a sense of having an even more personal connection with my family’s companion dog, Quil, as a result. In creating her meals from scratch, by my own hand and concentrated attention, I felt the same emotions I would cooking for any other family member. We don’t cook a special meal for someone out of an unconscious, obligatory act, we do it because we really care about them. By comparison, serving our canine friend directly from a tin or packet can seem monotonous and even soul-less. Treat that other family member, give this book a try!

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Vegans around the world

Europe, Part ll Vanessa Clarke

T

he Vegan Society has members in more than 20 European countries, many of whom run groups or even national societies. As in Part I, group leaders known to be vegan get an asterisk, Vegan Society members two, Patrons and Life Members three. For further details of vegan resources in Europe and around the world, see www.ivu.org and www.euroveg.eu.

Central And Eastern Europe A region with a long history of organised vegetarianism strongly influenced by Tolstoy.

Many societies were banned during the communist period. Some very active local groups have sprung up recently, many with a vegan/animal orientation.

AUSTRIA Vegane Gesellschaft Österreich, Waidenhausstr. 13/1, 1140 Wien. www.vegan.at President: Felix Hnat*** A highly active society providing support and encouragement to other groups in the region despite persecution by the Austrian authorities.

CZECH REPUBLIC AND SLOVAKIA Česká Společnost pro Vyživu a Vegetarianství o.s., P O Box c.10, 63900 Brno www.csvv.cz Former Czechoslovakia hosted the 1929 World Veg Congress and the European congress in Bratislava (Slovakia) in 1995.

Local groups and activists include the Prague group run by Marek Voršilka*** – still active despite vicious attacks by thugs in December 2008. www.otevrioci.cz

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POLAND Used to have a large and active vegetarian society and a large-circulation magazine produced by vegans, but things seem very quiet these days. Any news welcome!

HUNGARY Hungary, too, had a thriving vegetarian movement in the late 19th and early 20th century which was banned by the communist authorities in1951. No major groups right now, but plenty of vegans in Budapest, some good veggie restaurants and even an accommodation and touring service: www.budaveg.com

SLOVENIA The only country to boast a vegan President: the late Janez Drnovšek. No major national grouping, but Slovene representatives always come to EVU gatherings and Marko Zigart** came all the way to London for the Vegan Society AGM.

RUSSIA Home of Tolstoy and leader of the veggie movement in the 19th century. Tatiana Pavlova’s vegetarian society somehow survived throughout the communist era, since when numerous vegan and animal protection groups have sprung up.

VITA Animal Rights Centre, Mytnaya 62-93, 115191 Moscow Very active campaigning vegans. www.vita.org.ru Eurasian Vegetarian Society (EVS). 15 Apat, 16 House, Pereulok Chapaevskei, 125252 Moscow www.vege.ru

LITHUANIA Lietuvos Vegetaru Draugija, Eiurlionio 13-9, 03104 Vilnius Hosted a very successful vegfest in1997 despite political change.

Current information on Latvia and Estonia would be very welcome.

The Balkans and Beyond CROATIA Animal Friends Croatia (Prijatelji životinja), Gajeva 47, 10000 Zagreb Flourishing vegan/AR group based in the capital. www.prijateljizivotinja.hr

Since the fall of communism and the break-up of former Yugoslavia (which hosted the IVU World Congress in 1986) a crop of new vegan/animal groups has sprung up, fostered and assisted by more established societies elsewhere. Groups in Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia cooperate closely with one another and encourage even newer groups in the region. Whilst specifically veggie restaurants are still rare, Orthodox Christians who observe all the official fasts may spend half the year on a vegan diet so there are often vegan options available.

BOSNIA/HERZEGOVINA Animal Friends, Maguda 1, 71000 Sarajevo (vegan) Enthusiastic vegan group whose efforts are well received by the mainly Muslim community. www.prijatelji-zivotinja.ba

Veggie guesthouse: www.cherryblossom.hr/en/pension .php

MOLDOVA Uniunea Vegetarienilor din Moldova www.uvem.org

ROMANIA Societatea Vegetarienilor din România, O.P.7-C.P. 135, BucureŞti www.svr.ro

TURKEY Vejetaryen Kulubu, Buyukder Cad, Naci Kasim Sk, Hikmet Is Merkezi, No. 1/3 Sisli, 34387 Istanbul www.vejetaryenkulubu.com

SERBIA Sloboda za životinje (Freedom for Animals), Cvijiceva 62, 11000 Belgrade www.sloboda-za-zivotinje.org Another enthusiastic group, in a predominantly Orthodox Christian country.

KOSOVO Shoquéria Vegjetariane Kosovare Atmarama, Rr Nena Tereze 30A, 38000 Prishtine www.freewebs.com/atmarama

BULGARIA Bulgarian Vegetarian Movement Beli brezi, bl.11, et.7, ap.28, 1680 Sofia www.vegebg.org

Scandinavia and the Baltic States An area with longstanding, well organised vegetarian and vegan societies, though currently less so in the Baltic states.

DENMARK Vegana – Danmarks Veganerforeining, Rådmansteins Allé 46,7, 2000 Frederiksberg www.vegana.dk organiser of three International Vegan Festivals – in 1981 (the first ever), 1985 and 2006.

FINLAND Vegaaniliitto ry (Finnish Vegan Society), Hämeentie 48, 00500 Helsinki www.vegaanili itto.fi

NORWAY Norsk Vegertarfor ening, Postboks101 Blindern, 0314 Oslo www.vegetar .com

SWEDEN Swedish Vegan Society, Klövervägen 6, S-64700 Mariefred www.vegan.se Founded in 1976 by Stefan and Ulla Troeng* Hosted the Fourth International Vegan Festival in 1989

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WHY HAVE WINGS If YOU CAN’T fLY? Shari Black Velvet

O

ne thing that bugged me when I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Hawaii the other week was the fact that there were parrots in cages dotted around the hotel. As soon as I saw them I felt sad. As if being in a tiny cage isn’t bad enough, being there just to be gawped at by tourists on a daily basis must be awful.

Obviously this ties in well with Tilly, the whale that attacked the trainer at SeaWorld last week. Animals in captivity is WRONG. W.R.O.N.G. Would a human seriously like to be kept in a small confined space day in, day out, just for the entertainment of onlookers, only able to move in a small circle?

I felt so sorry for the parrot I had to pass each day on my way out from my hotel room. I tried to walk past quickly and not look at him/her so as not to be bummed out for the rest of the day.

In hindsight, I wonder if the parrot would have liked me to go and talk to him, and spend time by the cage, so as not to have been just another faceless human walking past while he’s stuck there and can’t go anywhere. The worst thing is

knowing he has some amazing wings, given to him for flying – and he can’t use them. What is the point? The epitome of cruelty. The only thing I felt a slight hope for was the fact that at night he wasn’t there. I hoped he’d be taken to a more spacious area, to stretch, get exercise, get some sort of release.

But who knows. He may have gone to an equally small setting.

I don’t understand why a hotel ‘needs’ parrots in cages. We go to hotels to sleep. We book hotels just to rest our heads at night. Not to look at birds in cages. Some of these big hotels need to sit and think, re-evaluate their purpose.

Maybe I’ll send an email to the Hyatt Regency and ask them if they can look into not using animals. Politely of course.

One of the highlights of my trip to Hawaii was actually coming unexpectedly across a seal sleeping on a beach. My friend and I drove to the scenic beach to check it out, take photos… and couldn’t believe it when we set eyes upon a monk seal lying near the water, sleeping.

The best thing was that hardly anyone was there. The beach was very quiet,

almost empty. It was bliss. There was tape and signs to let you know the seal was sleeping and not to disturb him.

I took a few pictures with my camera.

I could have sat and watched her (I was told it was a pregnant seal) for hours, just sleeping. She was so free, so at peace, so beautiful.

The best thing in life is freedom. Seeing animals in their own free environment is amazing. Stumbling across a free seal on an empty beach was 10 million times better than a caged bird in a hotel.

Hyatt Regency, listen and learn.

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and

YOUTH education

Youth Contacts are aged 16-25 and are here for young vegans to connect with. If you would like to chat to a Youth Contact or if you would like to be one please get in touch with Rob. If you are under 16 please talk to your parents first!

Education News

Materials

We have started asking young people for feedback at the end of be something sessions we deliver. This might cked them, or they learnt, something that sho ed with. something they agreed or disagre nant: Here’ s a selection of the most poig

r for humans to eat.” ffe su ly al re s al im an at “I have learnt th animal cruelty.”

“Milk is still a source of by chicks get gassed.”

“I was shocked that ba without meat and milk.” e iv rv su n ca we at th nt “I have lear ries e meat and milk indust “I have learnt that th that promotes their n io at rm fo in us ed fe sometimes s.” t the more violent part business and leave ou e if I was an animal I us ca be ht rig is sm ni ga “I think that ve d!” would not like to be kille ard!” n is the only way forw ga ve at th nt ar le ve “I ha

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The Vegan l Summer 2010

We’re currently trying to get some new materials together.

This should encourage teachers to deliver information about veganism as it fits in with the National Curriculum. If you have any experience of this and would like to help please get in touch.

Training/induction day coming up We're now starting to think about arranging a visitor training/induction day in the North of England. We are particularly looking for those with public speaking experience and good vegan knowledge. You can find out more about being a visitor on our website. All school visitors will need to undergo a CRB check.

If you want to be involved please get in touch.

Website update We are just about to add a large new section to the Young Vegans part of our website. If any of you Young Vegans would like to comment on it please get in touch!

Write to: the vegan society, Youth, donald Watson house, 21 hylton street, birmingham, b18 6hJ email: youth@vegansociety.com Call: 0121 523 1738 www.vegansociety.com/vseducation

Great Staffordshire Picnic We are currently involved with the Great Staffordshire Picnic, which brings 14 schools together. The students will produce a couple of dishes each to take along to the massive picnic and funday at Shugborough Hall. The Vegan Society will be there too!

UNi Vegans!

Our university took part in green week - we set up a stall with some homemade vegan food and shop bought products. I made falafel and other people made vegan cupcakes, banana bread and chocolate fridge cake. There was also hummus, chocolate soya milk, pitta bread and vegan biscuits. We informed lots of students about veganism and a low carbon food diet. I put out all the leaflets the Vegan Society sent me, which went very quickly! We then had a free screening of Meat the Truth, a power point about veganism and a Q&A session. The stall went very well and we are hoping to make it a regular event.

Rebecca, Manchester Metropolitan University

Matt Wells

is Vegan Kid

vegankId.net/. he tells CheCk out hIs blog on http:// vegan RunnIng a blog. us about hIs lIfe as a Young 4 months and has received vegan kid has been going for fun is trying to come up 2000 individual hits.. part of the e. some posts that I think with something new each tim favourite’ which is always aren’t so good become a ‘top urite recipe is the a confidence booster. My favo treat. It’s an cheesecake – it’s such a rare freeze it for 3-4 incredibly decadent dessert but sistably creamy hours and it becomes an irre ice-cream cake.

I was nearing my I became vegan in May 2007. cern that I might gCse exams and there was con at such a vital time. not get the nutrients I needed succeed and I have however, I was determined to Without no doubt it was the best choice. h muc healthier, sounding cliché, I am now so ically aware, with more knowledgeable and eth y. a passion for food and cooker but she has My mum didn’t like it at first, dad and brother try become very supportive. My n I was 10, my dad to wind me up constantly. Whe turkey but I refused offered me £100 to eat some brother thinks without a second thought. My be disgusting that if something is vegan it will ts I make are and he won’t eat it, but the trea gone within 48 hours. which is also my My greatest hobby is acting, obstacles can vary chosen career path. dietary production company considerably depending on the

you are working with.

If it is a small role on a large shoot, generally you would go without because amidst the activity your vegan

ethics aren’t considered. at the moment I'm rehearsing for great expectations (Rose theatre bankside, london 31/5-06/6), so if you come to see it, say 'hi' afterwards!

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Updated diaries and events information can be viewed at www.vegansociety.com This information has been provided by the event organisers.

n MAY 2010

n AUGUST 2010

n OCTOBER 2010

Bristol Eco Veggie Fayre 29th – 30th May 2010 Live music, stalls, talks and more.

Website: www.ecoveggiefayre.co.uk

The Vegan Venture Cookery Course Aged 16 to 25 in August 2010 and interested in vegan cooking?

Then the Vegan Venture Cookery Course may be of interest to you. It is a free, oneday course run by the Vegetarian Society’s Cordon Vert Cookery School (www.cordonvert.co.uk/) in Altrincham, Cheshire. It is funded by the Vegetarian Charity in memory of Maxwell Lee. For full details of how to apply please see: www.vegetariancharity.org.uk/veganventur e.html

39th World Vegetarian Congress (WVC) 1st – 9th October 2010 Jakarta and Bali, Indonesia.

Website: http://www.wvc2010.org

n jUNE 2010 Vegan Beer Festival 5th – 6th June 2010 Starts 12:00 noon Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Nottingham NG7 6HX Live entertainment, food, beer.

Phone: 0845 458 9595 / 0115 960 8254 Website: www.veggies.org.uk/nvvs

n SEPTEMBER 2010 National Anti-Meat March 18th September 2010 London No further details as yet – watch this space

n NOVEMBER 2010 World Vegan Day 1st November 2010 Website: http://www.worldveganday.org/ Vegan Month 1st – 30th November 2010 Website: http://www.veganmonth.com/ The Vegan Society AGM 20th November 2010 Carrs Lane Church Centre, Birmingham More details on page 11

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VEGAN SOCIETY LOCAL CO THE VEGAN SOCIETY LOCAL CONTACTS Local Contacts are Vegan Society members who act voluntarily as a point of contact for those interested in the Society’s work. They are not official representatives of the Society and their levels of activity and knowledge vary according to their individual circumstances.

Some Local Contacts run groups, in which case details are below their names. Groups not run by Local Contacts and non-geographic groups are listed separately. New Contacts are shaded.

Veg*ans = vegetarians & vegans.

For details of group activities please check the website or get in touch with the Contact.

When writing to a Contact please enclose a sae.

If you’ve been a full member of the Society for at least six months and would like to be a Local Contact please get in touch with Rob: cc@vegansociety.com 0121 523 1738 (Office Hours)

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ONTACTS & GROUPS

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LISTINGS PATRONS Freya Dinshah Maneka Gandhi Rebecca Hall Dr Michael Klaper Moby Gordon Newman Cor Nouws Wendy Turner-Webster Benjamin Zephaniah

COUNCIL Philip Bickley (Nutrition and Health Spokesperson) Alex Claridge (Assistant Treasurer) Vanessa Clarke (International Coordinator and Information Consultant) Matthew Cole (Vice-Chair and Information Consultant) Catriona Gold Vanessa Kelley (Treasurer) Karen Morgan Graham Neale George Rodger (Chair and Information Consultant)

STAFF PR/Media Officer Amanda Baker Head of Business Development George Gill Information Officer Verity Hunt-Sheppard Education Officer Rob Jackson Office Manager / Finance Officers Diana and Howard Knight Head of Information Services Rosamund Raha Information Officer Charley Roberts Trademark Assistant Daniel Therkelsen Sales and Membership Assistant Mike Tomkins Chief Executive Officer Nigel Winter Volunteers Dean Bracher John Davis Irene Dudley Tarron Hevican Ray Kirkham Michael Miller Neil Raha Ian Roberts Till Strecker Stephen Walsh (Nutrition and Health Spokesperson)

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VEGANISM may be defined as a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. In dietary terms it refers to the practice of dispensing with all animal produce — including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, animal milks, honey, and their derivatives.

Abhorrence of the cruel practices inherent in an agricultural system based on the abuse of animals is probably the single most common reason for the adoption of veganism, but many people are drawn to it for health, ecological, resource, spiritual and other reasons.

If you would like more information on veganism a free Information Pack is available from the Vegan Society.

THE VEGAN SOCIETY was formed in England in November 1944 by a group of vegetarians who had recognised the ethical compromises implicit in lactovegetarianism (ie dairy dependent). Today, the Society continues to highlight the breaking of the strong maternal bond between the cow and her new-born calf within just four days; the dairy cow’s proneness to lameness and mastitis; her subjection to an intensive cycle of pregnancy and lactation; our unnatural and unhealthy taste for cows’ milk; and the deoxygenation of river water through contamination with cattle slurry.

If you are already a vegan or vegan sympathiser, please support the Society and help increase its influence by joining.

Increased membership means more resources to educate and inform.

CLASSIfIEDS (Uk) HOLIDAYS

SUSSEX

PERSONAL

ORGANISATIONS

Save A Life Adopt A Goat

The ideal gift for the person who has everything. We take into care those who have suffered from neglect, abuse and abandonment. Providing a loving home for the rest of their days Buttercup Sanctuary for goats, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 4JU Tel: (01622) 746410 Registered Charity: 1099627

PUBLICATIONS

CUMBRIA

WALES

www.Buttercups.org.uk

DEVON HOLIDAYS ABROAD

ADVERTISEMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED BY 8 jULY 2010 fOR INCLUSION IN THE AUTUMN 2010 ISSUE OfTHE VEGAN CONTACT: ADVERTISING@VEGANSOCIETY.COM 0121 523 1733

DORSET

DISCOUNT CARD

Pyrenean mountain village in southern France. Enjoy our vegan B&B. www.veganholidayfrance.com

people

HAMPSHIRE NEW FOREST - The Barn Vegan Guest House. En Suite rooms, evening meals.

Perfect for walking/cycling etc 023 8029 2531 or www.veggiebarn.net

Large detached self-catering Gite in PyrenĂŠes, France: 4beds, 3baths, 2 living areas. Wood-burning stoves, solar panels, veganic food available, sleeps 10-12 with ease:

Donald Watson House 21 Hylton Street Hockley Birmingham B18 6HJ

animals

environment

Tel: 0845 45 88244 Fax: 0121 523 1749 info@vegansociety.com www.vegansociety.com

THE VEGAN DISCOUNT CARD

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45

CLASSIfIEDS “Jesus was a vegetarian” www.donoteatus.org

VEG 1 (£4.99 for three months’ adult supply)

The Christian Vegetarian Association UK (CVAUK) promotes a plant based way of life as it represents good, responsible Christian Stewardship for all God’s creation. For further information on our work or to join us visit www.christianvegetarian.co.uk or

Specifically designed to benefit vegans of all ages in a safe and effective way.

Taken daily, VEG 1 ensures adequate supplies of selenium, iodine, vitamin D, folic acid, vitamins B2, B6 and, of course, B12. Based on extensive research by Vegan Society health and nutrition spokesperson Stephen Walsh, author of Plant Based Nutrition and Health, the supplement is ideal for vegans of all ages.

Available only from The Vegan Society

INTERNET SERVICES ADVERTISEMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED BY 8 jULY 2010 fOR INCLUSION IN THE AUTUMN 2010 ISSUE Of THE VEGAN CONTACT: ADVERTISING@VEGANSOCIETY.COM 0121 523 1733

Divine Frog Web Services. Vegan standards compliant website design, development, implementation, maintenance, email, domain name registration, hosting and eco-hosting.

FREE website health check for your current site.

www.divinefrog.co.uk the professional choice.

CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTANCE: Advertisements are accepted subject to their satisfying the condition that the products advertised are entirely free from ingredients derived from animals; that neither products nor ingredients have been tested on animals; and that the content of such ads does not promote, or appear to promote, the use of non-vegan commodities. Books, records, tapes, etc. mentioned in advertisements should not contain any material contrary to vegan principles. Advertisements may be accepted from catering establishments that are not run on exclusively vegan lines, provided that vegan meals are available and that the wording of such ads reflects this.

SHOPPING

Fresh Tempeh by post www. freshtempeh. co. uk

DISCOUNT CARD

This card entitles the bearer to discounts at a range of outlets, restaurants and hotels.

A full list of discounts is available from The Vegan Society.

DISCOUNT CARD THE VEGAN VALID FROM

MAY 2010 UNTIL

AUGUST 2010

REFERENCE CODE

Ref:MPG 010

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The Vegan l Summer 2010

WILL POWER Vegans have it.

We rely on will power even though we’ve been doing it for nearly 60 years. Leaving a charity a donation in your will is an excellent way to continue to provide support.

You will be helping to secure our future - for people, animals and the environment.

We are an educational charity and since 1944 have promoted a healthful, compassionate lifestyle, encouraging the growth of veganism worldwide.

It is only with the help of people like you that we can continue to succeed. Please phone 0845 45 88244 (local rate) and request our free will and legacy pack.

It’s that easy.

Thank you for all your help The Vegan Society

The Vegan Society trademark is the authentic international standard for vegan products.

Our logo provides an easy and trusted way to promote your cruelty-free goods and services to the growing number of vegans in the UK and worldwide.

Trademark holders benefit from instant recognition, promotion in The Vegan magazine, discounted advertising rates, and a listing on the Vegan Society website.

It’s good for you, good for the Vegan Society, and good for vegans.

For more information on the trademark, contact George Gill on (0121) 5231733 or email trademark@vegansociety.com You can also read about the trademark on our website at www.vegansociety.com

VEGAN NUTRITION GUIDELINES To ensure that vegans maintain good health it is important to:

n Eat plenty of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables including dark green leafy vegetables. n Eat plenty of wholefoods (brown bread, brown rice etc). n Include in your diet each day at least three micrograms of vitamin B12 from fortified foods or 10 micrograms from a supplement. n Expose your face and arms to the sun for 15 minutes per day whenever you can (if your shadow is much longer than you the sun is not strong enough). If your sun exposure is limited (for example in a British winter), or if you are dark skinned, make sure that you get 10 to 20 micrograms of vitamin D2 each day from fortified food or a supplement.

n Ensure your diet includes a source of iodine such as kelp or take a supplement. It is important to take neither too much nor too little, since both overdose and underdose can be harmful. A good iodine intake is 15 to 30 grams of kelp (kombu) per year or a daily supplement containing 100 to 150 micrograms of iodine. n Try to get at least 500 mg per day of calcium from calcium rich foods or supplements. n Consume a tablespoonful of ground flaxseed or a teaspoonful of (uncooked) flaxseed oil each day if possible or consume other omega 3 rich oils. For example you could use two tablespoons of rapeseed oil (which does not have a strong taste) in place of other vegetable oils such as sunflower or corn oil.

I wish to become a member and support the work of the Vegan Society.

MEMBERSHIP / RENEWAL

I wish to renew my membership.

Membership No. (if known)......................................................................

Name:................................................................................Address:..........................................................................................

Postcode:........................................Tel:..........................................................Email:..................................................................

Date of Birth: (for security purposes)........../.........../..........Occupation:.....................................................................................

Please tick this box if you are a dietary vegan. This entitles you to voting rights in the Society’s elections if aged 18+.

Please treat my membership subscription as Gift Aid. I have paid UK income or capital gains tax equal to the amount the Society reclaims.

My income is less than £8000 per year and I qualify for the low income discount of 33%.*

A copy of the Society’s rules (Memo & Articles of Association) can be viewed on our website or at our office. Alternatively you may buy

I wish to enrol other members of my household for an additional £7 each.**

a copy for £5.

Please give full names of additional members and specify if dietary vegan and / or under 18. (If more than four additional members please attach separate sheet.)

Membership Individual £21 * Less £7 low-income deduction (if applicable) ** Add £7 per additional household member Under 18 years old £7 Memo & Articles of Association £5 Overseas: Europe +£5 / Rest of World +£7 Payment may be made by credit card, sterling International money order or sterling cheque drawn on a British bank.

Donation Total:

21

How to pay Cheque / PO payable to The Vegan Society Credit / Debit card (enter details below) Direct Debit (phone for details) Website: www.vegansociety.com Please debit my Visa / Mastercard Access / Visa Delta / Connect / Switch Solo card number

ccccccccccccccccc cc Name on card:.........................................................................Signature:..................................................................

Today’s date........./........./.......Start date:......../........Expiry date......../........Switch Issue No.:.....................

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CROSSWORD Kate Sweeney & Vega

QUICk CROSSWORD set by Kate Sweeney Across 1 Small, mild-flavoured onion (7) 5 Eurasian plant often found as a pest where grain is grown _ _ _ _ _ mustard (5) 8 Tart, sour tasting; only me (Anag.) (6) 9 Long-handled brush; shrub with yellow flowers (5) 10 Thin and crispy type of toast (5) 11 Kind of primrose (7) 12 Retreat, ebb (6) 14 (Of a plant) firm, full of sap; dig rut (Anag.) (6) 16 Herb (3,4) 19 Chocolate tree (5) 21 Unit of weight (5) 22 Celery-like herb with seeds used for flavouring or pickled like capers (6) 23 Stalks; staunches (5) 24 Relating to part of the West Country (7) Down 2 Divide into two (5) 3 Plant, _ _ _ _ _ _ _’s bane (7) 4 Herb used to flavour food and as an antiseptic (5) 5 Roughage (5) 6 Wearing away (7) 7 Spoilt, blemished (7) 12 Strips or threads of pasta, for example (7) 13 Hot spice, type of pepper (7) 15 Reveal, expose (7) 17 Pitchers (5) 18 B vitamin - _ _ _ _ _ acid (5) 20 Red pear-shaped tropical fruits with poisonous seeds, popular in Jamaica (5)

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD set by Vega

Please se nd in solu tions to ei crossword ther along wit h your na address by me and 19 July 20 Prize for 10 the quick crosswor £30 worth d will be of skin ca kindly do re produc nated by ts Dr . prize for Wendy’s and the the crypti c crosswor £50 worth d will be of Dr. Wen dy’s skin products care www.doc torwendy .net

Across 1 Long Island cocktail perpetrated a deceit (4,3) 5 Go over 2 down again? (5) 8 Teapot at one time contained Irish staple (6) 9 Someone in desperate straits setting king over ace (5) 10 Food ripening upon its tree starts bearing this consequence of vegan action (5) 11 Endless leaf fall swept up into middle-eastern vegan ball (7) 12 Hurt one New Jersey river (6) 14 Blast ray missed first two and went wide of the mark (6) 16 This darkens the face of our star peacekeepers on board vessel (7) 19 Drink takes in very quiet 10 (5) 21 Important male gorilla is a Greek (5) 22 Yellow 10 grows on a herb (6) 23 Set fire to model goblin hospital (5) 24 Why ace a convoluted double bet? (4,3)

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The Vegan l Summer 2010

Solutions to the spring crosswords (Quick:left/Cryptic:right) The winner of the cryptic crossword: Miss D.E. Macnee The winner of the quick crossword: David Clarke

Down 2 Plant hop playfully or robbery (5) 3 Arsenic in dram set before queen might result in brown bread (7) 4 Fool rises following angel’s lead in distant manner (5) 5 The Spanish follow second, third and fourth brightest star in Orion? (5) 6 Discuss one intervening in 13 or pine (7) 7 Negotiation about second herb (7) 12 This month overtakes worker in a flash (7) 13 6 berries flavour gin when soft 12 is shaken (7) 15 Defining chemical property of tin cans perhaps? (7) 17 10, attractive, but I’m not part of charge against president (5) 18 Seaman the first on board (5) 20 Sam Allardyce holds up South American camelid (bigger than a frog?) (5)