We were all so saddened by the news of the wonderful Benjamin Zephaniah’s passing away at the end of last year. In her article, Kaya Gromocki shares a personal memory of meeting Benjamin, alongside tributes from those who have worked with him in the pursuit of a kinder world for animals (page 16).
We know that it’s often so much easier to find vegan options, ingredients and community in big towns or cities – but what if your closest neighbours live many miles away and a trip to the supermarket takes a few hours? In our feature article, Holly Johnson speaks to several people about the difficulties and joys of living far away from the vegan hotspots (page 6).
Our Deep Dive feature in this issue is about a topic close to my heart. I’ve been on a quest to catch sight of the elusive free-living red squirrels for a few years now – finally succeeding in Anglesey last summer. Dr Sara Van Goozen and Dr Josh Milburn explore the tricky issue of conservation and how to address the uneasy relationship between red and grey squirrels in the UK while remaining true to vegan ethics (page 30).
We have also included a fascinating piece by activist Kim Stallwood, whose deeply held vegan principles were tested by a sudden health emergency (page 35).
You will find all of the above, plus delicious recipes from Mildreds Easy Vegan, alongside our usual updates on Vegan Society news, highlights, volunteers, events and more.
Kaya Gromocki
Elena Orde, Editor
FROM THE CEO
I hope this issue of our magazine finds you well. The third edition Our Impact is also included. This annual publication shares the activities and outputs of The Vegan Society throughout 2023 and the steps we have made towards creating lasting impact. I hope that you feel as proud as I do of the steps our movement is making towards creating a kinder, fairer and greener world.
We all know that veganism is about so much more than what we eat. I am excited to announce that in May we are launching a new campaign which shares this message. We want to make it much easier for vegans and non-vegans alike
to make more conscious choices when it comes to choosing health, hygiene and beauty products. Learn more about Conscious Choices in our Highlights pages.
As a membership organisation it is so important for you to share your views with us by getting involved in our Annual General Meeting. This year's meeting will take place on Saturday 18 May and once again is being held online to improve accessibility and reduce costs. You can find out more about how to vote for candidates for election to the Board of Trustees and how to vote on resolutions in the membership pages.
Thank you for all of your support, whether you are a new or a longstanding member of The Vegan Society. And a huge welcome to the new members who have made use of our free membership for those aged 25 and under!
Steve Hamon, CEO
Sustainable Printing
The Vegan Society cares deeply about the future of our planet and all those we share it with. We are committed to operating as a responsible, sustainable organisation which means we are conscious of the social, economic and environmental impact in all that we do. With this in mind, we are very pleased to announce that we work with Seacourt to print and distribute The Vegan Seacourt are the UK’s leading environmental printing company and work closely with their clients to ensure that all material is produced with the lightest environmental footprint possible. In fact:
• Their presses are 100% free from water, alcohol and harmful chemicals
• They use inks that are vegan and free from volatile organic compounds
• They are powered by 100% renewable energy
• They send zero waste to landfill
As a result, they are Net Positive (beyond carbon neutral including the entire supply chain). Every time they produce a piece of print, they take responsibility for more carbon than they are generating – what they call Planet Positive Printing
We hope you enjoy reading this issue, knowing that it has been produced in line with ethical, sustainable principles.
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 The Vegan Society’s 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. Complaints should be made in writing to chair@vegansociety.com or ceo@vegansociety.com or by post. Visit vegansociety.com/complaints-procedure to find out more.
Editor Elena Orde Designer Violeta Pereira Cover image Adrian Pope
Choices shows that veganism is more than a diet and shares the message that we can show compassion to animals in all areas of our lives.
Whether someone is at the start of their vegan journey or a non-vegan animal lover, Conscious Choices is all about empowering people to choose health, hygiene and beauty products that are aligned with their values. Many people want to make the right ethical choices but don’t know where to start. One way to take the first steps is to learn which products are derived from or tested on animals and choose more compassionate alternatives.
We will be launching the campaign with a short film, featuring one of our trademark holders whose make-up brand is entirely plant-based and doesn’t test on animals. The film will also include a TV public figure – watch this space!
ConsciousChoices
by The Vegan Society, has revealed that 100% adoption of plant-based diets in England could save the NHS around £6.7 billion a year.
There could be 2.1 million fewer cases of disease and a gain of more than 170,000 quality-adjusted life years across the country. An estimated £121 million of healthcare cost savings would be generated per million people who switch to a vegan diet.
shows that veganismismorethana diet
Be sure to keep an eye on our social media channels for competitions launching in May and June, where you could have the chance to win a cosmetics bundle. From May, follow the hashtag #ConsciousChoices on socials and join the conversation.
This is due to there being a decreased relative risk associated with a vegan diet for many diseases, including some types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, type 2 diabetes and diverticular disease. This groundbreaking research resulted in several stories in the press, including Mail Online, Business politics.co.uk. Our Research Team is in conversation with vegan groups keen to use our research as a model for similar research in their own countries.
The journal article has been submitted for peer review and once through this process will be our first peer-reviewed article as an organisation.
Read more about the study at vegansociety.com/news where you can also find a link to the published report.
In May we are launching our brand-new campaign, Conscious Choices
University, Worthing Vegan Fair and a huge Vegan Day on the Isle of Arran.
Our campaign materials have been distributed in dozens of spaces across the UK, including vegan cafes, gyms and sports clubs.
The Community Network has also been an invaluable asset in sharing our NHS cost-saving report (see page 3) with their local MPs. 16 volunteers have taken up this task to date, with several receiving responses. One particularly positive response was from Tim Farron MP, who wrote to the Minister for Public Health, Start for Life and Primary Care, to highlight the report’s findings and ask what the government is doing to encourage the wider uptake of plant-based diets.
We’ve also welcomed five new volunteer Organisers on board, based in Glasgow, Sunderland, Stirling, Portsmouth and Leeds. Interested in volunteering with us? Email communitynetwork@vegansociety.com for further details.
The Vegan Pod
In the first episode of our podcast for 2024 we asked the question “Is vegan cooking difficult?” We know there is a common stereotype that creating vegan meals is
International Women’s Day by talking to two women doing fantastic work within the vegan movement. Fiona Oakes, founder of Tower Hill Animal Sanctuary, and Poonam Doshi, founder of Lola’s Sanctuary, joined host Maisie Stedman. They talked about their vegan journeys, the challenges and successes of founding their sanctuaries and the women they are inspired by.
You can listen to The Vegan Pod on Podbean, Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts. Think you’d make a good guest or want to let us know your thoughts on the latest episode? Email podcast@vegansociety.com with your
e are very excited to say that we have reached several milestones on social media recently. Our Instagram channel now has over 70,000 followers, with LinkedIn reaching over 40,000 followers.
Follow us at @theoriginalvegansociety on Instagram and The Vegan Society on LinkedIn to stay up to date with the latest news, campaign updates, videos, recipe content and more.
Poonam Doshi, founderofLola 'sSanctuary
Johnny Morillo
The best of the blogs
At the end of January, we shared a blog busting four vegan myths, aimed at Veganuary graduates interested in maintaining their new lifestyle. Addressing common concerns about nutrition, expense and the all-important worry about vegan cheese being inferior to dairy, the article includes plenty of practical advice for those who need their worries allayed.
Interested in finding out more about the behind-thescenes decision-making at The Vegan Society? Head to our
necessary act as an intermediary between them and their place of learning.
Education Officer Laura Chepner visited Hever Primary School in Kent to deliver a training session to 11 educators on vegan-inclusive education. This course was developed last year and is the first Continuing Professional Development training of its kind. We have several dates lined up in 2024 for bringing this much-needed training to educators across the UK.
Did you catch our latest video about the
Dietitian Andrea Rymer appeared on two TV panel shows
epner
The population is made up of farming and fishing communities. Cornwall is a beautiful place to live, and I wouldn't live anywhere else, but it’s generally an older population with more conservative, traditional views of food, culture and family life.
REMOTE VEGANS: NAVIGATING LIFE IN RURAL LOCATIONS
Urbanites are now spoilt for choice when it comes to vegan options, but what about those living in rural areas? Holly Johnson investigates.
Over the past five years vegan options in supermarkets, cafes, pubs and restaurants have exploded. Nutritional yeast is easy to come by, there’s now a wide choice of ‘cheese’, a huge range of vegan meats… even ‘prawns’ and smoked ‘salmon’. Being vegan has never been so easy – if you live close to major supermarkets and food chains.
But if you reside in a remote rural area, living a vegan lifestyle is a different experience. How do people’s attitudes compare? And is it all beans and lentils if you don’t live in a town or city?
Zoe Richards, 46, has been vegan for three years and lives in a rural area of Cornwall, where she tells us “The population is made up of farming and fishing communities. Cornwall is a beautiful place to live, and I wouldn't live anywhere else, but it’s generally an older population with more conservative, traditional views of food, culture and family life.”
Being surrounded by this kind of demographic presents its hurdles, but Zoe has learnt to cope with that by keeping her values close to her heart. “The local people do not take kindly to vegans,” she says. “Now, I just say that I don’t eat meat, or I don’t fancy it to make it easier. I just live my life and hope one day people will start to think about it properly.”
Escaping modernity
Living a slower pace of life, in an unspoilt location, is something that many of us aspire to – and something a lot more people have been able to do following the rise of remote working. Leaving behind all the convenience and choice found in built-up areas can be hard, but the beauty and calm of a countryside location can make up for it.
Rachil Kotidi, 31, moved from the UK to a seaside village in southern Greece with her cat Phoebe during the pandemic, seeking “contact with nature and a sense of freedom.”
It sounds wonderful, and Rachil loves her new life. “I discovered cycling and yoga and made friends with lots of animals, including horses, donkeys, pigs, wild boars, goats and ducks. I also foster cats and kittens.”
But is it sometimes hard to be a lone vegan? Rachil echoes Zoe’s experience of the local community: “Most people are
There are a couple of restaurants that have made an effort to cater for vegans, although there is nowhere that is 100% plant-based.
not familiar with the term veganism,” she tells us. “Farming livestock, hunting and fishing are some of the stereotypical activities of the locals due to tradition and culture. In that sense, it’s not easy making new connections.”
A return to plant-based
When it comes to our diet, many of us have come to rely on processed vegan products, even if it’s only the odd dairy-free pizza when we’re short on time. But living a slower pace of life means that there are less demands on your time, and Rachil now cooks simpler meals and enjoys eating a mainly whole food, plant-based diet. “Living in a remote village allows me access to fresh fruits and vegetables, which is great,” she says. “I get my protein from lentils, lentil sprouts, beans, chickpeas and soy products such as TVP [textured vegetable protein].”
And if she does feel the need for other products?
“Ingredients such as tofu, meat alternatives, dairy alternatives, nutritional yeast, vegan treats and vegan supplements are hard to find or extremely overpriced. I once paid £8 for a pack of nutritional yeast! For occasions such as birthdays it is absolutely impossible finding a vegan cake anywhere in the area.”
To get round this, Rachil is organised with her shopping and buys some ingredients online. “All it takes is to be prepared – bulk shop the vegan stuff that has a long shelf life. I make simple meals and sometimes plan them in advance. Without planning it’s hard to ensure I have enough food as per my needs, whilst most legumes require a good amount of time to prep and cook.”
Mountain life
Suzi Neale Lloyd, 70, also left the UK in search of a different pace of life and now lives at the foot of the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. “There are two buses a day and no online shopping for food. We stock up for winter as, when it snows, we can’t get out – so we buy plenty of plant milk, we freeze tofu, veg is prepped and frozen. We pickle things and I bake bread. We also receive sacks of potatoes from locals in exchange for me teaching their children English.”
It's like going back in time – although modernity has not fully escaped even this remote little corner of Europe. “We have Kaufland, a large German store, nearby which stocks plenty of fresh fruit and veg, a lot of which is local. Most veg is seasonal – imported veg and fruit is expensive. We also have two large Lidl stores nearby, and what you get in a UK Lidl, you can pretty much get here. Veganuary is a thing here as well!”
Seeking Caribbean flavours
On the other side of the world, Christophin Alexandre, 19, made the decision to leave Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean to study in the UK. He now lives in rural Dorset – a world away from the ingredients he was used to.
“Being vegan in the Caribbean is easy. Many of our traditional dishes are naturally vegan – such as rice and peas (made with coconut milk, kidney beans and spices), grits (a type of corn porridge), fritters and of course curries, soups and salads. We also have melons, papayas, bananas, coconuts and other fruits growing on the islands.”
Whilst being vegan is certainly not the norm in Turks, living in a farming heartland such as Dorset presents other challenges. “People see veganism as anti-farming, antitradition,” says Christophin. “I enjoy having conversations with the locals – many of them advocate for ‘local’ meat, dairy and eggs, but I’ve found Ed Winter’s book How to Argue with a Meat Eater (And Win Every Time) a brilliant resource for these discussions. At the end of the day, the animals still have to die, and a plant-based diet is still proven to be healthier.”
Eating out
Whilst the cost-of-living crisis has impacted our ability to splash out on restaurant meals, there are still occasions where we want to treat ourselves or go out to celebrate a birthday. But if you’re living in a village, in the mountains or on an island, what are the options like?
Jamie Kinghorn, 50, lives in a small coastal town in the northeast of Scotland. “When I go to Edinburgh or Glasgow I love to eat out as there are loads of fantastic vegan restaurants, but options are much more limited in Montrose,” he says. “There are a couple of restaurants that have made an effort to cater for vegans, although there is nowhere that is 100% plant-based. Some places just don't seem to consider veganism worth bothering with, unfortunately. Cafes can be very hit or miss, with some having no vegan options at all.”
To avoid going hungry, Jamie calls ahead to discuss the options available. “The chef can usually come up with something, even if it’s the classic salad and chips option, which to be honest I don’t mind,” he says. “What bothers me more is that if I’m out with non-vegans, this can reinforce the negative view that veganism is a restrictive lifestyle.”
At the other end of the country, in Cornwall, Zoe has similar issues: “There is one local chippy where you can get a
choice of chips which are either cooked in beef or sunflower oil and they do have a few vegan options, but these aren’t guaranteed due to supply issues,” she tells us.
And if you fancy something sweet after your non-beef-fat chips, you might just be lucky enough to find an ice cream. “There is a place in Perranporth quite local to me which serves vegan whippy – it’s lush! That’s one of the pros of living in Cornwall I guess,” adds Zoe.
Weighing it all up
Living in a remote location isn’t for everyone, but there does seem to be an appealing case for escaping the fast pace of modern life and enjoying a simpler existence. And, as Rachil sums up perfectly, it’s completely possible to live a happy and healthy life as a vegan wherever you are: “You need to understand the potential challenges that come with accessing vegan food while in a remote location and prepare accordingly, but no matter how remote you are, access to bread, pasta and legumes is reasonably easy and cheap.”
“Factoring in the good amount of options available via internet shopping, I believe that being vegan remotely has become much easier. All it takes is to be prepared, keep it simple and care as little as possible about what others say.”
I discovered cycling and yoga and made friends with lots of animals
Rachil and Phoebe
Christophin
MILDREDS EASY VEGAN
Mildreds restaurants are a London institution, with their internationally inspired dishes pioneering plant-based food since the '80s. In their latest recipe book, they share their top recipes to showcase vegan food in its most delicious and accessible form.
Makes 10–12
Ingredients
10–12 Medjool dates
150 g dark chocolate (chopped into small pieces, or dark chocolate chips)
For the almond paste
2 tbsp agave syrup
1 tbsp almond butter
60 g ground almonds
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
To decorate
Anything you like – we like freeze-dried raspberries, pistachios, sea salt flakes or edible gold powder.
CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND MEDJOOL DATES
A real splash of luxury, these stuffed dates are nice enough to serve as dessert or to present as a gift. If you don’t have Medjool dates, you can use any whole dried stone fruit, such as prunes or apricots. You can decorate these with all kinds of pretty things, like chopped pistachios or other nuts, rose petals, sea salt crystals or cocoa nibs. We like to use freeze-dried raspberries, which add a nice touch of colour.
Directions
Line a baking tray with baking parchment. To make the almond paste, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a spoon, or blend in a blender.
Make a small incision in each of the dates and remove the stones and hard stems.
Divide the almond paste into 10–12 balls, then roll these into little sausage shapes the size of the dates. Open the dates and fill with the almond paste portions, then smooth over with your finger.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 20-second bursts, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
Using something sharp, like a kebab skewer, skewer one of the dates and dip it into the chocolate, using a spoon to help coat the date. Let all the excess chocolate drip off, then place on the prepared tray. Repeat with the remaining dates, then scatter over your chosen decorations while the chocolate is still warm.
POTATO AND PARSNIP LATKAS
Ingredients
175 g parsnips, peeled
5 dill sprigs or chives, chopped (optional)
1 onion, finely diced
500 g red potatoes
1 tbsp baking powder
60 g plain flour
30 g cornflour or potato starch
½ tsp Aleppo pepper (Pul Biber), optional
1½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
50 g coconut yogurt
Vegetable oil, for frying
To serve
Vegan sour cream
Apple sauce or cranberry relish
Latkas – delicious, crunchy grated potato cakes – are one of the key traditional foods of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of light. During Hanukkah, we eat foods cooked in oil. Latkas make a great supper with sour cream, apple sauce and a salad. They also make a fantastic weekend brunch dish. They can even be served sweet, dipped in cinnamon sugar.
Directions
Grate the parsnips into a bowl using the large side of a box grater. Add the dill or chives, if using, and the onion. Stir to combine and set aside. Grate the potatoes into a separate bowl, covering with a tea towel so they don’t oxidise. Take a handful of the grated potatoes and squeeze as hard as you can, releasing all the liquid, then add the squeezed potato to the bowl with the parsnips and onion. Continue with the remaining potatoes and stir.
Add the baking powder, flour, corn flour or potato starch, pepper flakes, seasoning and coconut yogurt to the bowl. Stir well to combine. Take small handfuls of the mixture, weighing about 80 g each, and roll into balls slightly larger than a ping-pong ball. Repeat until you have used up all the mixture.
Pour the oil into a large, deep, non-stick frying pan to a depth of 1 cm, and place the pan over a high heat. Heat the oil to 160 °C (320 °F). If you don’t have a cooking thermometer, you can test to see if it’s ready by dropping in a little of the latka mixture. The oil should bubble around the mixture but not spit.
Once the oil is ready, cook the latkas in batches. Add the balls to the oil and cook for 3–4 minutes until golden, then press down with a spatula to flatten and cook for 3–4 minutes more. Turn them over and cook on the other side for a few more minutes.
Remove the latkas from the pan and drain on a wire rack set over a tray while you fry the remaining balls.
Serve with vegan sour cream and apple sauce or cranberry relish.
SPINACH AND PINE NUT FILO PIE
Ingredients
220 g jar sun-blushed tomatoes, drained and sliced (retain the oil)
1 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
1 large or 2 small leeks, trimmed and sliced
5 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
I love baby spinach for its convenience; it cooks in seconds, is easy to wash and works well in a salad. However, when it comes to flavour, the big stuff has it beat, hands down. I always cook the stems, finding them delicious and tender, with a pleasant texture that enhances fillings for pastries or flatbreads. Bunches of large-leaf spinach tend to be muddy or gritty, so be sure to wash them really well. This filo pie can be assembled in advance and cooked just before your guests arrive, leaving your kitchen spotless and you looking cool as a cucumber.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180 °C/160 °C fan/350 °F/gas mark 4 and grease a 20 cm (8 in) square ovenproof dish with some of the sun-blushed
Heat the vegetable or rapeseed oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the leek(s). Fry for 5 minutes until slightly softened, then add the garlic and chopped spinach stems. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then add the shredded leaves. Increase the heat to medium–high and cook for 2 minutes to wilt the spinach, then take off the heat and tip the mixture into a colander to drain.
When cool enough to handle, squeeze the spinach mixture to release any excess liquid, then tip into a large bowl. Add the sun-blushed tomatoes, pine nuts, feta, dill and rice. Stir to combine and season to
Using the oil from the tomatoes, brush a layer of the filo and press it into the prepared dish or tray, allowing the sheet to overlap the edges of the dish. Repeat, layering the filo to cover the entire dish, until you have just 1 sheet left, making sure you brush each layer well with
Tip the spinach mixture into the dish or tray and then fold over the edges of the filo sheets. Brush the last filo sheet with oil and fold to fit the top of the dish or tray, then place it on top, covering the filling.
Brush the top of the pie with a little more oil, then use a sharp knife to cut the filo down the middle and then the other way, to form a cross. Then cut from corner to corner both ways (until it looks a bit like a Union Jack flag).
Bake the pie for 30–35 minutes until the pastry is golden and crunchy, then serve with a salad, if you like.
Benjamin used his engaging slam poetry to plant a seed in the minds of his non-vegan fans, advocating for the rights of both people and animals.
Benjamin's family asked wellwishers to donate to The Vegan Society in his memory. Donor Janet Barber said, "Benjamin was a wonderful person and fantastic advocate for The Vegan Society. RIP." Marion van Engelen said, "Thank you for enriching the lives of thousands with your poetry, wit and wisdom."
BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH
Kaya Gromocki shares a tribute to the greatly missed and unapologetically radical activist and creative
Benjamin Zephaniah became an Ambassador for The Vegan Society in 2004. He was born in Birmingham, a home town he shared with The Vegan Society, and he dedicated much of his working life to advocating for the vegan cause. He was an inspiration to many in his numerous roles and pursuits as a poet, novelist, actor, musician, anarchist, Rastafarian, academic, activist and, of course, vegan. His untimely death in December 2023 has been felt deeply across the vegan community.
Vegan roots
Vegan since he was a teenager in the '70s. Benjamin used his engaging slam poetry to plant a seed in the minds of his non-vegan fans, advocating for the rights of both people and animals. People of all ages have been educated on the benefits of a vegan lifestyle by reading his work. I have personally learnt stories of the Windrush generation, Palestinian liberation and many other human-justice causes that he bravely advocated for. Much like The Vegan Society’s vision for a more vegan world, he never ceased to campaign for a kinder humanity, even in the face of apathy.
When interviewed by The Guardian in 2010 Benjamin said “As the only black kid in my primary school playground, animals had become my friends. By 15 I was vegan, although I didn't give up honey until 16. For a while my mother thought it was just 'a Rasta phase'. He went on to dedicate his life to advocating for the vegan lifestyle, proving it to be far from a phase and publishing a collection of 22 vegan poems in 2001.
The power of poetry
Throughout Benjamin’s life he used his gift with words to inspire empathy in people who might not otherwise have given much thought to their decision to eat animals. He implored listeners of his poem ‘Talking Turkeys’ to:
“Be nice to yu turkey dis christmas An spare dem de cut of de knife.”
In 1994 Benjamin presented a short documentary for The Vegan Society titled Truth or Dairy in which he ate a plethora of delicious vegan food to the beat of his own poem ‘Vegan Delight’.
I met Benjamin as a young child, when I attended his poetry performance in Leeds in the early 2000s. As a vegan child I was excited to meet the person whose poems inspired my own. He was a vegan voice at a time when questioning why people ate animals was more often met with outrage than curiosity.
At the end of the night, I asked to give Benjamin a poem I had written. I was led backstage and shyly handed it over. I don’t think I had expected a response, but shortly afterwards I received a letter in the post. Typed on paper with a colourful border, it contained words of encouragement like none I had received before. He also made a personal request: "I need you to carry on spreading the message of peace to all beings and to stand up against racism and war. I need you to keep writing and showing those in this world who have little faith that there is another way.” He praised my writing and closed his letter with an invitation to perform on his stage one day. Sadly, I never took him up on that opportunity, but the impact of his words on a little working-class girl were felt for years to come. It certainly played a part in my continuing to pursue writing my own poetry even to this day.
Leaving a legacy
I’m sure I am one of many for whom Benjamin had this impact. Two of our volunteers who are also teachers recall accompanying their students to his performances and teaching his young-adult novels to their classes. Volunteer proofreader Anna Cook remembers, “The students loved him. He was really engaging and spoke to them on their level.”
Our Community Organiser Carol Lee, who runs a vegan B&B on the Isle of Arran, shared some of her favourite
events and poetry festivals. She describes him as being “not only one of the most personable and kind people you could meet but also multi-talented. He wowed audiences when he performed with his band The Revolutionary Minds.” She shared a memory of being whirled joyously around by him when he came down from the stage to dance with the audience at his gig at Vegan Camp Out.
AC Baker, our Policy and Research Advisor, communicated with Benjamin a number of times as part of their role. AC says, “Long may we be inspired into ‘good trouble’ (as the late civil rights activist and USA congressperson John Lewis coined) by the positive anger that Benjamin Zephaniah embodied.”
Sam Calvert, our Head of Communications, shares the lasting impression that Benjamin made everyone he met feel seen and appreciated. Sam remembers “We put out an appeal for people to come and sing and dance in a music video with Ben. It was done at very short notice, and we had no idea who or how many people would turn up. A fabulous and wonderfully diverse group of engaged people arrived on the day, and they clearly had a great time filming. It is a tribute to Ben’s appeal that he attracted such wide support.”
Danielle Saunders, who held the role of Communications Manager, describes working with Benjamin as an “absolute privilege”. She says, “He was one of the most humble, charismatic and warm people I've ever come across. We shot a music video for his vegan track ‘Love the Life’, and it was such a joyful day. It was wonderful to have so many people from all walks of life come together to sing, dance and just celebrate being vegan. Benjamin took his time to engage with everyone there, even my companion dog Kiki! I will always cherish that day. The vegan community has lost a great asset, and we should all be grateful for Benjamin's unwavering commitment to a kinder world.”
Benjamin’s premature death is a tragic loss for so many communities. But if the letter he sent to me over 20 years ago is anything to go by, the ripple effect of his message of empathy will continue to inspire for as long as it is needed.
As a vegan child I was excited to meet the person whose poems inspired my own.
VOLUNTEER OF THE SEASON
Meet Jules, our fantastic Community Advocate in Pulborough, West Sussex
Tell us about yourself
My name is Jules Hunt, and I live in a little village in West Sussex. I took early retirement shortly after moving from London and decided to volunteer for a local charity as a foster parent to Echo, a beautiful golden retriever puppy in training to be an assistance dog. However, she had other plans and from day one decided she would not leave my side and not get in any vehicle to go to the training centre. So, they showed me how to deliver training and after many weeks in a state of hiatus, we negotiated adoption and helped her escape what I now believe to be an outdated and deeply inappropriate lifestyle for any animal. Witnessing her wide range of responses in reaction to training demands was the start of my vegan journey, so I really have her to thank!
How do you advocate for veganism in your everyday life?
Echo is my best campaigning tool! So many people stop to talk to her on our trips out and about, and the conversations often turn to how glossy her coat is and how healthy and happy she looks. I like to share that she eats a vegan diet. Echo has feelings and a sense of humour, like all animals. Physically, she is the size of a goat, a lamb, a pig. She has the facial expressions of a calf – when I look at her, I see all animals that are exploited by humans, and that is very motivating in my advocacy work. It's a message that seems to resonate with most 'animal lovers' and hopefully gets them thinking. One of my friends instantly became a vegan as a result of that very discussion over lunch.
My approach to campaigning so far has mainly been through living example: providing good vegan food, sharing vegan recipes or signposting to great vegan alternatives and restaurants. This year I shared my first ethical vegan Christmas with my family, and it felt like one of the very best, knowing no animals were exploited to provide our food, drink and gifts.
For my 60th birthday I asked my family to sign up to Veganuary instead of giving me any gifts. The majority are still vegan and thriving, and the others are a work in progress.
I regularly put posters up in local shops and on our village community noticeboards (one is opposite the butchers!), and I do leaflet drops on my dog walks.
I often write to fashion brands when I see specific animal products are included in their range, and if I see something on TV which is biased against veganism, I write a complaint. I always get a response, and I feel it is my small way to keep chipping away at the marble.
What is it like being a Community Advocate?
Whenever I get tricky questions about veganism, I always refer people to the great resources and support available through The Vegan Society, or I reach out to the amazing staff members. But whatever the question, I always follow up – that’s my rule.
I feel honoured to be involved with the work of The Vegan Society. I get a motivational recharge when I receive the monthly tasks, and the online training sessions are so informative and friendly. I genuinely feel part of a team.
SHOPAROUND
Shop with confidence for products registered with the trusted Vegan Trademark
The Collective Dairy Free Yoghurts
The Collective is a B Corp-certified brand who have recently launched a new range of Vegan Trademark-certified yoghurts, all made in a dairy-free facility. Thick and creamy, they’re made with The Collective’s signature blend of British oats and smooth coconut and come in two flavours – Mango and Vanilla. These vegan yoghurts join The Collective’s existing range of Dairy Free Suckies available in three flavours: Peach & Apricot, Strawberry and Banana. Available at Tesco and Waitrose.
Luna & Solis Omega-3 Liquid Food Supplement
Did you know that fish do not produce omega-3 fats themselves? They actually get it by consuming algae. Luna & Solis’s Omega-3 Liquid Food Supplement comes straight from the source, meaning no fish are involved. With an orange flavour and absolutely no fishy taste, Luna & Solis’s Omega-3 Liquid Food Supplement is in a liquid dropper format, which means you can easily tailor doses to individual needs. The algae used by Luna & Solis to make the supplement is cultivated in a controlled environment to reduce the risk of pollutants. Available at lunaandsolis.com Get 20% off with the code VEGANSOCIETY20
RocketGro Magic Mulch
RocketGro, a leading peat-free compost producer based in Somerset, have created Magic Mulch: a compost designed to save water, suppress weeds and treat your plants to a rich source of nutrients. Created using 100% composted down crops, maize, rye and grass, RocketGro’s Magic Mulch is crafted with soil health in mind. The mulch can be used for soil in gardens, pots and greenhouses and is filled with all the microbes a plant could dream of. Not only this, but RocketGro’s products are developed from Somerset and West Country sourced substrates, with a production line that runs on 100% renewable energy. Available at rocketgro.co.uk
HiBAR Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
HiBAR are a range of salon-quality, vegan shampoo and conditioner bars that are plastic free. Using much less water than bottled shampoo, the concentrated ingredients in HiBAR are applied directly to your hair, with products that will last longer and produce less waste. HiBAR’s Moisturize Shampoo Bar and Conditioner Bar are formulated with a nourishing blend of ingredients, including Vitamin B5, rice protein and cocoa butter, which all work together to help moisturise thirsty and lifeless hair. The bars are designed to fit comfortably in your hand for easy use. Available at hellohibar.com
Noughty Haircare Care Taker Range
Noughty Haircare’s Care Taker range is a collection of four products designed to soothe and nourish irritated and itchy scalps. With the whole range certified with the Vegan Trademark, Care Taker products contain no parabens, silicones or sulphates. The range features Noughty’s Care Taker tonic, which is a leaveon treatment designed for dry, irritated or itchy scalps, as well as shampoo, conditioner and a Scalp Relief Mask with calming oatmeal and black coffee extracts. All products are suitable for sensitive scalps, including those that may be prone to eczema. Available at lovenoughty.co.uk Get 10% off the range with the code VEGAN10
Little Soap Co Rose Geranium Lovers Bundle
Little Soap Co’s Vegan Trademark-certified Rose Geranium Lovers Bundle includes their Organic Rose Geranium Liquid Hand Soap, Bubble Bath, Bar Soap and Rose Geranium Scented Candle. Little Soap Company is a B Corp-certified Carbon Neutral Business, and their products are Vegan Trademark, RSPO and Made in Britain certified. They’re also founding members of Buy Women Built. Their Geranium Lovers Bundle products are infused with pure Rose Geranium essential oils to help you unwind and indulge in beautifully scented self-care and make an ideal gift. Available at littlesoapcompany.co.uk
Hylife Nutrition Cacao Protein Powder
Hylife Nutrition’s Cacao Protein Powder is a vegan source of protein that contains no artificial sweeteners, flavours, colours or preservatives. Soy and gluten free, you can mix this protein powder with 200–300 ml water or your favourite plant milk to create a quick protein shake. You can even use it for baking or mix it into your morning oats for extra protein. Hylife Nutrition’s protein powders are plastic-free and biodegradable and are designed to give you a balance of nutrients, featuring multiple sources of protein that include pea, pumpkin and hemp. Available at hylifenutrition.co.uk Get 20% off with the code VEGAN20
YOU&YOU Whitening & Total Care Toothpaste
YOU&YOU's Whitening & Total Care toothpaste is designed to encourage delicate natural tooth whitening, all while cleaning your teeth and preventing plaque formation. The toothpaste’s ingredients work to help remove surface discolouration, allowing teeth to gently whiten and enamel to strengthen. YOU&YOU’s Whitening & Total Care toothpaste doesn’t use traditional abrasives like synthetic silica and instead relies on key ingredients, including kaolin, perlite, hydroxyapatite and natural extracts to ensure a gentler clean that does not include animal ingredients. Packaged in recyclable tubes, the toothpaste is peroxide-free and does not contain alcohol, triclosan or SLS. Available at youandyou.eu
MEMBERSHIP
Lenni Sykes, 1961–2023
Lenni was passionate about animal welfare and the environment. Vegan for 45 years, she was a strong campaigner. We first met when she was running a local vegan group, and we became firm friends.
In her younger days Lenni was actively involved in marine animal rescue, donning a wetsuit and swimming to the aid of sick and injured dolphins and other cetaceans. She maintained a keen interest in marine life, loving the sea and all life therein. Hedgehogs were another passion and her book The Natural Hedgehog was very popular.
Prior to retirement, Lenni ran her own homeopathic practice and was also a great advocate for meditation. She had a beautiful singing voice and could play several musical instruments. There was never a dull moment with Lenni.
This photo (page 25) was taken just a few weeks before she died unexpectedly. It was such a tragedy to lose Lenni and then Benjamin.
Star Letter
By Margaret Layland
Conventional pest control has long been a source of serious concern to me. I was delighted to read about Kevin Newell’s enlightened approach (‘Humane Wildlife Solutions’, 2024 Issue 1). It is long overdue. As a surveyor I often take the opportunity to steer people away from cruel and ignorant approaches to ‘infestations’ and the likes, but steer them to what?
Commercial self-interest encourages pest control specialists to stoke up fear and prejudice with lies and pseudoscience. At last, I have someone I can recommend. What a brilliant niche business Kevin is into!
As a building conservationist my concern goes beyond ‘pests’ to encouraging a light-touch approach to the care of buildings generally, but undoubtedly this is an important component in the overall picture. Thank you for airing this important subject.
David Gibbon, RICS Certified Historic Buildings Professional
Congratulations to David, who has won a set of Alexandra Kay Me Time Scents (worth £45) from Green People. Next issue’s winner will receive a 500 ml Laundry Liquid bottle and a 500 ml Fabric Conditioner bottle from Fill Refill (@fill_co). Send your letters to editor@vegansociety.com or our usual postal address.
Membership updates
Events
The Supporter Services team kicked off events in 2024 by attending Bristol Vegan Fayre on 30 March. Visitors to the stand enjoyed doing our quiz, and the team raised awareness of the society by talking about our work and promoting our multivitamin VEG 1. We are looking forward to attending Vegan Camp Out from 26 to 29 July.
Life membership
We offer people who have been members for over 30 years FREE Life Membership, as well as offering one third off Life Membership for all those 65 and over.
If you would like to take up either of these offers, or if you would like a free Life Member enamel badge, please contact us (details below).
Discounts
In return for becoming a member of The Vegan Society and supporting our work and campaigns, we offer 10% off our multivitamin VEG 1 and over 100 third-party discounts. This includes the ever-popular 10% off at Holland & Barrett, which you can claim by showing your membership card in-store or using the code vegan10 online.
This spring you could:
• Treat yourself or a friend to 14 issues of Ethical Consumer for the price of 12.
• Try Luna & Solis Omega 3 supplement drops with 20% off.
• Plan a break. Vegan Surf Camp in France specialise in surf and yoga holidays, and are offering members 5% off accommodation in 2024. Or why not try sailing in Croatia, and take up the discounts that Vegan Sailing offer our members?
All member discounts can be found in the Members’ Area
of our website at vegansociety.com/my-account/shopdiscounts. Please contact us through membership@vegansociety.com if you have any problems accessing your account.
Do you have any ideas on how we can improve the discount list? Contact us at discount@vegansociety.com or on 0121 523 1730.
Members’ Newsletter
Have you signed up for our monthly Members’ Newsletter yet? The newsletter allows our members to keep updated with society campaigns, research, media news, memberexclusive competitions and discounts. Recent memberexclusive competitions have featured book prizes Plant Milk Power and Vegan Chinese Food as well as a gift box from Ahara Life. Contact membership@vegansociety.com if you would like to sign up for the Members’ Newsletter.
We value your feedback
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the membership team at membership@vegansociety.com with your comments and suggestions.
Annual General Meeting 2024
The AGM of The Vegan Society will be held on Saturday 18 May 2024 at 1pm. This AGM will again be held online, as it is more cost-effective than a hybrid AGM and has a better attendance than in-person only AGMs.
We encourage members to look out for the voting information and the notice of the AGM, which will be sent to members by our election agents, UK Engage, in April. Members will be able to vote for candidates for election to Council and, by proxy vote, for the resolutions to the AGM online or by paper ballot, as usual.
Lenni Sykes, Benjamin Zephaniah, Margaret Layland
ULTRAPROCESSED FOOD
Hi, I’m Emily and I’m the new dietitian at The Vegan Society. I’m excited to be supporting our current dietitian Andrea in continuing to bring evidencebased nutritional advice to our members.
In this issue I would like to talk about ultra-processed foods (UPFs). UPFs have been in the spotlight recently, and many manufactured vegan products have been criticised as being ‘ultra-processed.’ But what are UPFs, and do we really need to worry about them?
Defining UPFs
Many foods and drinks are considered ‘processed’ because they are altered for storage, for example by drying, canning or freezing, or include additives to improve taste, texture or shelf life.
The NOVA classification system is a method of grouping foods based on their level of processing. UPFs are defined as “formulations of ingredients, mostly of exclusive industrial use, created by a series of industrial techniques and processes.” Currently, it is estimated that people in the UK get over 50% of their energy intake from UPFs.
How might UPFs impact our health?
Research has linked high intake of UPFs with increased risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and kidney disease. High UPF consumption has also been associated with irritable bowel syndrome, raised cholesterol and higher body weight. This is likely because UPFs tend to be high in sugar, saturated fats, salt and refined carbohydrates and because the processes used in creating UPFs may have health effects. High UPF intake can also displace other less processed or whole foods from our diets leading to lower intake of beneficial nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fats.
What about plant-based UPFs?
Many vegan meat, dairy or egg alternatives can be classed as UPFs, but it is not clear whether these carry the same health risks as ultra-processed animal products.
Many plant-based alternatives are industrially processed and contain additional ingredients. They also tend to have
a higher calorie density and poorer nutritional profile than whole plant foods. However, plant-based UPFs are usually higher in beneficial nutrients such as fibre and unsaturated fats and lower in saturated fat than other UPFs. They are also commonly fortified with additional nutrients such as calcium, iron and iodine, beneficial to those following a vegan diet.
Plant-based meat substitutes can benefit health even though they are considered UPFs. The SWAP-MEAT study found that swapping meat for plant-based meat alternatives for eight weeks led to improved cholesterol levels and weight loss. Another review found that eating mycoprotein alternatives instead of meat was associated with reduced overall cholesterol levels and higher ‘good’ cholesterol levels, suggesting a heart-healthy effect.
For balance, it is worth noting that one study by the American College of Cardiology found that whilst whole foods such as wholegrains, fruit and vegetables, nuts, legumes and oils were protective against cardiovascular disease, some vegan UPFs – specifically sweetened drinks, refined carbohydrates, fried potatoes and sweets – were associated with higher disease risk. Further research on plant-based UPFs will help us make more informed choices for our health.
Criticisms of the NOVA system
In a recent article in The Conversation, Eric Robinson stated that “the hyperfocus on ultra-processed foods may be causing people unnecessary health anxiety.”
The NOVA system is oversimplified. Products such as packaged breads, tofu, wholegrain cereals and plantbased milk alternatives are classified as UPFs even though their nutritional profile and processing methods differ significantly from other UPFs. Lack of nuance in NOVA classification means that foods within this category have different impacts on health. For example, one study found that whilst sweetened drinks, processed meat and red meat consumption increased disease risk, eating breakfast cereals and wholegrain bread was associated with reduced disease risk.
Lumping all UPFs into one category also ignores the many ways in which processing can improve the nutritional profile of foods, for example through vitamin and mineral
fortification. We should also consider that people have a wide variety of dietary needs. Higher calorie or protein UPFs can benefit people with small appetites or high activity levels. Free-from products support those with allergies or intolerances to enjoy a wider range of foods. Ready-made foods are convenient and quick to prepare, a benefit for people short on time or energy.
Food also plays a wider role in our lives than simply as fuel. Food can be a source of pleasure, comfort, familiarity and connection to other people. Stigmatising wide groups of foods may lead us to avoid foods that, for whatever reason, have a beneficial place in our diets.
The British Nutrition Foundation concludes that due to concerns about how useful NOVA guidance actually is to identify healthier products, advice on UPF consumption should not be included in dietary guidelines.
Take-home points
• Whilst eating high amounts of UPFs may be detrimental to health, it is not true that all UPFs have health risks.
• It is likely that plant-based UPFs are healthier due to higher fibre and lower saturated fat content.
• Plant-based UPFs can be high in salt. Reading labels can help you make healthier choices – aim for products with less than 1.5 g of salt per 100 g.
• Processed foods can be beneficially fortified with nutrients deserving attention in a vegan diet.
• There are no official guidelines on how often you should consume plant-based alternative products, but including them as part of a balanced and varied diet is not inherently unhealthy.
• A minimally processed plant-based diet has still been shown to have the most health benefits, so continue to choose most of your foods from whole plant-based sources such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and pulses.
Email nutrition@vegansociety.com for references, or to suggest a future topic.
Processed foods can be beneficially fortified with nutrients deserving attention in a vegan diet.
CREAMY TOMATO PASTA
This pasta uses silken tofu, nutritional yeast and two types of tomatoes to make a creamy sauce. A quick and easy alternative to using a processed storebought sauce, it has the benefits of providing a rich source of fibre, protein and additional micronutrients, including calcium and vitamin B12.
Ingredients
140 g sundried tomatoes
12 cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle for frying
1 pack silken tofu (300 g)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
10 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
300 g pasta
Directions
1. Place the sundried tomatoes in a bowl and add enough boiled water to cover them. Leave this to stand for 5–10 minutes.
2. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to a pan with the chopped garlic and a drizzle of olive oil.
3. Fry the tomatoes and garlic on medium heat until the tomatoes begin to brown (approximately 5 minutes).
4. Add the soaked sundried tomatoes with half their water, plus the cooked tomato and garlic mix to a blender with the silken tofu, nutritional yeast, fresh basil, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.
5. Blend the mixture until it is smooth.
6. Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
7. Drain the pasta and mix in the sauce. Nutritional information per portion
Article and recipe by Emily McKee
Deep dive
SHADES OF GREY
Philosophers Dr Sara Van Goozen and Dr Josh Milburn ask whether there’s a vegan case for controlling grey squirrel populations
A moral dilemma
For one group of vegans, grey squirrels won’t raise any interesting questions. Grey squirrels are thinking, feeling animals, who have as much right to be here as we do – so, we should just leave them be.
However, for a second group of vegans, grey squirrels pose a moral dilemma. Vegans in the second group will recognise that grey squirrels matter and that we should leave them alone unless we have a good reason not to. But maybe the need to protect red squirrels is one such reason.
Reds are native to the United Kingdom, while humans deliberately introduced greys – who are native to North America – in the 19th century. Greys spread around the UK, becoming familiar sights in both towns and the countryside. These days, in England and Wales, reds are almost entirely absent, with only a few pockets remaining.
People have tried to control the greys’ spread, ineffectively, for a long time. In 1931, The Field magazine launched an ‘Anti-Grey Squirrel Campaign’; later, in 1943, County War Agricultural Executive Committees issued shotgun shells for free to ‘Grey Squirrel Shooting Clubs’. In the 1950s, squirrelkillers accepted small cash rewards for the tails of grey squirrels. The bounty scheme was abandoned in 1958 when it became clear it had little effect. Now, with comparatively little government investment, the ‘management’ of greys falls to local communities, landowners and charities.
Greys are a threat to reds for lots of reasons. One is that they’re bigger, stronger and tougher, so outperform the reds. Another is that they carry the squirrel pox virus. Greys are mostly immune to squirrel pox, but it’s deadly for reds. Consequently, where the ranges of reds and greys overlap, the reds are often in trouble. If we want the reds to survive, it seems, we need to do something about the greys.
Invasive species ‘management’
Before we think about squirrels specifically, it’s worth taking a step back to think about the ethics of ‘managing’ or ‘controlling’ so-called ‘invasive’ populations generally. Sadly, managing and controlling are usually euphemisms for killing. Straight away, then, vegans should be worried.
The ethics of interfering with free-living animals is complicated. We need to think about the impact on animals (native and invasive) if we fail to intervene, the impact on
animals (native and invasive) if we do intervene and just how sure we are about the science behind our estimates. Because of the complex nature of ecosystems, the effects of human intervention are hard to predict. There are also political issues – such as the levels of public support for intervention, the cost of attempts to manage invasive species and whether interventions should be funded by the state or by private organisations.
When it comes to squirrels, some of the political issues we’re most worried about concern communication and information. Simply put, conservationists are often secretive. The use of euphemisms to talk about killing means that people may support efforts to ‘manage’ greys without realising what this entails. (Even ‘culling’ may not do justice to the brutal methods historically used to kill members of ‘invasive’ species.)
But we could step back further still and ask why we’re considering ‘fighting back’ against ‘invasive’ species at all. When it comes to squirrels, we might say it’s obvious: we’re controlling greys to protect reds. But this is ambiguous. Are we fighting back to protect individual red squirrels or to protect the population of red squirrels? These might sound similar, but there’s actually a big difference, and it gets to the heart of arguments between animal protectionist views (like animal rights) and environmentalist views.
If we think that individual squirrels are valuable, it’s hard to see why we should be interfering with the greys. Why would a red matter more than a grey? Both want to live. Both want to do the things that are important to them. Both suffer. (This is an animal protectionist view.)
case for ‘managing’ the greys. This isn’t straightforward. But there are some important ideas in ethics that might help.
Grey squirrel ‘management’
We think that we could helpfully talk about the ‘management’ of greys using philosophical work on killing in self- and other-defence. This work asks when it’s OK to kill or hurt other people.
What does this framework tell us about harming grey squirrels? There is – as is often the case in ethics – disagreement about when it’s OK for a human to kill another human. However, a few general ideas are relatively uncontroversial.
First, lots of ethicists agree that it is permissible to kill someone in self-defence when your life is at stake, providing the harm you cause is necessary. For example, if a murderer attacks you and you have the choice between running away and killing them, then killing them isn’t necessary to save your life, and you should run away instead.
The use of euphemisms to talk about killing means that people may support efforts to ‘manage’ greys without realising what this entails.
But if we think reds as a species are valuable, the argument becomes a little easier to make. The spread of greys across the UK does threaten the existence of reds. At least, it threatens the existence of reds here – reds aren’t in any danger of extinction in much of Europe and Asia. But we might think that there’s something particularly tragic about the loss of reds here. (This is an environmentalist view.)
Like lots of vegans, we favour animal protectionist views, rather than environmentalist views. Individual animals are thinking, feeling beings, deserving of protection. Species, on the other hand, are abstract entities, and so it’s harder to pin down why we should protect them or what it even means to protect them. And we’re worried about the idea that we can push back against the greys because they don’t ‘belong’ here – after all, that’s an idea with an ugly history. But, for all that, we don’t deny that the loss of the reds in the UK would be tragic.
For vegans who feel the pull of only animal protectionist or only environmentalist perspectives, there may not be much of a dilemma. For vegans who feel the pull of both, there will be.
We’re interested in how we should think about helping reds when we think that the greys matter, too. Or, to put it another way, we’re asking if there’s an animal protectionist
Second, lots of ethicists agree that if you’re killing in self-defence, the harm you cause must be proportionate This means, very roughly, that you shouldn’t cause more harm than you’re trying to prevent.
Proportionality depends on the harm that’s being threatened. For example, it might be OK to kill one bystander if that will stop someone killing you. But it’s not proportionate to kill one bystander to stop someone slapping you. It’s wrong for another person to slap you, but it’s not so wrong that killing a bystander is proportionate.
Third, a lot of what we can say about self-defence also applies to defending other people, or ‘other-defence’. Admittedly, some philosophers think that proportionality works differently when talking about other-defence. In selfdefence, you’re defending your own life, so proportionality may be more relaxed: your life is very valuable to you, and this affects the calculation. On the other hand, if you’re defending the life of a stranger, you should be more neutral when thinking about proportionality. The stranger being attacked shouldn’t be more valuable than the lives of bystanders. But not everyone agrees. This matters because when we’re thinking about squirrels, it’s ‘other-defence’ that matters.
What does this mean for attempts to kill greys ‘in defence of’ reds? The first question is whether killing greys is necessary to help reds. And this depends on whether there are options available to help the reds that don’t involve killing greys. We’ll get to that soon.
Even if killing greys is necessary to protect reds, we also need to consider the proportionality of killing greys. In other words, is the harm we’re causing by killing greys greater than the good we’ll bring about for reds? We’re worried that it probably is. There are a lot more greys than reds.
The Woodland Trust estimates that there are 2.7 million greys in the UK, versus between 120,000 and 160,000 reds.
This means that ‘controlling’ greys might mean killing lots of greys for the sake of a few reds, which doesn’t sound proportionate.
We haven’t proven that killing greys to protect reds is always disproportionate, but we think that it usually will be. The ethical case for controlling greys looks bleak from an animal protectionist perspective. At least, it looks bleak if we’re talking about killing greys.
Non-lethal alternatives
Perhaps, however, conservationists will be on firmer ethical ground if they help reds in ways that don’t involve killing greys.
An ongoing research project, led by the National Wildlife Management Centre (NWMC), which is part of the Animal & Plant Health Agency (an executive agency of the British government's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs), has been looking into oral contraceptives to manage populations of greys. NWMC delivers the contraceptives in a grey-specific feeding hopper – basically, a box containing food that only greys can access. This minimises the risk that other animals (including reds) eat the contraceptives. Similar projects in North America show that contraceptives can be effective in managing populations of white-tailed deer, horses and donkeys. (Sometimes contraceptives stop animals from having young; sometimes they stop the next generation from having young.)
So, could contraceptives be a permissible way to protect the reds?
We believe that feeding contraceptives to greys is not as harmful as killing them. There’s reason to believe that we harm animals when we interfere with their lives and stop them from being able to do things that they consider valuable – and that’s what we do when we prevent them from having young. But stopping an animal from being able to do one thing important to them is not as bad as stopping them from being able to do all the things important to them. And that’s what we do when we kill them. This means that, when we’re making necessity calculations, we should favour contraception over killing.
What about proportionality? This depends on two related factors. The first is how many greys need to be fed contraceptives. The second is how bad contraception is for the greys. We’ve already said that contraception is less harmful than killing. But just how much less harmful is it?
If the NWMC’s contraception-delivery method works as promised, it won’t involve capturing or hurting the greys. It’ll just involve the greys eating some food that someone has left for them. We think that it’s probably a lot worse to kill a squirrel than give them contraception in this way, even if giving them contraception means that they can’t have young. After all, having young is just one of many things that squirrels find valuable. A squirrel can still live a happy life, even if their mating attempts come to nothing. And let’s not forget that these squirrels don’t understand the idea of contraception. None of this means that there’s no problem in giving contraception to squirrels. But it does mean that, from a squirrel point of view, it’s a lot better that people feed squirrels contraceptives than people kill squirrels.
If we’re right about this, then maybe it’s OK to stop a few thousand greys from breeding, even if it will only save a handful of reds. And this means that we have a good, principled, animal-protectionist case for the non-lethal control of grey squirrel populations.
A least, we do in theory. For us, the practicalities of the NWMC project raise questions. The research is ongoing, and this means that we hope that these issues will be addressed in the future. But they remain problems for now.
Let’s take just one of these issues. Mathematical modelling carried out by the NWMC suggests that population control using contraceptives, when applied to low density populations following short-term culling, could be as effective as continuous culling. In other words, their plan still involves killing – but less than usual ‘management’ methods. As we’ve already said, we think it’s hard to imagine that killing greys is OK, even if it protects reds.
Could the NWMC adopt a plan without any killing? We hope so, and their research developing ‘management’ strategies is ongoing. But if a strategy with contraceptives and no killing won’t help the reds, then animal protectionists should oppose it, too. While the harm of contraceptives may be comparatively small, harming greys a little bit for no benefit is wrong.
Is there a vegan case for grey squirrel 'management'?
In principle, vegans could support non-lethal approaches to managing grey squirrel populations in the UK to protect red squirrels. But this depends on the expected benefits. Most importantly, based on the ideas we’ve explored, it needs to be clear that delivering contraceptives to greys will protect reds, that the expected positive outcomes for reds are proportionate to the harm caused to greys and that the harm is necessary to protect reds. Only if all three conditions are met should we support using contraceptives to control greys.
But what we’re saying here is the case in theory. In practice, we worry that an approach using contraceptives may still involve killing greys, though killing fewer than with more ‘traditional’ methods. We're opposed to this. At the same time, it’s difficult to estimate how effective contraceptives without killing would be. And if it wouldn’t actually help the reds, we oppose that, too.
Questions about controlling grey squirrel populations aren’t simple. Yes, animal protectionists will probably oppose killing greys. (We do, too.) And yes, environmentalists will probably support protecting reds. (We understand the motivation.) But by thinking about philosophies of animal rights and philosophies of self-defence together, we can see that some approaches to grey squirrel ‘management’ might be acceptable even to animal protectionists. Or, at least, they won’t seem as bad.
Ethics is a challenging discipline. Yes, some things admit of few exceptions: killing people (or animals!) for fun is wrong; giving what we can to effective charities saving the lives of people (and animals!) is a good thing. But, in the real world, most ethical issues are messier than this. When it comes to managing squirrel populations, perhaps there is no black and white but only shades of grey.
OPEN HEART
In 2021 Kim Stallwood, animal rights activist and ethical vegan of 47 years, almost died from a congenital heart condition. The only solution he was presented with was one no vegan would take lightly.
One morning in 2021 I was walking to my office in Hastings, East Sussex when I collapsed unconscious on the pavement. Fortunately, some very kind people rushed over to help me and called for an ambulance. Within minutes a medic arrived who, together with the strangers, saved my life.
Later that day, at the Conquest Hospital I learnt I was born with a heart defect which had caused the tissue in my aortic valve to atrophy.
I wasn’t allowed to go home because the doctors feared I could die if the valve failed again. I was taken to the Royal County Sussex Hospital in Brighton for open heart surgery. The cardiac surgeon explained that my dead heart valve had to be replaced with a new one. My ethical dilemma centred on what the new valve was made from.
Heart tissue
The surgeon, who had researched me on the internet, anticipated he had a patient who was going to closely question him. He was a vegetarian and understood why I was a vegan. He explained the replacement heart valve came from tissue surrounding the heart of a cow. But he assured me that this was alright, as “the cow was killed for food, and the heart tissue was a by-product.”
I told him that this didn’t make the killing ethically acceptable and asked why the tissue wasn’t made in a laboratory. They can manufacture meat in a lab. Why not the tissue that has to go into my heart? “One day,” he replied,
“that may be possible. But, today, there’s only one option.”
When you’re faced with that, really, what can you do? If I hadn’t had the surgery, I would have effectively given myself a death sentence, as my age disqualified me from having a mechanical valve.
Recovery
The surgery took five hours and involved my rib cage being sawn open and my heart being removed and operated on outside my body while I was on life support. Unsurprisingly, recovery was difficult.
The surgeon warned that I would feel as if I had been struck by a five-tonne truck. It felt more like a ten-ton bus! It took two weeks before I could walk and two months to recover. Three months after I collapsed, I was back to my full-time routine of walking every day to my office. Those months of recovery were physically challenging and emotionally distressing. I wouldn’t have survived them if it wasn’t for my partner who cared for me and arranged help from my extended family and our lovely neighbours.
Response
I posted some updates on my social media and blogged about what happened on my website. I explained how I had a new heart valve and where the tissue came from. I was nervous about some vegans criticising my decision, but I was ready to respond with, “Wait till you’re in the same position! What would you do?” But I’ve not received any criticism. Every vegan I’ve spoken to supports my decision and has said that they would do the same. A few commented about how we don’t live in a perfect world where there are only perfect choices to be made.
Image: Blossom at Hillfields Animal Sanctuary, Bromsgrove
Some of the reactions, I felt, were trivialising even though they were well-intended. “After all the animals’ lives you saved by being who you are,” they said, “don’t you think they’re giving back to you with a small amount of cow tissue in your heart?” As heartwarming as this sentiment may be, I don’t feel it.
I wonder if my veganism made it possible for my genetically defective heart valve to function longer than if I had eaten animal products. I will never know. But the doctors told me my arteries were in excellent condition without any cholesterol blocking them.
I believe the material that will be used in future operations like mine will be manufactured in a laboratory. They will be more refined, betterquality products because they won’t come out of the body of a being who has been slaughtered in a disgusting, filthy slaughterhouse. Similar technological developments have occurred in the past. For example, insulin used to be manufactured exclusively from pigs, but nowadays most medical insulin is synthetic. Synthetic options are also now available for skin and bone grafts.
KimandShelly
Medications
Until my collapse, I hardly ever took any medication. I went to the dentist. I’ve had some minor surgeries that involved drugs tested on animals or included animal ingredients. I reluctantly accepted these situations. While I was in the two hospitals for three weeks, I reluctantly but unquestioningly took every medication I was offered. For the remainder of my life, I will have to take two drugs.
Of course, I respect any vegan who disagrees with me and refuses any medication on ethical grounds. That’s their choice. Further, I feel too many over-thecounter and prescribed medications are taken, but for anyone, vegan or otherwise, the decision is yours to take.
kimstallwood.com for Kim’s writing. He is currently working on a biography of Topsy the Elephant who was electrocuted to death on Coney Island, New
I believe the material that will be used in future operations like mine will be manufactured in a laboratory. They will be more refined, better-quality products because they won’t come out of the body of a being who has been slaughtered
EVENTS
Windsor Vegan Fiesta
Saturday 11 May (10am–5pm)
Peascod Street (opposite Windsor Castle), SL4 1DG sparkleveganevents.com/windsor
Sheffield Vegan Festival
Sunday 12 May (10.30am–4.30pm)
The English Institute of Sport, Coleridge Road, Sheffield, S9 5DA veganeventsuk.co.uk
Cumbria Vegan Fair
Saturday 1 June (10am–4pm)
Penrith RUFC, Winters Park, CA11 8RQ facebook.com/events/2042059032823365
North Wales Vegan Festival
Saturday 15 June (10.30am–4.30pm)
Deeside Leisure Centre, Chester Rd W, Queensferry, Deeside, CH5 1SA
Linskill Centre, North Shields, NE30 2AY eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-shields-vegan-fair-tickets
Scotland Vegan Festival
Saturday 6 July veganeventsuk.co.uk/scotland-vegan-festival
Freedom Fields Festival
Saturday 6 – Sunday 7 July ethicalveganevents.com/etn/freedom-fields-festivalat-the-farm-animal-sanctuary
South East Vegan Festival
Saturday 13 July (10am–5pm)
Saint Mary’s Stadium, Britannia Road, Southampton, SO14 5FP facebook.com/events/189741647353433
Somerset Vegan Festival
Saturday 20 July (10.30am–4.30pm)
Hutton Moor Leisure Centre, Hutton Moor Road, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset, BS22 8LY facebook.com/SomersetVeganFest
Vegan Camp Out
Friday 26 July – Monday 29 July Bicester Heritage, Oxfordshire, OX26 5HA vegancampout.co.uk
REVIEWS
Caine, hedge fund manager and protagonist of this novel, the change comes after he almost kills his friend Birdie (not a bird but a person – get it?) by drugging her with NyQuil.
The Vegan is, in many ways, a story about conception: throughout the book, Herschel and his wife Franny are trying to conceive a baby. The book opens with Herschel’s hedge fund conceiving a new market analysing AI, prompting Herschel to reconceive whether humanity will remain the world’s highest intelligence. His conception of animals he encounters afterwards – from a red panda, to a dog, to two lizards – is permanently altered. This begs the question: as AI technology advances, will humans one day be to robots what dogs are to humans?
The Vegan is an entertaining, thought-provoking book, managing to realise a hardcore capitalist profiteer who is not simply a parody of American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman. It is sometimes hard to believe a hedge fund manager would behave in the manner of Lipstein’s protagonist, but this barely affects the enjoyment of the book. Difficult themes are explored, including sexual abuse, family illness and eating disorders, as well as complex themes such as interfaith marriage.
The writing style is enjoyable and Lipstein’s ideas engaging, but the reader does wonder, by the end of the book, whether there might have been a better story to communicate them. Though the personal dramas of Herschel’s life lead to
humanity’s relationship with animals, there are better ones out there – Don LePan’s Animals comes to mind as a shocking and thought-provoking dystopian novel. Lipstein’s The Vegan, however, is not bad.
You Are What You Eat documentary, reviewed by Registered Dietitian Emily McKee
You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment took Netflix by storm at the start of the year, but what can we take from this popular documentary?
The series is based on a 2022 study by Stanford Medicine, led by academic researcher and nutrition scientist Christophe Gardner. In the study, 22 sets of identical twins were randomly assigned to either a “balanced vegan or omnivorous diet” for eight weeks. Over four episodes spanning 45 minutes to one hour, the documentary follows the experience of four of these sets of twins.
Giving viewers a lens into the study of nutritional science, the documentary showed that eating a fully plant-based diet, even over a short period, is associated with health benefits. The person assigned the vegan diet had significantly lower levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol, improved numbers of beneficial gut bacteria, reduced body weight, increased markers of sexual arousal and lower biological age when compared to their omnivorous twin by the end of the study.
Whilst results were less conclusive for changes to body composition, it is worth noting that body composition was not looked at in the original research and only included for the documentary series. It remains to be seen whether
further research will explore this aspect of vegan diets as part of the Twins Studies.
As well as looking at health benefits, gritty filming and expert interviews explored the harms of industrial animal farming on animals and our planet. Note that graphic footage of animal exploitation in farming is included, which some may find distressing.
Land destruction, air and water pollution, antibiotic resistance and environmental racism were just some of the areas highlighted. The benefits of moving to more sustainable plant-based agriculture were explored in a solution-focused way, including case studies presented by environmental activists and farmers. Food scientists also offered insight into their work on plant-based alternative products, and how their work is being used to improve the sensory experience of these foods.
For me, You Are What You Eat is a must-watch due to its evidence-based approach which avoids overinflation of health claims. The results are allowed to speak for themselves, prompting people to consider their dietary habits not just for their own health, but also due to the impact of their decisions on the wider community and the planet.
after receiving a cancer diagnosis, inspiring him to embrace veganism. He then persuaded Anders to join him. Recently, Leif introduced Dr Daphne Bascom — a coach, surgeon and bodybuilder— as his new co-host.
Each episode dives into a different topic surrounding fitness and veganism, tackling topics such as the menopause, improving your sleep and the cost of fast fitness fixes. It focuses primarily on diets, but the hosts also address climaterelated topics. An April 2023 episode discusses the future of meat and veganism with CEO Paul Shapiro. You’ll also hear interviews with various health experts as they divulge their findings from studies and books.
This podcast is great for helping new vegans learn the basics of nutrition and fitness. The hosts motivate listeners through evidence-based nutrition tips and simple takeaways everyone can use.
One issue I have with the podcast is Leif and Anders’ lack of qualifications to give nutritional advice. Bascom, as a physician, has more credentials in this area. It’s a fact worth bearing in mind; however, the podcast’s guests often take the role of being the qualified expert, with the presenters teasing useful information out of them.
