The Vegan Winter 2009

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ISSN 0307−4811 04 Laser Proof

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in this issue 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 14 16 19 20 23 26 28 30 33 35 36 37 39 41 42 44 45 47 48

It was the 65th Anniversary of The Vegan Society on 1st November and lots of activities were laid on to celebrate the occasion.

We are still in World Vegan Month (November) and will report on events in the spring magazine.

Please send in photographs and a short write-up of anything that might be of interest.

Our theme this year is Global Food Security. We hope you like the enclosed leaflet which is aimed at policy makers, farmers and development agencies to help them see the benefits of vegan diets and stockfree farming for Global Food Security.

The red clover on the front cover of this magazine is a green manure that can be used on stock-free farms instead of manure from animals.

This is relevant to our new theme because green manures help to make large scale stock-free farming more productive to feed a growing world population.

Red clover is particularly useful, as it ‘fixes’ nitrogen, saving on chemical nitrogen fertiliser (although chemical fertilisers are usually vegan).

In this issue we feature information on diet and prostate cancer, a paper about the environmental impacts of a vegan diet and a legal opinion on medical ethics in relation to vegans. On a lighter note we include an interview with vegan arm-wrestler, Rob Bigwood and we feature the 12th London Vegan Festival.

Enjoy the festive season.

Rosamund Raha Editor

The Vegan Society

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Donald Watson House

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21 Hylton Street

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HigHligHts HigHligHts/From tHe Ceo international news loCal news london Vegan FestiVal Prostate CanCer and diet UPdate Vegans and tHe law Vegan Paradigm sHiFt Vegan arm wrestler Vegan arm wrestler/megan animal sanCtUarY roUnd UP sHoParoUnd VentUre Food ProdUCts reView enVironmental imPaCt reCiPes answers to triCkY QUestions reViews news and inFormation Vegan gHent grow Vegan oUt and aboUt YoUtH Page Postbag eVents loCal ContaCts list staFF and CoUnCil listings ClassiFieds nUtrition gUidelines Crosswords

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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 © tolhurstorganic.co.uk Printed on Recycled paper

by Cambrian Printers

© 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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Winter 2009

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Vegan soCietY

aUtUmn 2009 HigHligHts VEGAN SOCIETY WEBSITE

LEICESTER VEGAN FAIR

Our website has a whole new look, check it out at www.vegansociety.com

Vegan Society Trustee Alex Claridge (AKA Brad Beefcake) was one of the many people to talk at the Leicester Vegan Fair; he did a humorous cookery demonstration. The fair was organised by Vegan Society Information Officer, Verity HuntSheppard (photo taken by Sue from Leicester Veggies).

VEGAN TRAINING IN CHINA In September, Vegan Society Trustee Dr Matthew Cole coconducted a course with colleague Dr Karen Morgan at Xiamen University, South-East China, entitled ‘Critical Studies of Hierarchical Relations’.

The course provided the chance to speak to Chinese postgraduate students about veganism and the connections between the exploitation of nonhuman animals, women and people of colour.

For many of the students, the course provided their first exposure to the idea of veganism and to the analysis of the connections between different forms of oppression, whether the victims be human or nonhuman. It was heartening and moving to see the students respond with empathy and compassion to our discussions of the exploitation of farmed animals. Some students expressed an interest in becoming vegan in the future, or even in trying to work for better animal protection in China as a result of the course.

ENABLING INCLUSION COOK VEGETARIAN MAGAZINE We have produced a one page document which briefly outlines vegan principles and gives some quick tips about caring for vegans. These are useful in any situation where a vegan is faced with people who have little understanding of their position, bringing them up to speed and helping them to consider the needs that vegans have (for example, at school, on trips/holidays, on work events or at conferences, etc.).

We also have an ‘I am vegan’ document that can be displayed as a reminder to those involved with looking after the welfare of vegans. Please contact Rob, Vegan Society Education Officer, on 0121 523 1738 or education@vegansociety.com to find out more.

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We got a substantial advertorial feature into the November issue of Cook Vegetarian magazine giving the reasons why switching to a vegan diet is better for the environment.

WESTMINSTER EDUCATION FORUM Rob Jackson, our Education Officer, attended the Westminster Education Forum in September to discuss ‘Children and food - from school canteen to curriculum’. He was able to raise the issue of increasing the provision of plant-based meals in school canteens. He found some agreement from the panel, particularly on environmental grounds.

GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY LEAFLET Please find enclosed a copy of our new leaflet which looks at the benefits of vegan diets and stockfree farming for future food supplies.

The leaflet is mainly aimed at farmers, decision makers and development agencies and so please keep one to hand when you find yourself in a position to influence these groups.

RADIO INTERVIEWS, WORKSHOPS AND TALKS As usual Vegan Society staff and Trustees have given live interviews on several BBC local radio stations and continue to give talks to targeted groups and at fairs and festivals.

EVENTS SPONSORED BY THE VEGAN SOCIETY IN 2009 Veggie Pride The London Vegan Festival The Bristol Vegan Festival The West Midlands Vegan Festival The East Midlands Vegan Festival Croydon Eco Veggie Fayre All of this work is made possible by the generosity of our members.

Donations help us to continue to distribute literature, work with businesses, decision makers and caterers, sponsor events, support local groups, speak in schools, continue our advocacy work and be a strong voice for vegans.

We apologise for any confusion caused by an error in the annual report and accounts Vegan Society members have just received.

On pages 16,17 and 19 the heading should read 2009 Annual General Meeting and not 2008 Annual General Meeting.

From tHe CHieF eXeCUtiVe Nigel Winter

Promoting veganism needs to be tackled from a number of different directions at once. Global food security is hitting the headlines around the world and we need to ensure that policy makers consider the benefits of the vegan diet. We submitted a response to a consultation by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council on future directions in research relating to food security. We presented recommendations for research on future land use for food production, biodiversity, carbon sequestration and overseas development along with the benefit of healthy eating to reduce the burden on the NHS. At one end of the scale we are trying to influence the researchers, policy makers and farmers and at the other end we are talking to retailers. Earlier in the year I met with Sainsbury’s and recently I met with Tesco. They confirmed that they want to be included in the next edition of the Animal Free Shopper. They have asked us what they could do better for their vegan customers as part of a general review.

So please send your polite and constructive suggestions in an email to customer.service@tesco.co.uk (and a copy to media@vegansociety.com for Amanda Baker, our Media Officer). Please put ‘vegan’ in the subject box. Over 100 Vegan Society supporters have already done this and we hope that still more will do so.

We need to demonstrate both the benefits and the demand for vegan food and we can then achieve a shift in emphasis throughout the supply chain.

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For those of you who enjoy meeting other vegans wherever in the world you happen to be, whether on business, on holiday or just because you live there, the world’s biggest veggie website has just launched a world diary www.ivu.org/diary featuring events around the world on a month by month basis. Better still, if they’ve overlooked an event you regard as important enough to tell the world about, just click for the form and send in the details. Usefully, you can click on a particular continent to see only events in that part of the world, so you won’t be wading through potlucks in Pennsylvania and gigs in Ghana to find details of conferences in Cambodia or festivals in Finland. This is in addition to the whole-world lists of veg*n and animal-friendly groups, places to eat, places to stay and 3,000-plus vegan recipes if you opt to stay at home.

Thanks to the efforts of Vegan Society member and German VegSoc President Sebastian Zösch, movers and shakers from ten European countries got together in Berlin recently to discuss cooperation on a variety of issues. Tobias Leenaert reported that two more Belgian cities had taken up his group’s Veggie Thursday initiative, but despite exhortations from Paul McCartney and others in Britain and the USA it was Brazil – scene of this year’s International Vegan Festival and home of the indefatigable Marly Winckler – that grabbed the baton next, with the Mayor of São Paolo promoting Meat Free Monday in his city.

I wonder who will be next and what day of the week they will choose.

A particular highlight for me was the opportunity to meet and work with Maida from Bosnia, who has set aside a promising career as a lawyer to promote animal rights and veganism in this small predominantly Muslim country and has found her compatriots generally sympathetic to the cause. Her efforts are supported by activists in neighbouring Serbia as well as by Animal Friends Croatia, all impressively cheerful and enthusiastic despite huge economic and other problems and enormously grateful for any help they receive.

It was good, too, to see Felix Hnat from the Austrian Vegan Society, who has not allowed unlawful imprisonment and continued harassment by the authorities to dampen his enthusiasm and commitment. See www.vgt.at for ways to help.

Next stop was Prague to visit Marek Voršilka, whose injuries at the hands of neo-Fascist thugs last Christmas seem to have strengthened his resolve to stand up for the those less able to defend themselves.

A continuous showing of Earthlings powered by a mobile generator in the city square brought an impressive number of tourists and

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locals, who watched with horror at the way so-called food animals are treated and took leaflets on veganism in Czech or English. By the time we packed up the equipment at 11 pm it was very cold, though nothing like the temperatures that Marek and his friends will face in the run-up to Christmas, when live carp will no doubt again be on sale in the streets. Alone among Prague supermarkets, Tesco shockingly displays sick and injured carp crammed into tanks of bloody water all the year round. I took some photographs and intend to complain!

At the London Vegan Festival a group of Eritreans were anxious to find cruelty-free cosmetics for young black vegans and offered the possibility of one more language for the ever-expanding Vegan Passport. Meanwhile, a French animal rights group offered to translate our Plant Based Nutrition booklet and an enthusiastic member of the Alliance Végétarienne had already translated Eating the Earth. Just as we try to safeguard limited human resources by sponsoring rather than actually organising many of the festivals we promote and support in the UK, facilitating translations is a useful way to help vegans in less veggie-friendly areas while consolidating the Society’s reputation as the world’s premier provider of reliable and accurate information on veganism.

We have a special fund to help groups in poorer countries. This was first used to help the new Indian Vegan Society, which has gone from strength to strength. We hope to publish the nutrition booklet in Indonesian and perhaps also Chinese in time for next year’s World Veg Congress and would like to do something for Bosnia too if we can. The fund is restricted to countries with per capita GDP below 30% of our own and it is Society policy never to fund foreign travel

by UK members, so every penny goes to help animals, people and the environment where it is most needed. Just specify clearly that you are making a targeted donation to the International Outreach Fund.

With good wishes to all, Vanessa Clarke International Coordinator

Whenever I talk to a group or even an individual about the work of our Society I always stress the distinction between paid staff, who work in our Birmingham office, and trustees, who are not involved in the day-to-day administrative work of the Society and of course are unpaid. Exceptionally, George Rodger regularly assists with the Trademark function and recently spent two weeks at the office ensuring that things continued to run smoothly while our Head of Business Development was away and Stephen Walsh makes numerous visits to the office in his capacity as Treasurer.. Recently I too was able to help by forsaking my own office in Yorkshire, where I run a translation business, to spend four weeks in Birmingham bridging the gap between the departure of one Sales and Membership Assistant and the arrival of the next. (Welcome, Mike!) As a result I had the pleasure of speaking to many of you who rang to order merchandise or to renew your membership. (The work is much reduced if you pay your subscription by direct debit!)

Being in the office all week doing a ‘real’ job (albeit unpaid since I am a trustee) rather than just for Council meetings confirmed my admiration for the dedication and hard work of our staff, who often come in early, leave late and spend the intervening hours answering e-mail, telephone and postal enquiries; liaising with education establishments, hospitals, care-homes, prisons and commercial caterers; commissioning, writing articles for and editing the magazine; liaising with the Food Standards Agency, other government and non-government bodies; compiling the Animal Free Shopper; giving media interviews and writing press releases and articles; dealing with the finances; processing membership applications and renewals and orders for merchandise made by telephone, post and the website, including packing and posting them (not my favourite part of the job: you have no idea what an awkward shape a single tub of VEG1 is to pack – four at a time are much easier!).

And to think that I recently received a complaint that The Vegan Society doesn’t do enough because our hard-pressed staff aren’t running around organizing fairs and festivals all over the country!

Groups and individuals, including Vegan Society members and trustees, who do organize such events, whether local, regional or national, are well aware of not only how time-consuming it is even

when it is in one’s own area but also how much the Society contributes in terms of speakers, materials, publicity and funding.

As I have said so often, The Vegan Society is not some abstract concept but consists of us, the members, each and every one of us.

Luckily our Local and Group Contacts are there to complement and supplement the work of staff and trustees and they constantly astonish me with their enthusiasm and new ideas for getting veganism not only accepted but into the mainstream.

Members in the north-east may like to know that volunteers are needed to help at the North East Christmas Without Cruelty on 28 November (see Events on p. 41). The organizer, Local Contact Mike Morley, runs Alternative Stores, one of our trademark holders, which this year was voted Best Online Store by Viva! Still in that area, there’s a new animal rights group in Newcastle run by Andrew Ferguson Moving south, the indefatigable Sarah Austin in Bournemouth has set up a new forum at http://veganliving.forumotion.co.uk/.

Please see pages 42 and 43 for the full list of contacts, new entries being shaded. Once again we have Local Contacts in Cornwall (Sue and Chris, who run a vegan guest house), and Pia in Leicester is a new Youth Contact as well as Local Contact. Alex and Sophie have taken over from Paul and Natalie as Contacts for the Glasgow University and Leeds groups respectively, and Neill is now running Hertsveg as well as being a new Local Contact. Lynnmarie is listed as Local Contact under Cheshire because that’s where she lives but joins Linda as Group Contact for Manchester Vegan Society.

Finally Anne, John and Roslyn are new Local Contacts in Somerset, Stoke-on-Trent and Monmouth respectively.

It’s easy to see from the list where there are gaps in coverage but, wherever you live in the British Isles or Ireland, if you want to know more about being a Contact please get in touch or come to the meeting at noon on the day of the AGM (see page 41).

Patricia Tricker, National Contacts’ Coordinator

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fter six months of preparation the organizers of the 12th London Vegan Festival arrived at the venue and were gearing up for the busy day ahead. The Kensington Town Hall staff had done a superb job, which made it easier since the period between arriving and opening proves the most stressful.

By 10.45 am a queue had formed so visitors were let in earlier than usual and by noon the venue was positively buzzing. During the course of the day there was a full range of talks, workshops, children’s activities, music, poetry, comedy, yoga, meditation, music and social interaction (speed meeting) as well as 104 stalls, to keep everyone occupied.

There was a variety of talks, including Alternatives to Petrochemicals, Veganism, Anarchism and Pacifism, Understanding Raw Foods and Why Vegans should be Opposed to Racism and Fascism. Saf Restaurant’s head chef gave a very popular food demonstration and Vegan Campaigns ran a workshop to discuss food fairs and the vegan pledge.

Visitors to the festival enjoyed different musical styles, amongst them a vegan hip-hop artist, Americana and jazz, Roots folk and positive pop.

Andrew O’Neil, the highly popular vegan comedian, filled the Small Hall.

More than 2,000 vegans, vegetarians and non-vegetarians filled the venue, so much so that the manager of the venue insisted that we count one in and one out. Fortunately the vast majority of those queuing were patient and amenable.

As usual the foyer proved to be the busiest since it was where the food and bar were, and we all know how vegans love to eat and drink!

The vegan bar staff were kept busy, as were the caterers: Rainforest Creations, Shambhu`s, Fairfoods and the ever-popular Veggies.

stallholder selling vegan wines from Israel to seek the help of an organizer when he and his teenage daughter were harassed by a visitor over the issue of Palestine. The second incident involved a speaker and a group of people attending her talk. The issue between them had no relevance to the scheduled talk and resulted in those who had attended to hear the talk being deprived of doing so. A plea from one of the organizers that the talk be allowed to continue went unheeded.

Confrontations and intolerance are not welcome since incidents of this nature go against the very spirit of the festival.

Unfortunately the festival organizers experienced more than their fair share of difficulties. The London Vegan Festival prides itself on its diversity and integrity, i.e. the quality of being united. The first incident involved a rather aggressive encounter causing a

When the idea of a national vegan event was first proposed in 1966, founder members Robin and Alison could never have envisaged the subsequent successes, including the formation not only of regional vegan festivals but of international ones too, France and Sweden being two examples.

Having organized 12 consecutive festivals we have decided to take a well-earned break and so we shall not be organizing a London festival in 2010.

We should like to thank our 2009 sponsors: The Vegan Society, Veggies, Vegan Store, The Redwood Wholefood Co., Beanies Health Foods and Viva!

We also wish to thank the invaluable volunteers, without whose help the festival would not be possible, Vegan Campaigns for help with the organization and web space and all of our supporters and sponsors over the years.

Robin & Alison (CALF)

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Prostate CanCer and diet UPdate Dr Philip Bickley

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HS Choices recently reviewed 1 prostate cancer . This was following the June 2009 publication of Healthy Eating: The Prostate Care Cookbook, which was produced in association with the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK– it accounts for nearly a quarter (24%) of all new male cancer diagnoses. The lifetime risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer is 1 in 10 for men in 2 the UK .

World Cancer Research Fund says we all make lifestyle choices every day and there is overwhelming evidence that the choices we make can make a big 3 difference to our cancer risk . Cancer 4 1 Research UK and NHS Choices have made the following comments about diet and prostate cancer: Countries that have a low fat and high vegetable intake in the diet have lower rates of prostate cancer. However, it is not certain whether this is directly due to fat intake. Studies are ongoing.

Lycopenes are chemicals found in tomatoes and may help to prevent prostate cancer. It is noted some studies of lycopenes and prostate cancer have shown a reduction in risk but others have not.

Dairy products, as a source of calcium, have been extensively studied in relation to prostate cancer. Several studies show a small significant increase in risk but findings differ by whether it affects advanced or localised tumours.

5 The EPIC study showed overall a 32% increased risk for 35g/day higher intake of dairy protein and a 7% risk increase for a 0.3g/day intake of dairy calcium. Protein and calcium from non-dairy sources were not associated with risk.

Countries that have a high intake of soy in their diet tend to have much lower rates of prostate cancer (and other types of cancers) compared to countries where soy intake is low.

This may be because of chemicals found in soy called phyto-oestrogens.

Several studies have shown a protective association for selenium, reporting a 30–80% risk reduction for prostate cancer. However, several studies showed no association.

“Countries that have a high intake of soy in their diet tend to have much lower rates of prostate cancer (and other types of cancers) compared to countries where soy intake is low.”

Green tea has been studied due to its regular consumption by Japanese and Chinese men whose prostate cancer risk is low. Green tea contains high level of polyphenols which have antioxidant effects. The evidence is not conclusive. More research into the possible chemopreventive properties of green tea is needed.

Confirming the message of Cancer Research UK and NHS Choices a 2009 systematic review of studies on soya 6 consumption suggested that consumption of soya foods is associated with a reduction in prostate cancer risk in men.

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A large study in the United States examined the associations between meat consumption and prostate cancer.

“Red and processed meat may be positively associated with prostate cancer” was the study conclusion.

There has also been research looking at diet and survival after prostate cancer 8 diagnosis . This showed that adoption of a plant-based diet may slow disease progression and improve prognosis.

However the authors commented additional long-term therapeutic clinical trials are needed to further elucidate the role of diet.

1. NHS Choices. Prostate Cancer Cookbook. http://www.nhs.uk/news/2009/09september/pages/ prostatecancercookbook.aspx (accessed 23 October 2009) 2. Cancer Research UK. UK Prostate Cancer incidence statistics. http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/ cancerstats/types/prostate/incidence/ (accessed 24 September 2009) 3. World Cancer Research Fund. The Choices that affect your cancer risk. http://www.wcrf-uk.org/ preventing_cancer/diet/choices_that_affect.php (accessed 24 September 2009) 4. Cancer Research UK. Prostate Cancer risk factors http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/ prostate/riskfactors/?a=5441 (accessed 23 October 2009) 5. Allen NE. Key TJ et al. Animal foods, protein, calcium and prostate cancer risk: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

British Journal of Cancer 2008; 98(9): 1574-81.

6. Yan L. & Spitznagel EL. Soy consumption and prostate cancer risk in men: a revisit of a metaanalysis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009; 89: 1155–63.

7. Sinha R. Park Y. et al. Meat and Meat-related Compounds and Risk of Prostate Cancer in a Large Prospective Cohort Study in the United States American Journal of Epidemiology 2009; 170(9): 1165-1177 8. Berkow S. Barnard ND. et al. Diet and survival after prostate cancer diagnosis. Nutrition Reviews 2007; 65-9: 391-493.

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Vegans and the Law V

anessa Clarke talks to Kamal Adatia, Vegan Society member, Barrister and Head of Community Services Law at one of Britain’s largest and most diverse city councils.

The legal opinions expressed are those of the provider only; they do not constitute legal advice and do not profess to constitute a definitive statement of the law as it stands in England and Wales.

This will require maximum support from members, local contacts and others, and none more crucial than those with a commitment to diversity and expert knowledge of the law in this area.

So we are fortunate indeed to have Kam’s knowledge and expertise to guide us. The questions that follow are just a few of those that have arisen so far and on which he has generously given us the benefit of his wisdom and experience.

BACKGROUND In the Autumn 2006 issue of The Vegan we heralded the passage of the Equality Act with the words: “The European Community has proclaimed that those with deeply held beliefs such as veganism are as much entitled to respect and equality of treatment as any other group – and quite right too, since for many of us our vegan diet and lifestyle is more important than the culture or religion we happen to have been born into because it is a moral choice we have made for ourselves.”

Last year’s Catering for Diversity event brought together professionals responsible for implementing the equality legislation in hospitals, care homes and other public services and was much strengthened by the advice provided by Kamal Adatia. Since then, we have continued to negotiate at both local and national level to ensure implementation of the Act in regard to vegans. We are currently seeking to ensure that veganism is included in every local authority’s “diversity statement”.

We are also working with colleagues in Europe to promote implementation throughout the European Union and in the EU institutions in Brussels (where a recent British employee apparently found nursery providers unable or unwilling to provide animal-free food for his child).

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“We are currently seeking to ensure that veganism is included in every local authority’s ‘diversity statement’.”

management of premises, education, and the exercise of public functions.

‘Belief’ is not well defined in the Act, but it is commonly accepted that in order to be deserving of protection and promotion, a belief must be a ‘conviction’ which is more than an ‘opinion’ or an ‘idea’, it must be ‘serious’ (i.e. not trivial), ‘coherent’ and ‘cogent’ (i.e. compelling, persuasive, potent).

Veganism is all of these things. There is also protection under the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 9 Freedom of conscience, thought and religion). These legal provisions raise fascinating questions about the rights of ‘believers’ to live in a society which respects and upholds their beliefs, and the role of the state in supporting (or at least not undermining) these. As the law develops more clarity will be achieved, and in this issue we merely introduce a few scenarios, and suggestions, to provoke debate.

QUESTION RE DEMENTIA AND LIVING WILLS Vanessa: In respect of vegans who are seriously ill or dying, is it possible to make a ‘living will’ in advance saying that one doesn’t want to be fed and/or administered animal products or substances even if mentally incapacitated and knowing no different?

THE EQUALITY ACT Vanessa: Now that the legislation is in force, can you give us some idea how it applies to vegans?

Kam: The Equality Act 2006 came into force on 30th April 2007 and one of its purposes was to make discrimination unlawful on the grounds of “religion or belief” in the provision of goods, facilities and services, the disposal and

Kam: The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (sections 24 to 26) and the associated Code of Practice (Chapter 9) (both easily down-loadable on line) cover the issue.

These are called Advance Directives.

They operate as an instruction given before someone loses mental capacity to refuse specified treatment after they are incapacitated. By conferring upon the Advance Directive the force of law they basically protect the fundamental rights

of the patient by respecting their wishes not to receive specified treatment(s), whilst protecting the medical professional from a charge of assault/manslaughter or of breaching their ethics by failing to treat in orthodox ways.

The Courts have not tested the theory as to whether the powers go beyond refusing treatment to specifying the type of treatment that a patient wants.

It may be that the latter is unlikely to be endorsed by the Courts. However, by expressing the directive in such a way as to refuse all treatment except that administered in a particular way, this problem might be avoided. Whilst the hospital might not be compelled to source and administer pro-vegan treatments (assuming they were not easily available) it is unlikely that where a valid Advance Directive is in force they could override the refusal to accept administration of non-vegan products, even to save and sustain life.

Even if a person loses capacity before being able to make a valid directive, section 4 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 is very clear that in making a “best interests” decision regarding treatment, a medic must take into account, amongst other factors the patient’s past, present or future expressed wishes, their beliefs and values, as well as consulting their carers.

QUESTION RE VITAMIN K ADMINISTRATION TO NEWBORNS Vanessa: Until two years ago, vitamin K prophylaxis for newborns was not problematic on dietary grounds since it was entirely vegan. Then the manufacturer suddenly substituted cow bile for one of the ingredients (not the vitamin K itself – the medically necessary part – but just one of the adjuvants).

This was not highlighted to professionals or anyone else, with the result that the great majority of Hindu babies – not to mention vegetarians, vegans and all the rest – will have been given an injection containing beef before they even taste their mothers’ milk.

Now for the ‘The Midwife’s Dilemma’: does s/he give the baby the injection without telling the parents what’s in it, thus protecting the child from haemorrhagic disease of the newborn (a rare but serious condition which can cause lifelong brain damage) or does s/he take all the stuff about informed choice seriously, tell the parents and risk them refusing the injection on the

child’s behalf? In other words, the midwife has to choose – for no good reason – between disrespecting the mother and endangering the child. To bring a test case would seem irresponsible in that it could lead to widespread refusal of medication and great damage to patients – hence the ongoing campaign to get things changed voluntarily.

Kam: My only observations would be that: n consent in law insulates medics from what would otherwise constitute an assault (criminal) and a trespass to the person (civil) n medics need informed consent for everything except life-saving medical intervention n for babies, only parents (and exceptionally the Courts) can furnish consent in law n consent needs to be informed Vit K injection would arguably not constitute life saving medical treatment (there is no need to save in this context, merely to protect from a statistically small risk of a potentially catastrophic event – see parallel to the MMR and single vaccines).

In your scenario, I would suggest that midwives/doctors are acting unlawfully.

Whilst one cannot infer a duty on medics to inform parents about the chemical make-up of every medicine administered to a patient, I would argue that in well known cases of controversial treatments such as this one, the duty on medics is higher. Of course, the only foolproof solution is for parents to be proactive and raise the issue first.

QUESTION RE GUARDIANSHIP Vanessa: This arises out of a recent case where the children were not brought up vegan despite the parents’ wishes (which had not been stated in any legal document). How can the future of vegan children be safeguarded in the event of an accident befalling both parents?

Kam: Under the provisions of section 5 of the Children Act 1989, a Guardian is a person appointed for a child by the child’s parent or parents, or by the Court, in the event of the death of one or both parents. When effective, the appointment vests in the Guardian

parental responsibility (PR) for the child in the place of the deceased parent(s).

Appointment merely has to be (i) in writing (ii) signed and (iii) dated.

The beauty of this simple and comprehensive scheme, for your question, is also its downfall: it is simple and comprehensive. To use the common parlance, “it does what it says on the tin”.

The Guardian becomes the holder of parental responsibility. Nobody can therefore gainsay the decisions of the Guardian once their appointment takes effect (i.e. on the death of the parent/s), meaning that no conditions or qualifications can attach to the appointment, (not even through a valid living will or Advance Directive).

This is not to say that such decisions cannot be overthrown. A Court application can be made for termination of appointment (and replacement by a more suitable Guardian), and thereby the Court would have to grapple with a case on the merits of the vegan issue.

In doing so, the Court would be obliged to consider, as the paramount guiding principle, the ‘welfare of the child’ and it is here that the Court may be influenced to pay heed to the way in which the child was raised before becoming orphaned.

Equally, however, the Court would be just as keen to be pragmatic and not limit the options for appointment of a Guardian where an otherwise willing Guardian was not prepared to raise the child as a vegan. The older the child, of course, the more likely the Court is to regard compliance with a child’s preference for remaining vegan as being consistent with the child’s ultimate ‘welfare’.

[Where the provisions of section 5 operate to appoint a Guardian in the event of the death of one parent only (leaving another parent alive, albeit one who does not have full-time care) then this parent shares parental responsibility with the Guardian and can take action through a range of legal measures to assert a view in relation to matters concerned with upbringing. These may involve a Court application for a Residence Order, a Prohibited Steps Order or a Specific Issue Order.]

The only advice I can proffer, therefore, is to choose your Guardian carefully. If you choose wisely, then the act of conferring parental responsibility upon them through guardianship will indeed be extremely powerful and will avoid drifting through childhood (until age 18) in a state of legal and moral limbo.

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Lee Hall

P “It takes a complete paradigm shift to stop thinking of animals as objects.

There’s a bright-line psychological difference, and not a continuum, between accepting human dominion and rejecting it.

Those who founded The Vegan Society knew this.”

oint to veganism as the way to a better society, and people might ask, `How can we think - with 211,000 new humans born each day, wars everywhere, polar bears drowning, an extinction crisis, kids in the global south living in the streets - that this vegan stuff is going to work?’

But vegans know these problems are connected with human decisions. We can decide in new ways, and help others to do likewise.

Thomas Kuhn, in the 1960s, spoke of the ‘paradigm shifts’ that change our entire worldview. An example is the Copernican revolution. Before Copernicus, people assumed that The Earth was central in the cosmos; everything revolved around us. But Copernicus showed that The Earth circles around the sun.

Relatively quickly in the course of history, our perspective was radically changed.

In much the same way, veganism challenges an old view that everyone and everything revolves around us.

Environmentalists have discovered how incorrect that view is. Earthworms, bees and other supposedly insignificant beings are now understood as enormously influential in the biocommunity.

Meanwhile, vegan advocates, starting with Donald Watson, have shown that we cannot give animals some kind of moral rank; all are entitled to live on their own terms, bees and earthworms included.

The Copernican revolution wasn’t the result of people accepting change in increments. Although some communities understood the news sooner than others, no one was asked to accept that the sun was a little closer to the central point over time. Astronomy charts didn’t show the Earth moving gradually outward as new editions were printed.

Compare veganism: everyone has the wonderful potential to commit to vegan values right now. To try to do this in increments - say, by switching to egg companies without battery cages or supporting other free-range concepts - is to forget the reality that Earth’s space is finite. The spread of pasture-based animal agribusiness uproots free-living beings and snuffs out their lives. The argument for incremental steps within industry fails to notice the communities of animals being displaced every day by industrial landscapes and buildings.

It takes a complete paradigm shift to stop thinking of animals as objects.

There’s a bright-line psychological difference, and not a continuum, between accepting human dominion and rejecting it. Those who founded The Vegan Society knew this.

A paradigm shift is radical by definition.

Of course, it will meet resistance (Galileo’s books were banned because the great scientist accepted the position of Copernicus, which was deemed contrary to biblical authority). But the cultural shift, once the new paradigm is presented and acknowledged, is unstoppable.

When the idea of human supremacy is understood as an old, destructive myth, it will be replaced by a new paradigm.

By learning to cook vegan dishes or to cultivate vegan-organic gardens, many people are preparing for that shift today.

The social change could become apparent relatively quickly, and that’s good because by most predictions we have little time to spare.

Lee Hall is legal director for Friends of Animals. Check out their latest work at www.VeganMeans.com

The Vegan l Winter 2009

11

An Interview with Rob Bigwood - the World’s most successful

Vegan Arm-Wrestler Pete Ryan ISSA CFT SPN Dip

Pete: Hi Rob, thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for all the interested readers out there. I thought we’d start with some basic questions. What made you go vegan in the first place?

Rob: I first considered a vegetarian diet after an arm-wrestling tournament back in 2002. After competing, some friends and I walked around the Pennsylvania State Fair and a group of piglets caught my attention. It was cute watching them play around and feed from their mom, it reminded me of little puppies. I got sick to my stomach knowing that I had a bacon and egg sandwich for breakfast that same morning. I never thought of meat in the same way again.

Pete: Being a strength athlete, was there any concerns that you might lose strength when you first changed your diet, and what did you find when you did make the change?

Rob: I was concerned at first but didn’t care. I made a conscious and ethical decision to give up meat, and was willing to face the consequences.

It is more important to practise what I believe in than to worry about being a strength athlete.

My body did not feel right at the beginning, and it took a couple of weeks to adjust without the meat.

Eventually, I began to gain energy and consistently lost weight. I have never felt better in my entire life and it was one of the smartest decisions I ever made.

Pete: Most people will have tried arm-wrestling at some point, but most of us think of it as something to do in a bar after a few pints, not really an athletic pursuit. How did you get involved in the sport of arm-wrestling?

Rob: I was always strong at armwrestling, getting the genetics from my mom. She could beat most men, including my dad, and even competed in a tournament before I was born.

In High School, I met a guy that competed professionally and he talked me into giving it a shot. My first tournament was in North Carolina back in 2000. I ended up taking fifth place and have been addicted ever since.

Pete: What sort of training do you need to do to enter your sport?

Rob: The best way to train for this sport is to get on a table and arm wrestle. It’s hard to simulate and hit the right angles at the gym, almost impossible. Try to find some pullers in your area and see if you can practise with them. Some useful websites are armwrestlingtv.com and armwrestlersnearyou.com.

Pete: You recently came second (both left- and right-handed) at the 2009 “Big Apple Grapple”. This probably makes you the top vegan arm-wrestler in the world at this time. How did you prepare for the contest, and is there anything special about being a vegan athlete that a meat-eater wouldn’t need to concern themselves with when prepping for a competition?

Rob: I am probably the only vegan arm-wrestler in the world!

Prior to the Big Apple Grapple, I had been inactive for over two years and needed some motivation to start pulling again. Even though placing second in both arms, I was pretty rusty considering I trained for only three months. As far as preparation, I made sure to eat right, train hard, and get enough rest. I don’t think that is any different than what the meat-eaters do.

Pete: How were you received as a vegan at an arm-wrestling contest: were the other athletes interested, dismissive, curious? Also, the fans: how did they react to a vegan whipping so many of the meat-eating competitors; did it make an impression?

Rob: Most of the arm-wrestlers were shocked to see how strong I was after being out of the scene for two years.

Most have known me prior to going vegan and respect my decision. I had one spectator tell me that her son was my new biggest fan. She had unsuccessfully tried to get him to go vegetarian and after watching me compete he now wants to try.

Pete: What are your goals in terms of arm-wrestling?

Rob: My ultimate goal is to be the U.S. National Champion and then World Champion. But more importantly I want to prove to people that strength athletes do not need meat or animal products to be powerful – all you need are veggies!

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Pete: As well as being an athlete and highlighting veganism through your strength, you are also active with several animal rights groups. Do you think that strong guys like yourself appearing on the vegan scene are starting to smash the stereotypical image of the pasty, wimp of a (male) vegan, and do you think that this might be a good way to get more guys involved in the vegan movement (by highlighting more male vegans with strength and power)?

Rob: I am pasty but definitely not wimpy! Most people are shocked when they find out I am vegan and don’t understand how I am strong without meat, milk, eggs, etc. I have been doing the best I can with educating, inspiring, and breaking the typical stereotypes.

Pete: You look like you’ve got massive arms; just how big are your guns?

Rob: Ha ha. I actually haven’t measured my arms in years, I’m not that kind of guy. I hardly train for size, rather for strength. It’s a huge misconception that the bigger the biceps the stronger

the arm-wrestler. This sport is a precise combination of technique, speed and entire body strength. Also, if you don’t have a strong hand and wrist then you won’t be successful.

Pete: Would you suggest that other vegans get involved in the sport of arm-wrestling, and if so how should they begin to get involved?

Rob: I think other vegans and vegetarians should give it a try – who doesn’t like to arm wrestle? It’s the biggest underground sport that is about to explode on the scenes. There is a great new documentary called Pulling John that will bring our sport to the next level, like Pumping Iron did for bodybuilding.

Pete: If you had a sentence or two to convince someone to try out a vegan diet, what would you say to them?

Rob: If not for the awesome health benefits, then at least make an effort for the animals. If being a vegan seems impossible then cut back on meat a few days a week; every effort counts.

People don’t realise the harsh cruelty

and suffering these animals go through before eventually ending up as the meat in your sandwich. Being vegan also means being green, it is the absolute best thing for our environment!

Pete: If people want to get hold of you online have you got a website or blog where people can follow you as you continue on your quest for armwrestling dominance? blog.rbigwood.com facebook.com/rob.bigwood twitter.com/rbigwood For more information about training on a vegan diet go to http://www.veganbodybuilding.org or http://veganbodybuilding.userboard.net Since this interview Rob Bigwood just won the 2009 South Jersey Fitness Expo in Atlantic City, NJ with the left arm & came 3rd using the right (he wasn’t pinned with the right, his elbow slipped off the pad, so it’s an automatic loose).

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Animal Sanctuary Round-up All of the following sanctuaries are operated by vegans and are always in need of financial support, and may need volunteers too.

Algernon Trust Animal Sanctuary and Wildlife Rescue www.algernontrust.org.uk This sanctuary has been run for 18 years by vegan, Jane Shepherd, who devotes 24 hours a day to the rescue and care of animals. Jane spends weekends attending fetes and fairs to raise money to add to the membership fees and donations which enable her pay for food, litter and vets bills.

Brinsley Animal Rescue http://brinsleyanimalrescue.org/ Run by volunteers and managed by vegans Jon and Beth, Brinsley Animal Rescue is a charity run on vegan values and does not exploit animals for food, profit or entertainment. 100% of the money raised for the Charity goes directly into helping animals by paying for food, housing, treatment and vets bills.

Brook Farm Animal Sanctuary www.brook-farm.org.uk This sanctuary is in Raunds Northamptonshire. Although the sanctuary focuses on farmed animals they don’t turn anyone away and have cats, dogs, hedgehogs and a baby deer as well as cows, pigs, sheep, turkeys and chickens (always looking to rehome). Susannah, Clive and Rosie who run the sanctuary are all vegan.

Farm Animal Rescue Sanctuary www.farmanimalrescue.org.uk The Farm Animal Rescue Sanctuary was established 1988 and is based in Wolverton, Warwickshire.

There they care for over 800 animals, looked after by volunteers. All fundraising time is volunteered and there are no offices to maintain and no directors to pay - 100% of your donation will go to their animals to feed, shelter and to provide medical care. They also run an adoption scheme.

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The Farm Animal Sanctuary www.thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk 01386 832640 The Farm Animal Sanctuary has been run by Janet Taylor for over 20 years in Evesham, Worcestershire with over 500 rescued sheep, birds, pigs, donkeys and other animals. Individual animals can be sponsored from just ÂŁ10 per year.

Farplace Animal Rescue Tel: 0191 4204052 www.farplace.org.uk Based in the Durham Dales, Farplace have a no-kill policy. All staff are either veggie or vegan. They rescue and rehome all sorts of animals at the sanctuary, from unwanted and mistreated pets to ex-farm animals such as ex-battery hens, sheep and turkeys, as well as wildlife.

FRIEND Farmed Animal Rescue http://www.friendsanimalrescue.org.uk/ 01622 871617 Established in the early 1990s, FRIEND is as a permanent home for abused, unwanted and orphaned farm animals.

Currently, around 150 animals run freely and communally over the 10 acre site, located in the heart of the Kent countryside FRIEND runs wholly on donations which help pay for feed, medical bills, and essential equipment.

Folly Wildlife Rescue Trust www.follywildliferescue.org.uk 01892 750865 Set up by Dave and Annette Risley, Folly Wildlife Rescue Trust is based in Eridge Green, Kent and specialises in the hand-rearing of mammals and birds.

Every year thousands of animals are admitted to the sanctuary, and as many as possible are eventually returned to the wild. They operate an ‘adopt a hedgehog’ scheme as well as a supporters group to care for those that are too badly injured to be returned to the wild.

Hillfields Animal Sanctuary www.hillfields-animal-sanctuary.com 0121 445 3828 Set up over 30 years ago by Linda Tudor in Blackwell near Bromsgrove, Worcestershire where she cares for over 300 former farmed animals and unwanted domestic pets, including horses, goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, dogs, cats, ducks, birds, and even a 28 year old cow.

They run an “adopt an animal” scheme as well as having regular open days.

Hillside Animal Sanctuary www.hillside.org.uk 01603 736200 Hillside is based in Frettenham, near Norwich and was founded in 1995.

They care for over 900 animals, most of whom have been rescued from the factory farming industry. Hillside has been involved in exposing the conditions for animals on monitored “Freedom Food” farms. They also operate an animal ‘adoption’ scheme.

New Life Parrot Rescue http://www.newlifeparrotrescue.org.uk/ 01480 390040

The Retreat Animal Rescue http://www.retreatanimalrescue.org.uk/ 01322 614247

A non-profit organisation and registered British charity, New Life Parrot Rescue provides shelter for neglected parrots. As well as taking part in animal welfare campaigns, they also run a helpline service which aims to inform and educate people on parrot issues.

Based in northwest Kent, The Retreat is an entirely voluntary and a not-forprofit organisation, with all the trustees and most of the volunteers being vegan. All funds raised go to the welfare of the animals that come into The Retreat’s care and where possible animals are rehomed in permanent, loving homes. The Retreat operates a no-kill policy.

Rainbow Ark http://www.rainbowark.co.uk/ 07757 054 333 Located in County Durham, Rainbow Ark has been running for twenty years and is home to more than 200 animals.

It is popular with children from the area, who visit to see the many dogs, Shetland ponies, canaries and goats at the sanctuary. Owner Paula Campbell never turns an animal away.

Hugletts Wood Farm Can be found on Facebook.

0788 404 6703 They care for over 200 animals, grow their own crops, produce compost, and operate a dedicated Cow Protection Programme.

Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary www.towerhillstables.com Set up in Essex in 1993 by Fiona Oakes, who single-handedly cares for 400 animals from shire horses to turkeys, many of whom are in need of sponsorship to cover the costs of their food and veterinary bills.

The Vegan l Winter 2009

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Verity Hunt-Sheppard and Charley Roberts

n FasHion bags and Yoga aCCessories BOA BOA’s stylish range of bags, yoga clothing and accessories draw their inspiration from Morocco. Their organic cotton yoga clothing includes ultra comfortable harem pants and stylish soft jersey camisoles, while their range of yoga mat bags are made from colourful African fabrics that stand out from the crowd. BOA’s collection of bags also includes their eye-catching Jack & Jill laptop bags, their fold away Flifla cotton shopper bags and their chic city bag range made from highly resistant but soft chenille.

For more details visit www.myboastyle.com

n easY to Use CUrrY miXes n Handmade etHiCal Food

HAPPY KITCHEN Happy Kitchen team Ellie and Lisa make delicious, healthy vegan cakes from recipes based around the English seasons, which are sold in various markets, cafes, health food stores and grocery stores across London. They also provide catering for events and lead workshops and cookery classes in schools.

As well as using primarily local, seasonal and organic ingredients supplemented with fair-trade, non air-freighted ingredients, all their foods are made from lowGI wholefoods and are omegarich and sugar-free. Happy Kitchen’s delicious food is great for the animals, the planet and people! For more details visit www.happykitchen.org.uk or contact peekaboo@happykitchen.org.uk or 020 7275 0872

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CURRY TREE Curry Tree’s curry “gravy mixes” couldn’t be easier to use and bring an authentic blend of Indian herbs and spices to any dish. Simply snip the pack and add the mix and water to your dish and simmer.

Choose from 12 varieties of main course mixes and 5 varieties of appetiser mixes which include Jalfrezi, Rogan Josh, Vindaloo, Capsicum & Onion, Schari and Madras. Curry Tree blends together ingredients such as ginger, coriander, green chilli, fennel, and coconut to create amazing taste combinations.

Curry Tree’s gravy mixes are free from MSG, gluten and artificial colours.

Priced at £2.99 For more details visit www.currytree.in

n Freeze dried açai berrY Powder PULPA Açai Berry is a dark purple berry from the Brazilian Amazon that is rich in antioxidants.

Pulpa's freeze dried Açai Berry powder is ideal for boosting the nutritional content of your smoothies or juices. Its convenient powder form has an incredible 24 month shelf life with nothing added to the powder; there are no carrying agents, additives or preservatives, it’s just freeze dried Açai Berry.

Priced at £17.50 a tub or you can bulk buy tubs for significant savings.

For more details visit www.pulpastore.co.uk or telephone 01617 980 671

All Shoparound products have been authenticated as

Not all products in a range are necessarily vegan.

n Vegan Catering ComPanY in deVon

n organiC raw CHoColate

FAIRFOODS Fairfoods vegan catering company is based in midDevon. Their delicious dishes are all lovingly made in their vegan kitchen and include some organic, fairtrade and locally sourced ingredients.

They have a good range of gluten-free dishes too.

Fairfoods’ menu includes creamy cashew nut roast, roasted vegetable quiche, Cornish pasties, mango & avocado salsa and fennel & orange salad with toasted walnuts. Sweets include chocolate muffins, raspberry coconut slice, chocolate banana custard cake and mango tart.

Prices start from £1.99 a head for sandwiches and £3.99 a head for a buffet. Minimum order is £20.

For more details visit www.fairfoods.org.uk or telephone 01884 34974

SHAZZIE’S NAKED CHOCOLATE Shazzie’s sensational naked chocolate is now professionally foil sealed with love in the Shazzie warehouse.

Work your way through Shazzie’s six amazing raw chocolate bars including Temptress with freeze dried strawberries & rose, Goddess with mesquite, Lucuma & shelled hemp seeds, Siren with spirulina & AFA algae, Empress with pineapple & purple corn flour, Desire with orange & star anise or Intacta, a white cacao bar with maca & vanilla. Exquisite!

All bars are organically certified too.

Priced at £3.86 For more details visit www.detoxyourworld.com or telephone 08700 113 119

n gentle CosmetiCs For sensitiVe skin SUNCOAT Suncoat’s luxurious earth-friendly products are coloured with mineral pigments instead of synthetic dyes and are free from many of the chemicals commonly found in most cosmetics. Their water based nail polish is virtually odour free and they claim that it won’t stain or dry out nails, while their mascara contains organic ingredients. Suncoat’s mascara includes kaolin clay, vegetable glycerin, and vitamin E and uses a sugar based biopolymer to build volume instead of petrochemical derived plastics. Suncoat products are designed for those with sensitive skins or anyone seeking more gentle cosmetics.

Priced from £12.95 For more details visit www.gentle-beauty.com or telephone 02030 721 072

The Vegan l Winter 2009

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Verity Hunt-Sheppard and Charley Roberts

n Vegan oUtdoor aCtiVities

n lUXUrY bodY Care LANI-JO Indulge and delight in the new range of sensual body care products from Lani-Jo. This all-vegan range includes soaps, skin creams, body wash and bath fizzers with gorgeous fragrances such as lavender and rosemary, peach extract, aloe vera and citrus and nutmeg.

ACE OUTDOORS Ace Outdoors is a specialist tour operator and training provider offering active, challenging and enjoyable outdoor education, training and family walking holidays, exclusively for vegetarians and vegans. Their aim is to provide the fullest range of exciting and diverse experiences organised by, and for, like-minded people who are passionate about the great outdoors, our environment and the welfare of all animals.

Courses include winter skills weekends, navigation weekends, guided walking, plus lots more. For more details visit: www.ace-outdoors.co.uk or contact Pete James at: pete@ace-outdoors.co.uk or 0845 505 1221.

Lani-Jo products are made with plantbased ingredients and avoid the use of petrochemicals and ingredients known to cause problems for sensitive skins. Soaps £4.99, other products priced from £9.99. For more details visit www.lani-jo.co.uk

n Pink HimalaYan Food salt THE SALT SELLER Himalayan pink salt is derived from the foothills of the Himalayan mountains and varies in colour from shades of pink to deep red.

Himalayan salt is an increasingly popular choice both in culinary use and in beauty and spa products. The Salt Seller not only offers Himalayan food salt but a range of bath salts, deodorant stones, massage pebbles and body oils too.

For more details visit www.thesaltseller.co.uk

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n Vegan sHoes NAE: NO ANIMAL EXPLOITATION Portugal-based NAE offer stylish men’s and women’s footwear.

As well as being animal-free, all their products are made with concern for the environment and workers’ rights and the vast majority are manufactured in Portugal.

The range includes smart heels and stylish casual shoes and boots for women, sleek and comfy men’s shoes and walking boots.

For more details visit www.nae-vegan.com

Donegal Veg Members: Julia, Fiona, Piotr, and Tejas

V

enture foods (www.seriouslyvegan.co.uk and www.seriouslyorganic.co.uk) provided the Donegal Veg group with free products to taste at their last group meeting. The products included Geo Organics Thai Green, Madras, and Korma curry pastes, Apple, Apricot and Ginger chutney, Worcestershire Sauce, and Agave Dark Dessert Syrup. All products are organic and vegan. Also included in the sample pack were various types of chocolate bars, which are all vegan and organic as well. These included the Vegan Golden Coconut & Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Nougat & Dark Chocolate bars, the Vegan Diets White Bar, Couverture Bar with Raisins & Almonds, and the Chocolate Couverture Bar as an alternative to milk chocolate. All products are also non-GM and gluten free.

The group rated each product on a 1 to 10 scale and included short descriptions of their impression of each. It was unanimously agreed that the best product was the Apple, Apricot and Ginger Chutney while the least enjoyed product was the Worcestershire Sauce.

Korma Curry Paste – 7/10, Fiona and Julia both commented that it was good but a bit bland. Tejas and Piotr thought it was good as well.

SAUCES Apple, Apricot, and Ginger Chutney – 10/10, unanimously the best product in the tasting! We will all be making a trip to the health food store to stock up on this one. Fiona commented that it was “really good; I could quite happily eat the entire jar!” Julia awarded the chutney “5 stars!”

Worcestershire Sauce – 5/10, this was definitely not a group favourite. Piotr felt that it tasted a bit like vinegar while Julia commented that it was “nice but very light. Like a very mild soy sauce.”

Agave Dark Dessert Syrup – 9/10, the syrup was used in coffee and tea as an alternative to sugar. Julia proclaimed that it was “nice and rich! I will definitely buy this again.”

CURRY PASTES Piotr commented that he liked “the variety of pastes, each for a different occasion. The curry pastes taste and look good.” All group members suggest that the pastes are excellent with pieces of onions and might be even more enjoyable with peppers, carrots and other fresh vegetables. Each paste was cooked using chickpeas and onions and included coconut milk as per the jar instructions.

The best part about the curry pastes is that they can be made according to taste whether one likes it spicy or mild.

General instructions are given on each jar.

COUVERTURE BARS White Bar – 7/10, Tejas commented that it is “a little too sweet but still very good.” Piotr said just one word, “wonderful!”

Raisin & Almonds Bar – 9/10, Piotr commented that “this is the best”.

Julia added that “the nut pieces are particularly nice and add a great texture to the chocolate.”

Chocolate Bar – 6/10, the group had mixed feelings on this one. Julia commented that it is a bit too sweet while Tejas and Piotr declared that it is “very good.” It was not a favourite for Fiona as she felt that “it tasted like cooking chocolate.”

The good news is that Venture Foods is one more company making delicious products that vegans can enjoy. Whether you know how to cook or not, these products will definitely make life easier and can be shared with your non-vegan family and friends. They are also quite versatile and we are sure you will find a favourite among them. The company is also a supporter of fair trade and organic practices making them an ethically conscious company and a good buy.

We hope you enjoy tasting them as much as we did!

CHOCOLATE BARS Piotr stated that these two bars are the perfect size to carry on trips, “I have used them often while travelling.

They are both excellent and delicious.”

The Golden Coconut & Dark Chocolate bar was the favourite out of the two.

Thai Green Curry Paste – 8/10, Fiona commented that the paste was “tasty.

I had never eaten Thai before and enjoyed it.”

Vegan Golden Coconut & Dark Chocolate bar – 9/10, Tejas labelled the bar simply as “very good” while Julia agreed and added that she “loved the coconut pieces inside.”

Madras Curry Paste – 9/10, a group favourite, Julia commented that it is” absolutely delicious!”

Vegan Hazelnut Nougat & Dark Chocolate bar – 8/10, Fiona said that “it is very good. Lovely taste and quite creamy.”

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Environmental

impact of vegan versus conventional diets in the UK Stephen Walsh

I

t has long been recognised that vegans need less land, water and energy to meet their dietary needs. It is also increasingly recognised that vegan diets cause less global warming impact.

However, quantifying how much less is not straightforward as it requires a lot of information on the impact of different foods.

In 2006, a ÂŁ400,000 study sponsored

by DEFRA reported on the environmental impact of agricultural and horticultural commodities produced in the UK1. The results have since been slightly updated and the latest spreadsheets (last updated in 2007) are available from the authors.

The analysis that follows is based on these updated figures.

This DEFRA study provides a solid reference point for examining the environmental impact of different diets in the UK. The strengths of the study include: the breadth of products considered using a consistent approach; the focus on the UK; and the wide range of environmental impacts considered.

The DEFRA study calculated the impacts associated with a given quantity of selected products at the farm gate. DEFRA also publish figures for the annual supply of the same products (including imports) going back to 1985.2 I combined these two sources of information with figures for UK population to get an estimate of the total greenhouse gas impact of livestock consumption per person in the UK from 1985 to 2007, measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents per year (on a 100 year horizon).

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The modest dip in the early 1990s was due to a drop in consumption of beef.

To get to a realistic comparison of the impact of various diets, we need to express the consumption of each food in terms of calories as when substituting one food for another we should keep the total number of calories the same.

There is good data available from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the mix of foods available in the UK up to 20033.

The FAO data is for supplied calories rather than consumed calories which are much lower due to food wastage.

Total food calories per person per day in the UK for 2003 were 3450 kCal. The DEFRA reports1,2 consider each major type of meat (pig, cow, sheep and chicken) separately, allowing the impact of variations in the type of meat consumed to be considered.

I matched the percentage of calories from each animal food to the FAO supply figures as closely as possible.

Some adjustment was needed to attribute calories reported as non-dairy animal fats to specific meat products.

The main plant foods for human consumption considered in the Williams et al report1 were potatoes, bread wheat and British grown tomatoes (a very untypical high-impact plant food due to the use of heated greenhouses).

Fortunately, soya and rapeseed were included as animal feeds as part of their analysis of animal products.

As rapeseed is produced mainly as an oil crop, all the impact of the rapeseed is attributed to the oil in my analysis.

Overall plant food consumption was represented by a mix of soya, rapeseed, wheat and potatoes rather than following the more detailed breakdown in the FAO statistics. Wheat use directly matched the FAO figures; rapeseed oil matched total vegetable oil and nut use; 10% of calories in the vegan diet were attributed to soya; and the balance of calories was attributed to potatoes.

The figures may slightly underestimate the benefits of a vegan diet as the DEFRA data2 may miss some imported processed meats and the Williams et al report1 does not quantify the impact of fish, which provides about 1% of UK calories. Also the impact of animal use on deforestation and other land use change was not considered.

Meat processing and storage may be more energy intensive than plant food processing and storage. On the other hand, a less basic vegan diet including foods grown in heated greenhouses or transported by air would offer much less benefit in terms of global warming, though it should still have advantages in terms of land use.

Food

This simplification of the plant part of the diet is unlikely to have distorted the results as there is relatively little variation in the impacts of different field-grown unprocessed plant foods per calorie: sugar appears to have a lower impact than potatoes while fruit and vegetables have a higher impact.

Conventionally grown foods are used in the analysis that follows as these are much more common than organically grown foods. The main difference for organic food in the DEFRA report is a higher arable land requirement due to lower crop yields.

The fraction of calories contributed by each food to each of the diets that I analysed is shown in the table above.

Greenhouse gas impacts are usually calculated in terms of CO2 equivalents over a 100 year horizon but if we are more concerned with the immediate future then a 20 year horizon is more appropriate.

Replacing cow and sheep meat with poultry and pig meat leads to significant reductions in land requirements and in greenhouse gas impacts. Replacing all meats with dairy products also leads to a significant decrease, though dairy has limited advantage over poultry and pig meat and indeed is worse in terms of short-term global warming effect.

A more typical lacto-vegetarian diet with about 15% of calories from dairy products shows more advantage over a conventional UK diet, while a vegan diet has the lowest environmental demands of all.

Based on the DEFRA report1, a vegan diet based entirely on organic foods would have little or no advantage in land use over a conventional UK diet but would in other respects have similar advantages to a conventionally grown vegan diet. Some other reports give more favourable results for organic farming and veganorganic methods may give different results to conventional organic methods.

Overall, producing a basic vegan diet has about a third of the resource demands and global warming impact of a conventional diet – a substantial advantage, particularly in terms of land requirements as human food production dominates land use.

The key results are shown in the table right. Impacts are measured in terms of land and water requirements and in terms of the global warming effect measured in kg of CO2 equivalents. It should be noted that the figures in the second table are based on the production of food and do not include food transport, abattoirs, bakeries, packaging, shops or refrigeration and cooking at home. Production and transport of animal feeds is included.

1 Williams A.G. et al. Determining the environmental burdens and resource use in the production of agricultural and horticultural commodities. Main Report. Defra Research Project IS0205. Bedford: Cranfield University and Defra; 2006. http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=IS0205_3959_FRP.doc (accessed 28 September 2009).

2 Agriculture in the UK 2008 – Tables and Charts: Tables 5.13-5.17 and table 5.19) https://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/publications/auk/2008/excel.asp (accessed 28 September 2009) 3 FAOSTAT Food Balance Sheets (UK, 2003 selected) http://faostat.fao.org/site/368/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=368 (accessed 28 September 2009) Note: Stephen's figures have already been used by The Times on 27 October.

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CHestnUt Pate en CroUte Rose Elliot Serves 4-6 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 celery sticks, chopped 2 medium onions, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 x 240g cans vacuum-packed whole chestnuts 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons lemon juice A few breadcrumbs, optional, see recipe Salt and freshly ground black pepper 350g packet ready-rolled frozen puff pastry Preheat the oven to 200oC (Fan 180oC), 400o F, Gas 6.

Heat the oil and fry the onions, celery and garlic gently for about 10 minutes, until soft.

Remove from the heat. Add the chestnuts, mashing them with a potato masher to make a mixture that will hold together. (If it is a bit sloppy because the onions and celery produced some liquid when frying - add a few breadcrumbs to firm it up as necessary).

Add the soy sauce and lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Leave to cool.

Lay the pastry out on a flat baking sheet. Spoon the chestnut mixture onto the centre, heaping it up into a loaf shape. Wrap the pastry around it to completely encase it. Arrange on the baking sheet with the seam side underneath. Press the edges together and trim off excess pastry. Cut leaves or decorations from spare pastry, brush with cold water and place on top of the pastry. Make 3 steamholes on the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown, crisp and flaky. Serve at once with vegan gravy, red currant jelly and horseradish sauce.

Rose Elliot MBE is Britain’s foremost vegetarian cookery writer and her books have won her popular acclaim all over the world. She has written over 60 books, including Vegan Feasts, and is a frequent contributor to national magazines, radio and TV as well as giving cookery demonstrations throughout the UK. For more about Rose, her books and recipes, see her website, www.roseelliot.com Christmas recipe from THE HEALTHY VEGAN DVD Available from www.thehealthyvegandvd.com 37 recipes with Rose Elliot, Tony Bishop-Weston and John Bayley.

Produced by WDF Productions.

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bUtternUt sQUasH, sHallot & bUtterbean Casserole witH Herbed dUmPlings Serves 4 Cost per serving: ÂŁ1.05 Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 1hour 20 minutes 1 medium butternut squash (approx 600-800 g), cut into 2.5 cm chunks (leave the skin on for added texture) 12 shallots, peeled and left whole 6 sage leaves, roughly chopped 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 heaped tbsp flour 175 ml white wine 1 tin butterbeans, drained and rinsed 400 ml vegetable stock 2 tbsp sundried tomato paste

For the dumplings: 200 g self raising flour 100 g vegan suet 2 tsp dried mixed herbs Salt and freshly ground black pepper 5-8 tbsp cold water

Place the butternut squash and shallots in a roasting tin along with the olive oil, sage leaves and a good grind of pepper and salt to taste. Roast in a hot oven (220°C/Gas 7) for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are tinged with colour at the edges.

Whilst the squash and shallots are cooking make the dumplings by combining all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add enough cold water to bring it together to make a soft dough. Shape the dough into 8 small balls and set aside.

When the squash and shallots are cooked, remove from the oven and turn the temperature down to 180°C/Gas 4.

Add the flour to the roasting tin, stirring to coat the vegetables and soak up all the roasting juices. Add the garlic and white wine to the roasting tin, scraping the bottom to release all the sticky caramelized bits.

Transfer to an oven proof casserole and add the beans, sundried tomato paste and enough vegetable stock to cover the vegetables.

Give everything a good stir, bring to the boil and cover.

Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the casserole form the oven and carefully add the dumplings so they float on the surface. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes until the dumplings are crispy on the outside and fluffy and cooked through on the inside.

Serve immediately. Mashed potato and green beans would work well as an accompaniment.

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COOkiNg VEgaN ThE CaRibbEaN Way

COCONUT TURNOVERS

By Taymer Mason Summer is long gone and the colder weather is drawing in. If you can’t make it to the tropics, why not bring the passion and sizzle of vegan Caribbean cuisine into your home? Imagine your kitchen filled with bold colours, mouthwatering flavours, and dishes that range from sweet to spicy and everything in between.

In the English-speaking Caribbean, meals are a potpourri of flavours and textures influenced by Amerindian, African and European traditions. If you want to try your hand at cooking authentic Caribbean food whilst staying true to your vegan palate, here is a delicious and easy recipe to get you started.

Coconuts are a popular and widely used fruit in traditional Caribbean cuisine.

The juice from young coconuts can be added to cakes or used to make cocktails by mixing it with spirits. The cream from the milk of mature coconuts can be used as a base for home-made ice cream, or as a stock for cooking rice.

Coconut turnovers are a popular afternoon snack in Barbados. These sweet dough buns, filled with a delicious coconut mixture and baked to perfection, will be a hit at your next vegan get-together or picnic.

Serving size: 8 large or 16 small Preparation time: 2 ½ hours 480 g flour 56 g soft brown sugar 115 g non-hydrogenated margarine 250 ml soya milk, warm 2 tsp active yeast 1 tsp salt 400 g desiccated coconut 200 g (less if preferred) soft brown or granulated sugar 1½ tsp almond essence Sugar and water mixture (to brush dough) Handful of large grain sugar, such as Turbinado, Demerara or Barbados sugar (for sprinkling on the top) Mix yeast with warm soya milk and sugar to activate, then leave the mixture for approximately 10 minutes, after which it should have risen significantly and have a foamy texture.

Sieve the flour and salt. Rub margarine into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the yeast mixture. Knead dough well until it is smooth and leaves the side of the bowl clean. Turn onto a floured board and knead well.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and set in a warm place for approximately one hour, until it has risen to twice the size. Mix coconut, sugar and almond essence to make the filling, and stir for five minutes until the sugar has merged with the coconut. The mixture will begin to moisten; set it aside.

Prepare the dough by cutting it into 8 or 16 equal pieces. Roll out each piece on a floured board and spoon 4-5 tbs (if making 8 turnovers) of filling onto the dough. Bring the ends together and press tightly so that the filling stays inside the roll. Form the dough into the shape of mini loaves.

Preheat oven to 220C or 350F. Place the uncooked turnovers in two greased loaf pans and leave to rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Brush the unbaked turnovers with a mixture of sugar and water, and then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15 minutes and then brush them with sugar and water again. Bake for an additional 6 -8 minutes, then leave to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Turnovers last a maximum of 2 days when stored at room temperature.

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Answers to Some of Those

Tricky Questions/Challenges

Have you ever been asked a tricky question and not been able to respond coherently?

Here are some suggested answers to help you out: This animal was dead before I started eating it But you created the demand for its death.

If no-one ate meat, no animals would be killed and sold for their meat.

We are able to make a moral choice, so let’s exercise it.

The following questions use some speciesist language as they are presented as they would be asked. We have however, tried to Eating use nonmeat is natural Human beings are omnivores and don’t speciesist need to kill other beings in order to live language in healthily - eating meat is no more the answers. natural than not eating meat.

There is nothing wrong with eating meat and dairy The meat and dairy industry is a major contributor to climate change, pollution, world hunger and animal suffering, I would say that is wrong.

But the Bible gives us dominion over animals Most Christians do not believe that everything in the Old Testament is literally true, however, even among fundamentalist Christians, there is a lot of debate over what is meant by dominion, which could equally be a command to care for non-human animals rather than use them as commodities.

(Either way, this argument carries no weight with atheists, agnostics and people of other religions.)

Why do you think animals have rights?

If a being can feel pain and experience suffering, they should not be deliberately made to suffer. A bird has a higher level of consciousness than a new born human baby. If we want to give rights to human babies and want to be consistent, we must extend rights to all sentient beings.

People are starving in the world; isn’t it more important to help humans rather than animals?

Firstly, humans are animals and it is possible to help both human and non-human animals. Furthermore, a vegan diet requires a lot less land and water to support it than a non-vegan one and therefore veganism could be a solution to the problem of feeding a growing world population with the limited resources that the Earth has to offer.

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I like meat and dairy I might like the car my neighbour drives, but that desire isn’t a sound moral basis for stealing it. The fact that we desire something does not give us the right to act upon that desire. Most vegans used to like meat too but they decided to boycott this cruel industry.

What would happen to all of the farmed animals if everyone became vegan?

We only have high numbers of farmed animals because we artificially breed them.

The world wouldn’t become vegan overnight - the meat, dairy and egg industries would gradually decline. This would enable farmers to reduce the number of animals they breed as demand falls. When everyone is vegan, no more farmed animals will be bred for food, and the few remaining ones can be left to live out the rest of their natural life.

What would happen to livestock farmers and the fishing industry if everyone became vegan?

The economy is constantly changing, and we are always finding new ways to adapt. Typewriter manufacturers lost their jobs when the personal computer became popular – but look at how many jobs the computer industry has now created. If everyone became vegan, there would still be an abundance of jobs for farmers: growing fruit, vegetables and grains, or alternatively, farmers can be offered training in another profession.

I only eat meat, eggs and dairy from animals that do not suffer as a result.

Unfortunately, all farming of animals involves cruelty. The animals are selectively bred and even if they are not artificially inseminated, they are deprived of many of their natural behaviours, such as raising their own young. Removing a newborn calf from their mother is distressing for both animals, and the male calf will either be shot as a waste product or killed for veal when he is still very young.

Most free-range animals also undergo procedures such as castration without anaesthetic, dehorning, and beak trimming.

I like to see farmed animals in the countryside.

In a vegan world, there would be more habitat for wildlife. Wouldn’t you prefer to look at healthy wildlife rather than selectively We need calcium for healthy bones and teeth. bred farmed animals? In a vegan world, birds Yes, but you can get this from green leafy vegetables, oranges, and other wildlife would increase in almonds and fortified foods such as many soya milks. You can also add calcium numbers as their woodland and to home-made foods such as bread and pancakes. Bone health is about much more parkland habitat returned. than calcium. Vegans generally consume lots of fruits, vegetables, roots and beans which all contain potassium and help to reduce calcium loss.

Vitamins D and K also play a role, as does physical activity.

Ever heard of natural selection?

Yes. It is where the living organism that is best fitted to its environment will survive in the struggle for life and pass down its genes to its offspring (whilst others perish); thus continuing those successful characteristics. It is not a moral guideline or framework. If it were, we would not give glasses to the short-sighted, medicine to the ill, or protection to the weak.

Don’t vegans have a very restricted diet?

Far from being restrictive, vegans can eat mouth-watering foods from all over the world - from India, vegetable curries and dhals; from East Asia, tofu stir fries; from Italy pastas and salads; from Turkey, hummus and babaganoush; and from Mexico beans and tortillas … the list goes on!

Isn’t it better to eat locally produced meat than imported soya?

People often think that farmed animals just naturally forage for food in the fields; this is rarely the case. Most are fed on prepared feed often containing imported soya or maize. Small scale, organic, free-range meat production could not feed the world’s population; there is simply not enough land for this type of agriculture.

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APE

By John Sorenson, Published by Reaktion Books, ISBN 978 1 86189 422 9 Price: £9-99 Reviewed by Paul Appleby With more than 25 titles already published in Reaktion Books’ Animal series it is surprising that we have had to wait until now for a book about our closest animal relations.

Although each species of non-human ape (bonobos, chimpanzees, gibbons, gorillas and orang-utans) could have merited a book of their own, the author chooses to regard apes as a whole, reflecting their similarities and close kinship with humans (to whom chimpanzees are 99.4% identical in functionally important DNA).

Close though their genetic relationship may be, humans have had at best an ambivalent attitude to apes, often regarding them as objects of derision or ferocious monsters to be hunted and killed.

Only in the past 50 years have apes become the subject of serious scientific study with primatologists such as Jane Goodall and the late Dian Fossey helping to foster a greater appreciation and understanding of these remarkable creatures. Although more enlightened attitudes have led to the founding of campaign groups such as the International Primate Protection League and the Great Ape Project (which seeks to extend basic ‘human’ rights to apes), and the creation of sanctuaries such as Monkey World in Dorset, apes are still experimented on, exhibited in zoos, safari parks, circuses and tourist hotels, trafficked for the illegal pet trade, hunted for bush-meat in Africa, and suffer loss of habitat through logging and palm oil production.

All of this is chronicled in Ape, making the book informative but depressing reading.

John Sorenson is a Professor of Sociology at Brock University in Canada where he teaches Critical Animal Studies. In Ape it is clear where his sympathies lie, pointing out that “all non-human apes are under threat, some critically endangered, and it is an open question as to whether they will avoid extinction caused by the most violent apes of all, humans”. We must hope that the book’s concluding chapter, entitled Extinction, is not prophetic.

Other chapters describe the natural history of apes and our attitudes towards them, and apes in captivity, in art and film, and as models for human behaviour. Despite a tendency to blur the distinction between apes and monkeys (a separate primate family), John Sorenson has written a compelling book with a clear message. f apes are to survive in the wild we are going to have to put selfinterest aside and treat them with the same care and respect as we show towards our human relatives. Their future is in our hands.

Some relevant internet links: Reaktion Books (www.reaktionbooks.co.uk) Great Ape Project (www.greatapeproject.org) International Primate Protection League (www.ippl-uk.org) The Ape Alliance (an international coalition of ape conservation and welfare groups;www.4apes.com)

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HOW IT ALL VEGAN!

By Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer Published by Grub Street ISBN: 978-1-906502-07-2 Price: £9.99 Reviewed by Charley Roberts You may be asking “Haven’t I seen this one before?” Well, sort of – this is a new UK edition with recipe ingredients and measurements translated into British, and a new-look cover.

Think lots of filling, though not unhealthy, ‘comfort food’ dishes with inventive combinations of ingredients that don’t take hours to prepare. This collection covers a whole range of savoury and sweet recipes, including plenty of cookies and sweet pies as you might expect from North American authors.

In the introduction, the authors describe their own journeys to veganism and offer tips on adopting a vegan lifestyle which may be of interest to new vegans or those considering veganism.

Not all of the nutritional information in this book is accurate, particularly in relation to vitamin B12. However, the references to honey so prevalent in the first edition have largely been removed.

Content-wise this edition is the same as the first, so if you already own this book there’s no need to buy it again. If you didn’t catch it the first time round, now’s your chance to find out what you missed!

WHY ANIMAL SUFFERING MATTERS: PHILOSOPHY, THEOLOGY, AND PRACTICAL ETHICS

By Andrew Linzey Published by Oxford University Press ISBN: 978-0-19-537977-8 Price: £16.99 Reviewed by Georgina Lea An argument made by many is that nonhuman animals are inferior, and therefore, harming them cannot be considered to be as morally wrong as harming human beings. In this new book, Andrew Linzey reviews the evidence for this common assumption and offers a response, citing references from Aristotle to Chomsky to support his claims. His view is informed and balanced, providing examples and quotes from the fields of religion, philosophy, and ethics.

After exploring six of the perceived differences between humans and animals – including the opinion that non-human animals are “natural slaves” and linguistically deficient - Linzey goes on to examine some controversial practices. Fox hunting, fur farming, and commercial sealing are each covered in thorough case studies, with in-depth findings summarised in key points at the end of each chapter.

Why Animal Suffering Matters offers a broad, engaging argument on an important, complex issue. Linzey writes his theory with knowledge and clarity, making this book accessible for newcomers as well as those who are already familiar with Linzey’s work.

THE 30 MINUTE VEGAN: OVER 175 QUICK, DELICIOUS, AND HEALTHY RECIPES FOR EVERYDAY COOKING

By Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray Published by Da Capo Lifelong Books ISBN-10: 0-7382-1327-6 ISBN-13: 978-0-7382-1327-9 Price: £10.99 Reviewed by Amanda Baker I leapt at the chance to review this book - I am always seeking quick, delicious and healthy recipes to fuel my active vegan lifestyle. The authors Reinfeld and Murray are experienced vegan chefs and cookbook writers - and that shines through in their book.

The recipes range from smoothies and salads, to soups and comfort foods. Many recipes are cooked, but some are raw or with raw options. The “Getting Started” and “Preparation Basics” sections, and the “Quicker and Easier” and “If You Have More Time” information boxes which are peppered through the book, are full of helpful tips. So this cookbook is very suitable both for novices, and for more experienced cooks.

You will however need to plan ahead, and spend time doing shopping, to be able to complete all these recipes in 30 minutes. Several of the ingredients - such as fresh Kaffir Lime leaves, and fresh papaya - are not cupboard staples here in the UK. But I particularly enjoyed the punchy combination of wasabi with both fresh and pickled gingers in their Japanese Soba Noodle Bowl.

VEGAN YUM YUM: DECADENT (BUT DOABLE) ANIMALFREE RECIPES FOR ENTERTAINING AND EVERYDAY

By Lauren Ulm ISBN: 978-0757313806 Publisher: Health Communications Price: RRP £15.99 Reviewed by Charley Roberts Fans of Vegan with a Vengeance and Veganomicon will love this new recipe collection from Lauren Ulm, the creator of the awardwinning food blog veganyumyum.com.

Packed with tasty recipes for main dishes, appetisers, breakfast and brunch, baked goods, desserts and more, the recipes are all illustrated with colour photos which will leave you feeling hungry before you can decide what to cook first!

The recipes are creative without being excessively complicated and many can be prepared in under 30 minutes.

Recipes include stuffed banana berry French toast, lemon cranberry muffins, sweet chilli lime tofu, onigiri, sesame ginger seitan dumplings, creamy sweet potato bake, golden chickpea and artichoke salad, African yam stew, fettucine with spinach and cranberries, minature baked doughnuts and cherry trifles.

The book aims to provide vegans with “fantastic recipes they can serve to their friends and family with pride” and demonstrate to non-vegans that delicious and appetising vegan food can appeal to everyone. In my opinion it certainly succeeds - I would recommend this book as a great present for both vegan and non-vegan foodie friends. I love the author’s sentiment that, “you can be the best cook your family and friends know, and not in spite of you being vegan – but because you are”.

Check out the blog at http://veganyumyum.com

THE ANIMAL ACTIVIST’S HANDBOOK

By Matt Ball of Vegan Outreach and Bruce Friedrich of PeTA Published by: Lantern Books ISBN-13: 978-1-59056-120-1 ISBN-10: 1-59056-120-1 Price: $15 Available from http://animaladvocacybook.com/ and other outlets Reviewed by Rob Jackson There is a large emphasis in this book on what it is to lead a meaningful life. The authors assert that this is achieved by devoting yourself to the greater good. For them, to have meaning we must strive to make the world a better place.

It is difficult to find fault with this sentiment. However their suggestions for achieving this are slightly more controversial, at least in the vegan world.

They follow the application of utilitarianism, hoping to show that to be effective animal advocates we must focus on the worst of the animal (ab)use industries. They suggest that we must ask ourselves how can we put our limited time, money and resources to best use? Coupled with their analysis of human psychology which can be resistant to change they suggest encouraging people to do what they can, even if they will not consider veganism.

What I like most about this book is the insistence that to be effective we must concentrate on having ‘thoughtful conversations with people, rather than monologues at them’; it is in dialogue that we can really connect with and influence each other. There is also valid emphasis on making sure the claims we make are adequately backed up.

The book is full of useful and interesting anecdotes, suggestions, ideas, examples and case studies. It is written in an easy to read style so that at times I felt I was flying through it. Well worth a read even if you don’t agree with everything in it.

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n EaT yOUR aRT OUT On Saturday 5th September 2009, six community groups in Coventry were asked to create an edible sculpture based on their interpretation of the city with artist Prudence Emma Staite. Green Garden Café, a non-profit vegan business, were one of the groups that took part in the project.

The group chose Peace and Reconciliation as their theme. Rather than depicting a dove, the traditional symbol of peace, they used bagels to create a swan, reflecting the Swanswell Park in Coventry.

The three spires and the cathedral ruins were made out of carrot cake, coconut rings, rice cakes and cookie mix, safely ensconced in the swans’ wings. The swan’s tail was made from dark and white chocolate, depicting two hands to represent the diverse communities living together in Coventry.

n aNimalS aSia fOUNdaTiON bEaR SaNCTUaRy This is Loveykins: happily settled into her new home at the Animals Asia Foundation Bear Sanctuary in China after years of captivity in a tiny cage (where she could not move about) and regular painful bile extractions.

Animals Asia Foundation has rescued 271 bears across China and Vietnam. If you want to find out more about their work visit their website: www.animalsasia.org or phone them on: 01579 347148.

n OpEN Call fOR SUbmiSSiONS TO ThE gREEN lifESTylE film fESTiVal If you or anyone you know has a film to submit to the first vegan based International film festival, please go to the following website for details: http://www.greenlifestylefilmfestival.com Submissions are welcomed from everywhere in the world until 1 December 2009.

n Vfl Vegetarian for Life (VfL) have launched a new healthy-living handbook for older vegetarians and vegans. It offers advice on subjects such as: a positive approach to retirement, simple tips to sharpen wits, housing and care, diet and cookery, and it includes a section of ‘easy recipes-for-one’. For a free copy please contact: www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk 0151 608 1595

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Coventry is a Fairtrade city, and the Green Garden Café has recently been awarded Fairtrade status. All of the food was prepared by the group, and the vegan and Fairtrade logos were etched on edible paper.

The food board was covered in calves made from sweets to remember Jill Phipps, a local woman who lost her life protesting against live animal exports in 1995. The calves were chequered to show the 2-Tone musical heritage of the city.

Dyed red coconut was used as a base covering for the board, illustrating the lives of slaughtered animals. A rainbow calf and cow represented the idea of a better world that could exist for animals.

When the gastronomic sculpture was complete, the six groups involved and members of the general public came together to eat the food and learn about the meanings behind the food boards.

The project was fun for all involved, including group members Richard Easterlow, Sole Iriart, Cathy Scott, John Curtain, and Bianca-Cherie Hunt.

Green Garden Cafe also run the volunteer-focused Open Hands Community Vegan Café, which runs every Tuesday from 12-3pm.

For more information contact Green Garden Cafe: cathy@greengardencafe.co.uk www.greengardencafe.co.uk

n ObiTUaRy

n VEgaN RUNNERS

We are sorry to report the death of Mrs Margaret Woolford on 3 October after a short illness. She was aged 79 years.

The Robin Hood event in Nottingham took place on 13 September and was the highlight for the team this quarter. With a large crowd lining the last 100 metres, vegan runners certainly gave veganism good recognition.

Margaret was a spiritualist, a humanitarian, and, for much of her life, a vegan. She lived a very active life and over the last forty years or so she spent much of her time and energy promoting the various causes dear to her heart. In the early 1980s she became one of the first Local Contacts for The Vegan Society, covering the Bristol area. She became very well known as a campaigner for veganism, global human rights and animal welfare, and built up a personal network of worldwide contacts, who will greatly miss her.

As Margaret’s body was donated to the medical school at Bristol University, in accordance with her express wishes, there was no funeral. Our sympathies and condolences go to her husband Ernest, who will be arranging a Memorial Service for family and her many friends.

In the marathon we were led home by Mick Morgan of Doncaster in 3 hours 30.37, next Andy Harper finished in 3 hours 43.

Anna Finn finished in 4 hours 08. James Millington finished in 4.36.37.

Peter Simpson ran the half marathon in 1.33.37. Clare Coombs managed 1.41.42. For more pictures visit the blog under September http://veganrunnersuk.blogspot.com.

Anna Finn’s most demanding event was over the summer, the day/night Ridgeway run, covering the whole distance from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to Wiltshire, a distance of 86+ miles, Anna’s longest distance to date. As you would expect it was tough with Anna finishing in 21 hours 11 minutes and 5th female. For a full report and her other marathon activities visit her blog http://annakatfinn.blogspot.com .

Peter Simpson Club Secretary Vegan Runners UK E-mail: veganrunners@talktalk.net Website: www.veganrunners.makessense.co.uk Blog: http://veganrunnersuk.blogspot.com 01908 503919 / 07967 589663

n STOCkfREE ORgaNiC agRiCUlTURE - ThE NEXT STagE Vegan-Organic Network (VON) and the Vegan Society have often collaborated to further the cause of animal free agriculture. Now VON has a new project to develop a Network of Stockfree Organic Centres. Stockfree is the term used for commercial vegan-organic farming and growing.

Since the Stockfree Organic Standards were published by VON in 2004, 40 stockfree farms have been added to VON’s Directory. All successful and some among the most highly respected in the organic fraternity. Over the coming 5 years, VON will select appropriate centres from these and help them to develop educational facilities including courses, open days, apprenticeships, and more. These will be linked to local agricultural colleges where possible. For example, with VON’s active participation, Glyndwr University now has a Foundation Degree in organic horticulture management, with Stockfree Organic production systems and standards as a strong central element of their programme, linked in to the Stock Free Organic certified market garden situated at the University’s Flintshire campus.

All this will hasten the day when truly animal free food will be available to all.

To find out more about VON see the Grow Vegan article page 35 For further information about the Network of Organic of Stockfree Organic Centres please contact: David Graham 0161 860 4869 email david.graham330@googlemail.com Interested in the foundation degree course? See Undergraduate Courses - Organic Horticultural Management at www.glyndwr.ac.uk or contact VON.

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Tobias

Vegan Ghent Rosamund Raha

Having heard so much about the Belgian city of Ghent’s Veggie Thursday, I couldn’t resist a short holiday there with my husband Neil.

A

s well as having beautiful architecture and places of interest we found that the city had three vegan restaurants plus several vegetarian cafes including Tasty World which served three of the most delicious vegan burgers we had ever tasted (wholemeal seeded bap stuffed with grated carrot, green leaves, vegan mayonnaise, vegan ketchup and a choice of homemade burger). The vegan restaurants are called: Komkommertijd, Avalon and Lekka GEC and they all serve excellent vegan food every day of the week.

While in Ghent we met up with Tobias and some other people connected to EVA (Ethical Vegetarian Alternative) who had been the main movers in persuading Ghent Council to introduce the veggie day every week for the sake of the environment.

Tobias said that the Council had been looking to introduce new ‘green’ policies and after talks with EVA they

soon came to realise that a meat-free day once a week was a policy that they could easily introduce to significantly decrease the city’s eco footprint.

EVA have made a map of all of the restaurants that serve vegetarian food in Ghent on a Thursday: http://www.vegetarisme.be/index.php? option=com_content&view=article&id= 9&Itemid=99

Neil

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WANTED 10 VEGANS FOR ECO Apartments in Reading UK ÂŁ700 per month NO BILLS Excluding Telephone Tel: 0118 9875234 EM: michael@waterhousesolarhomes.co.uk Skype: telepathicmichael

Christine Mackay

WINTER IN THE VEGANORGANIC GARDEN

F

or most people who have an allotment or vegetable garden, winter is a more restful time.

However, I find as a vegan-organic gardener, there is always something to get on with even during the shortest days of winter. I have a passion for composting and all year round spend a lot of time processing various types of plant material and waste paper.

During the winter I cut down Jerusalem artichoke stems and chop them up to mulch the raspberry bed. Fruit bushes and trees can also be pruned during the winter and many other withered plants need chopping or pulling up – all food for the compost heap!

If you do not have a compost heap, winter is a good time to get one started. The easiest way to do this is to use reclaimed pallets, which can be collected from your local garden centre or builder’s merchant.

Three pallets can be nailed together to form a large box with a final pallet tied to the front as a ‘door’. Wire mesh can be tacked to the inside of the pallets to hold the compost material in place.

You can compost pretty much everything, with the exception of brassica (the cabbage family) roots as these may be infected with club root, a common cause of stunted growth in cabbages, broccoli and some kales. It is also not a good idea to put cooked food on the heap as this attracts rats and can make the heap too acid.

Grow Vegan Puzzler Question; which plant is a valuable aid to composting?

Send your answer on a postcard to: The Vegan Society (address on page 1) by 5 January 2010 The winner receives the beautifully illustrated book: Vegan Recipes The answer to the Autumn Grow Vegan Puzzler is: The Pea Family The winner is Bettie Chaplin

In vegan-organic gardening as little as possible is wasted so that as many nutrients as possible are returned to the soil to reduce the need for using bought composts, of which vegan-organic versions can be difficult and expensive to come by.

Pernicious weeds such as creeping thistle, docks, couch grass and dandelions have root systems that draw up many nutrients from the soil. By composting these plants this valuable fertility is returned to the earth.

In order to accelerate the composting process and ensure that the weeds do not continue to grow, I fix black plastic sheets or bags to the sides of the compost heap to block out light and increase heat. Once the compost heap is full, the top is also covered with plastic and then it is left for a full year or more to break down. For this reason, and if space allows, it is a good idea to have at least three compost heaps – one that is being filled, one that is being harvested and one that is covered and ‘cooking’.

I also have a leaf mould compost heap.

Leaves are excellent for improving soil structure and good to add to the soil before planting potatoes. I add grass cuttings and waste paper to leaves to improve the structure and fertility of the resultant leaf mould.

Russian comfrey is a valuable aid to composting as it adds nitrogen to the heap and helps to accelerate the composting process.

The roots of comfrey are very deep and readily become established from sections of root planted at any time of year. Using root donated by organic allotment neighbours, I have planted a strip of comfrey along one side of my allotment and this produces three crops of leaves during the season which can be used in numerous ways - to make liquid feed, added to compost heaps or chopped and scattered around or below crops to provide slow release nutrients. If you decide to buy comfrey the recommended cultivar is Bocking 14 which is sterile and therefore will not spread and become established where it is not wanted.

You can never have too much compost as its use helps to protect the soil from erosion and retain moisture. If you are using vegetable waste, make sure to always add dry stuff like straw or shredded cardboard or paper to ensure that the heap does not get too slimy.

A healthy compost heap will have a thriving colony of worms, fungi, woodlice and a myriad of other tiny creatures. During the winter these compost eaters retreat deep into the heap and the composting process slows down but never really stops. So get busy composting this winter and enjoy the fruits of your labours in the years to come.

Resources Fertilisers, etc that are animal free are listed in the Organic Gardening Catalogue www.organiccatalogue.com 0845 130 252707 There is plenty of interest in vegan-organics in North America, see www.goveganic.net 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 twiceyearly 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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VEgaN EVENT iN iRElaNd

liNkiNg VEgaNS iN liNCOlNShiRE Vegan Lincs was the brainchild of Linda Wardale after she’d been asked to attend a Good Food Event in Lincoln in February 2009. She realized that there was a need for a group to cater for the large rural community in Lincolnshire, with a hub in Lincoln. The official launch of Vegan Lincs was on 11 July, followed by the first Supper Club in August and a special fundraising event on 12 September at The Healthy Hub, Lincoln, with food tasting (soup, chocolate, cakes etc.) and a presentation by the National Contacts’ Coordinator, Patricia Tricker, on the work of The Vegan Society.

The group meets every second Saturday of the month in Lincoln and now has 28 members and 33 supporters. Several vegans have recently said that Vegan Lincs has given them a lifeline.

Linda Wardale, Group Coordinator Vegan Lincs - www.veganlincs.co.uk

The Donegal Veg Group got nothing but positive responses at their stalls and screening of the film: Fowl Play. They ran out of most of the Vegan Society leaflets and the people raved about the vegan food, especially the vegan cakes. The Vegan Recipes booklet was really popular.

n SOlid SOapS, ShampOO baRS aNd ShaViNg baRS MY HANDMADE SOAPS My Handmade Soaps is based in Devon producing soaps, solid shampoos and shaving bars. Choose from their Almond Milk, Aloe Vera, Green Apple, Mango and Orange & Cinnamon soaps. For shaving bars choose from Cool or Sea Breeze. Or try their Coconut, Lavender or their Lemon Grass & Lime shampoo bars, to name but a few. If you’re looking for a gift, try My Handmade Soaps mini bars or their amazing soap gateaux slices in Chocolate Indulgence, Citrus Crush and Strawberry Cream. Handmade soap products are mild and gentle to the skin. Priced from £1.40. For more details visit www.myhandmadesoaps.com or telephone 01626 364938

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The Vegan l Winter 2009

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/teach_and_learn

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 (contact details above).

If you are under 16 please talk to your parents first!

World Vegan Day With World Vegan Day on November 1st just gone by, there is still the rest of November as Vegan Month! What could you do at school to get people thinking about why we choose to be vegan?

Here are some ideas:

"Hi, my name's Veronika, I'm 8, I live in the Czech Republic and I've been vegan all my life. In the photo I was on holiday in Austria wearing my Vegan Society T-shirt."

Ask the school kitchens to cook vegan meals for a day.

Speak to your whole school at assembly or your class at form time.

Put up posters around the school.

Share some samples of vegan chocolate or treats with your school mates.

Start your own vegan group if you’ve found a few like-minded friends.

Try and get teachers to sign up to the vegan pledge.

If you need any help with any of these get in touch with us on youth@vegansociety.com. We’d also love to hear about any things you organised and if you have photos even better! Don’t forget, get your thinking caps on for next year.

Shoes News A message from facebook friend Ellie Savidge: Clarks have told me that if people show enough interest in vegan shoes they would consider making them. So if you want good quality vegan shoes for your child please phone their customer care department on 0844 477 7744.

My youngest, Cherish-Faye Allen was eating lunch. She said "I don't want to eat my peas." I replied, "you have to eat your peas so you can be big and strong." She said, "momma you're not big and strong." Of course I made her eat her peas anyway!

This picture (on the right) was taken in January of this year.

I'm much bigger now since I am 8 months pregnant with their baby brother. Theresa M. Allen The Vegan l Winter 2009

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For free copies of our Recipe leaflet please e-mail info@vegansociety.com or phone 0121 523 1735/6.

For free copies of our Dying for the white stuff leaflet please e-mail info@vegansociety.com or phone 0121 523 1735/6.

Contributions to Postbag are welcomed, but accepted on the understanding that they may be edited in the interests of brevity or clarity

I am 57 and have been vegan for over a year. When I told my GP that I was vegan she collapsed head in hands on to her desk saying “OH NO NO!” I assured her that I was eating really well and taking my Veg 1 supplement, but she was not convinced and insisted on taking three vials of blood from me for tests. She also measured my blood pressure and found it “perfect!” She measured my height to see if I have lost any height now that I no longer have dairy, and may be deficient in calcium. To both of our amazement I appeared to have “grown” 1 cm - from 162 cms to 163 cms!

Yesterday she telephoned me with the results. The first thing she said to me was: “I have to eat my words.” My B12 levels are very good - 214 (thanks to Veg 1 and soya milk); my calcium levels are very good too (green veg, soya milk and blackstrap molasses); my iron levels are good (blackstrap molasses again). In other words I am a very healthy person with a good BMI etc.

Emily, London.

Please note that GPs can gain information about nutrition and health from The Vegan Society website: www.vegansociety.com or from our Plant Based Nutrition booklet.

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

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

n NOVEmbER 2009 Vegan Society Annual General Meeting Saturday 21 November Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL Doors open 11 am Local Contacts’ meeting 12.00 AGM 2 pm to 4.30 pm Lunch can be purchased from 12.30 pm to 2 pm If you are a member of The Vegan Society, please come and exercise your right to vote on resolutions that have been put forward.

North East Christmas Without Cruelty Saturday 28 November, 1 pm to 4 pm St John the Baptist Church Hall, Newcastle Free entry. Information stalls, ethical gifts, food tasting, vegan catering & lots more: www.vegne.co.uk or

n dECEmbER 2009 Christmas Without Cruelty Fayre Sunday 6 December, 10am – 5pm Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 Admission £1, children under 11 free http://www.livingwithoutcruelty.org.uk Tel. 01732 364546 info@animalaid.org.uk 12th International Animal Rights Day Thursday 10 December Tel. 0114 272 2220 info@uncaged.co.uk

East Midlands Vegan Festival Saturday 12 December Nottingham Tel 0845 458 9595 www.veggies.org.uk/veganfestival Global Day of Action Saturday 12 December International Demonstrations on Climate Change http://www.globalclimatecampaign.org info@globalclimatecampaign.org Eco Veggie Fayre Saturday December 19, 11am - 6pm Reading Town Hall Admission £3 adults and £1 Kids and OAP’s www.ecoveggiefayre.co.uk

n maRCh 2010 Eco Veggie Fayre March 20 Brighton www.ecoveggiefayre.co.uk

n apRil 2010 NE Vegan Gathering 2010 2 – 9 April Northumberland Trips, talks, workshops & events Be quick because this event is booking up fast. www.vegne.co.uk/vegan-gathering

Poderiu - http://poderiu.synthasite.com/

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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 the Coordinator, Patricia Tricker (see under Yorkshire, no phone calls before 8 pm please).

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The Vegan l Winter 2009

NTaCTS & 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 National Contacts’ Coordinator, Assitant Treasurer and Assistant International Coordinator) Vanessa Clarke (Vice-Chair, International Coordinator and Information Consultant) Matthew Cole (Information Consultant) Graham Neale George Rodger (Chair and Information Consultant) Patricia Tricker (National Contacts’ Coordinator) Stephen Walsh (Nutrition and Health Spokesperson and Treasurer)

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 Ka Man Hung Ray Kirkham Shari Black Velvet

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The Vegan l Winter 2009

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 lacto-vegetarianism (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 de-oxygenation 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

iSlE Of WighT

CORNWall

SCOTlaNd Vegan Holiday Accomodation Mull of Kintyre Tel 01586 830268 DunavertyRock111@aol.com

CUmbRia

SUSSEX pUbliCaTiONS

dEVON

dORSET

pERSONal

WalES diSCOUNT CaRd

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

hOlidayS abROad Pyrenean mountain village in southern France. Enjoy our vegan B&B. Phone Karen or Matthew on 00 33 56166 9195 www.veganholidayfrance.com

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

The Vegan l Winter 2009

45

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

ORgaNiSaTiONS

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

Adopt A Goat for Christmas

iNTERNET SERViCES

miSCEllaNEOUS Embryonic Vegan rural land based cooperative community project: Ideological focus, Strictly vegan Ethics with no compromise, Eco-friendly, self-sufficiency, renewable energy, etc. Location: North of England or Scottish Borders.

Longterm commitment.

Box 805

bUSiNESS fOR SalE Organic Health food Business for Sale – Award winning – Retail shop, and vegan café –£35k ONO Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire.

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

CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTANCE:

adVERTiSEmENTS TO bE

www.Buttercups.org.uk

SUbmiTTEd 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.

ShOppiNg

by 5 JaNUaRy 2010 fOR iNClUSiON iN ThE SpRiNg 2010 iSSUE OfThE VEgaN CONTaCT: adVERTiSiNg @VEgaNSOCiETy.COm 0121 523 1733

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.

The Foolproof Diet The Perfect Weight-Loss Plan That Works Every Time Safe, Natural, Vegan, Never Fails

www.the-foolproof-diet.com

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

NOVEMBER 2009 UNTIL

FEBRUARY 2010

REFERENCE CODE

Ref:SCR 010

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The Vegan l Winter 2009

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.

MEMBERSHIP / RENEWAL

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

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.:.....................

The Vegan l Winter 2009

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CROSSWORd Kate Sweeney & Vega

QUiCk CROSSWORd set by Kate Sweeney Across 6 Type of bread originating in the Middle East (5) 7 Cruciferous plant (7) 9 Dandelion and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (7) 10 Seaweed (5) 11 Downy juicy fruit (5) 13 Stems (6) 15 Nut (6) 16 Purple colour (5) 19 Shrub with white flowers and berrylike fruit (5) 21 Wine merchant (7) 23 Made up of amino acids (7) 24 Red pear-shaped tropical fruits (5) Down 1 First courses (8) 2 Edible starchy tuberous root (4) 3 Cook over an open fire, for example (5) 4 Beverage from India (5,3) 5 Piquancy (4) 6 Inns (4) 8 Acts of restricting food intake (5) 12 Red single-stoned fruits (8) 14 Aromatic herb used in cooking in the same way as rosemary (8) 15 Inexpensive (5) 17 Kitchen appliances (5) 18 Large pots for making coffee or tea (4) 20 Lemon or chocolate _ _ _ _ (4) 22 Tidy; without water (spirit) (4)

CRypTiC CROSSWORd set by Vega

Please se nd in solu tions to ei crossword ther along wit h your na me and address by 5 January 2010 Prizes next issue for bo th crosswor the beau ds: tifully illus trated bo ok: Ve ga n Re ci pe s

Across 6 South American native backs a shopping centre (5) 7 Chariot racing old bean? (7) 9 I’m ready about start of July (3,4) 10 Ceaucescu ministry trapped seedy plant (5) 11 Force precipitation to produce cereal (5) 13 Stinger to annoy John from Bergerac? (6) 15 Pep up 24 used in Oriental cookery (6) 16 Pointless watchman shows way in (5) 19 Valuable quality about seats (5) 21 Cluedo Colonel reportedly called up to cut this pungent plant? (7) 23 Vegan giver of superhuman strength to animated partner of olive oil we hear (7) 24 Kunta Kinte booked radicals (5)

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The Vegan l Winter 2009

Solutions to the summer crosswords (Quick:left/Cryptic:right) The winner of the Cryptic crossword: Hilary Thornton The winner of the Quick crossword: Susan Allen

Down 1 Rain man Dustin initially played as the bureaucrat’s orange (8) 2 Draw the odd palm fruit on 1st November 1944 for example (4) 3 15 across duck loses Italian river and gets beet (with whitish stalks) (5) 4 Clay nerd kneaded to remove 20 and stains with chemicals (3,5) 5 Swindle American Uncle out of a hundred (4) 6 Citrus fruit curtailed scurvy term for British sailor? (4) 8 Nonet played about with metric unit (5) 12 Let in air out of Newton’s tendency to maintain a state of rest or uniform motion (8) 14 Herb is arrogant, twisted (8) 15 Betray slang for marijuana lawn? (5) 17 Nebraskan city and Native American tribe descended from leaders of occasionally most audacious heroic adventures (5) 18 Beware this Roman 2 (15th of March) (4) 20 Essential growth medium: second black gold (4) 22 Kind of screen out old from 24 to arrange in order? (4)