Did you see our research piece last year on veganism and masculinity? Due to the underrepresentation of men in vegan circles, we want to understand the perceived barriers and support more men to go and stay vegan. Our feature article in this issue is tied to this important topic, exploring the experience of vegan men in Brazil (page 6).
You can also enjoy a fantastic interview with Paul and Jason, otherwise known as Those Vegan Guys (page 16). A couple from Manchester, Paul and Jason are doing brilliant work promoting veganism through short videos on YouTube and Instagram. In 2023 we registered a pioneering product with the Vegan
Trademark – the world’s first vegan violin. Holly Johnson explores the topic of vegan musical instruments, speaking to instrument makers who are breaking the mould (page 35).
Our Deep Dive feature is by Joyce D’Silva, author of Animal Welfare in World Religion, about the religious teachings relating to animal rights and whether faith groups around the world uphold these values (page 30).
We have included three delicious recipes, all featuring berries, from Frankie Paz’s new book Plant Feasts (page 10). The blueberry cheesecake is especially stunning – a feast for the eyes as well as your taste buds! Email editor@vegansociety.com and let us know if you tried making any of the recipes or if you have a comment on any other topic explored in this issue.
Elena Orde, Editor
FROM THE CEO
I hope this edition of our magazine finds you well. A personal highlight from the last few weeks has been attending the Vegan Women Summit in Hollywood, USA. As well as being involved in talks and panels, the Trademark Team hosted a certification workshop. The event’s aim was to inspire, educate and empower future and rising women leaders on how to bring compassion to their career and industry. It was motivational to see the incredible work which continues to be done by women in the vegan movement. In recent months I took part in a panel on food allergies
in Manchester. I also met with the CEOs of the Vegetarian Society and ProVeg International to discuss the latest in the movement and how our organisations’ work can complement each other’s in the pursuit of shared aims.
I am excited to say that our newest campaign, Conscious Choices, launched in May and has been received well. Conscious Choices is all about showing that veganism is a lifestyle – not just a diet – and highlighting that we can all make small decisions every day which are kinder to animals. You can read more about the campaign on page 3.
Thank you to everyone who attended our AGM on 18 May and those of you who submitted your votes beforehand. It was great to see so many of you engaging with the democratic process. You can see the AGM results on page 25.
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 GAZ
HIGHLIGHTS
star Verity Bowditch. They talk about their journeys to veganism and the need for the beauty industry to be more transparent about where – or from whom – its ingredients are sourced.
To celebrate the launch, we gave away four Vegan Trademark beauty bundles in May and June. We also released a cosmetics quiz to help our followers understand how to make choices which are kinder to animals. Our Conscious Choices shopper’s guide can be downloaded from our website and is a handy at-a-glance resource to help you understand what makes a product vegan and how to swap them into your daily routines.
Media highlights
intentionally contain products of animal origin, and reasonable and practical steps to prevent cross contamination are taken. However, it is important to note that trace amounts of animal products may still be present in food that has been prepared in a non-vegan environment, making them unsuitable for allergy sufferers.
Research news
DrKateGoldie from our ResearcherNetwork
We recently commended the National Trust for its inclusive decision to sell dairy-free scones amid criticism accusing the Trust of “too much wokery”. In a letter penned to the National Trust’s Director General, Vegan Society CEO Steve Hamon said that the choice is “inclusive … as well as being a better choice for the environment and animals.”
We published a number of new articles to the Research News section of our website, including ‘Vigils and Witnessing in Animal Rights Activism’ by Dr Stephen Cooke, ‘Making Veganism go the Distance in Environmentalism’ by Robin Struber and ‘How Not to Age’ by Dr Michael
At the start of June, we hosted our second On the Pulse webinar of the year. The presentation featured Dr Kate Goldie from our Researcher Network, who delved into the diverse and often overlooked lives of pigs beyond traditional agricultural settings. Keep an eye out for future On the Pulse events on our social media platforms.
Conscious Choices highlights the animals used in the beauty and cosmetics industries
New education resources
This year, The Vegan Society's Education Network has created many valuable online resources for vegan families and educators with vegan learners.
The Education Resources page on our website now features a new video titled What is Vegan-Inclusive Education? featuring the Education Network and their children. There are also downloadable template letters for families requesting vegan-inclusive practices, covering topics such as school food, chick-duck hatcheries, art materials and visiting a zoo.
Educators can also access the How to be Vegan-Inclusive in Your Everyday Practice booklet and our latest resource, the Vivi the Supervegan Teaching and Learning Pack, which contains differentiated worksheets designed for Year 1 educators to use in the teaching of key skills.
Best of the blogs
Have you been keeping up with the latest articles at vegansociety.com/blog? We recently celebrated Chinese New Year with a blog from chef Yang Liu, all about her background in cooking. The piece also included four delicious Chinese recipes.
spiced coconut floss.
You can also find several blogs linked to the Conscious Choices campaign, all related to vegan beauty. Take your pick from a vegan drag queen’s journey with make-up to 10 swaps to make your beauty routine kinder to animals and several more.
We highlighted Ramadan with a blog by mother and son Nora and Ryza, who wrote about how their faith is intertwined with veganism. They also shared vegan recipes for Ramadan including rice porridge, fried crispy tempeh and
TeachingandLearningPack
Nutrition highlights ay, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, the Nutrition Team attended a wellbeing event at Imperial College Business School in London. We also delivered sessions to Vegan Society staff, including a live cook-along and a talk on nutrition and wellbeing.
Dietitian Emily McKee recorded a podcast on veganism for Young at Heart in April. We also ran a survey to gather information on vegans’ experiences of using NHS services, which will inform future outreach work.
recent episode of our podcast, The Vegan Pod, asked, ‘Can art be used as a form of vegan activism?’ Two vegan artists, Rebecca Lanyon Wilmott and Philip McCullochDowns, talked about how their veganism intersects with their artwork, using art as a form of activism and how to ensure all of your art materials are animal-friendly.
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 views.
Vivithe Supervegan
Chef Yang Liu's Wontons in Chili Oil
Fundraising
In April we launched our new partnership with Evergreen Insurance Services. If you are looking to buy travel, home, motor, gadget or business insurance, Evergreen can provide you with a no-obligation quotation. If you do choose to purchase a policy or request a quote, The Vegan Society will receive a generous donation of up to 25% of the net commission received (excluding Insurance Premium Tax) to support our work. Visit evergreeninsuranceservices.co.uk to find out more.
Please note that the various policies offered may not be vegan due to current industry standards and the availability of vegan underwriters. However, unlike when you take out your usual policies, Evergreen allows the policyholder to support the work of the society.
In the lead-up to our 80th Anniversary celebrations, running for 12 months from November 2024, we welcome your fundraising ideas big and small. If you would like to hold your own fundraising event or know of a business that would like to collaborate, please get in touch with us via email at fundraising@vegansociety.com or call 0121 507 9987. We look forward to hearing from you!
Volunteers
The Community Network have been very busy promoting Plate Up for The Planet. 45 posters are now displayed around a variety of public venues across the UK, including cafes and libraries. These posters encourage the general public to download an e-book and make ‘one little switch’ to their eating habits to help protect our planet. We are sending a huge thank you to our wonderful volunteers, who give our campaigns such wide exposure across the UK!
Vegan Towns
You may remember Vegan Towns, our initiative to help local
very busy updating and revamping our resources to help you speak to your local independent cafes and restaurants and to encourage them to increase their variety of tasty and welllabelled plant-based options. Keep an eye out on our usual platforms to see when these resources are ready!
Vegan Kids Festival
Vegan Kids Festival is taking place in Bristol between 30 August and 1 September. We are very excited to say that Vegan Society Education Officer Laura Chepner is attending and will run an activity for the kids this year.
Event manager Dana says, “Vegan children can often feel quite isolated in their schools or local communities, often being the only vegan in their class or whole school. The beauty of the festival is the sense of community and allowing kids to be themselves where everything is aimed just for them.”
Vegan Towns is our initiative to help local communities make their towns more vegan-friendly
VeganKids Festival
To find out how men living in the state of Rio Grande do Sul navigate being vegan, I spoke with several vegan men from different socioeconomic, racial and sexual orientation backgrounds living in Porto Alegre.
Geraldo and his partner Isabel
VEGANISM AND MASCULINITY IN BRAZIL
Kathryn Lum interviews several Brazilian men about the role veganism plays in their identity
Soon after arriving in Brazil, I was chatting with a colleague. When the topic of my diet came up, he asked, “but how will you integrate into Brazilian culture?”
While veganism has gained greater visibility in recent years, with new vegan restaurants and shops opening across Brazil, vegans remain socially and culturally stigmatised and excluded. There are tellingly no official figures on the number of vegans in Brazil. In the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, famous for its churrasco or barbequed meat culture, veganism is perceived as not just ‘extreme’ or an oddity but as going against the grain of the very culture itself. Vegan men are seen as deviating from respectable, dominant masculinity.
To find out how men living in the state of Rio Grande do Sul navigate being vegan, I spoke with several vegan men from different socioeconomic, racial and sexual orientation backgrounds living in Porto Alegre, the state capital.
‘Coming out’
As most of the men I spoke with are relatively new to veganism, having transitioned within the last five years, the first major challenge they encounter is 'coming out' to family and friends. Marcos said, “My family still think it is weird. My mother was at first concerned I would fall ill and lack vitamins, even though I am the healthiest person in my family! She is now OK, but I avoid going there at mealtimes. Recently, when we got together for her birthday, there was nothing for me to eat.”
Edson shared how he had to make a huge effort to prove the normality of a vegan diet. “When I told my family, my older sister accused me of being a fussy eater. My relatives, who live in the countryside, were even worse. They would say things like, ‘You don't even eat fish or sausage? What do you eat? What will we cook for you?’ They reacted with complete desperation. I started to bring vegan dishes to share with them, to break this image of vegan food being impossible and difficult.”
The toughest family experience was related by Júnior, who described how his deeply conservative family still has not accepted his or his wife’s veganism. “My mother reacted very badly. She even stopped speaking to me for a time. She accused me of complicating the life of everyone,
Since becoming vegan, I have distanced myself from my friends from high school.
of excluding myself and not eating with them, when she has never made an effort to include us. She makes passive aggressive jokes. On Sundays, when they make churrasco, they never offer us a real vegan option, only polenta or a side dish, such as salad. I have tried to share some vegan food with them, but my father won't touch it and my mother says that all vegan food is fake.”
These accounts show the deep social prejudice and stigma against veganism in families across the socioeconomic spectrum. While Júnior comes from an upper-middle class family, Marcos and Edson come from working class families, and both grew up in poor neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Porto Alegre. Prejudice against veganism also cuts across racial lines – white, black and brown men alike described struggling with misunderstanding on the part of family members.
Friendships
Breaking the news to, and finding understanding among, non-vegan friends can be equally challenging. This was the case for Geraldo, who faced social prejudice among friends and in customer service. As a white, middle-class, straight man, this was a novel experience: “Becoming vegan, I experienced what it was like to feel excluded for the first time. With my family, it was OK because I had always been different, but with friends, it was difficult. Over time, my new friends are vegans – it is so much easier.”
Júnior related a similar experience. “I know very few vegan men. Masculine socialising is always full of meat. You are just excluded from this world. Since becoming vegan, I have distanced myself from my friends from high school.”
Luigi has gone even further. “I surround myself with likeminded people. I live in a bubble because I don’t want to face prejudice and jokes when socialising. I stay away from macho men.”
Alternative masculinities
The relationship between veganism and masculinity is individual to each vegan Brazilian man. The stereotype that associates veganism with effeminacy and homosexuality, however, means that vegan men are forced to become more aware of their masculine identity. While vegan men living in Brazil are a diverse group, just like in any other country, the majority tend to be more critical of dominant masculinity. As Brazilian vegan men are viewed as automatically less masculine for not eating meat, they have found ways of affirming their masculinity that eschew not only meat eating but also, as my interviewees described it, ‘alpha’ masculinity.
Edson, who identifies as bisexual, began rejecting dominant masculinity as a young boy. “Growing up, I experienced a process of repulsion in relation to alpha masculinity. I never wanted to be like that. My father, within the home, represented alpha masculinity. He was never present in my life. My paternal grandfather showed me that there were other ways of being a man.”
For Edson, embracing veganism went hand-in-hand with developing a political consciousness as a black man while at university. His desire to construct an alternative masculinity
has helped him navigate multiple instances of patriarchal prejudice directed specifically at vegan men, such as when the uncle of a former girlfriend claimed that he would not be able to take care of her properly on account of not eating meat. Edson stated that “veganism has consolidated my own style of masculinity that is less strict. This can turn some people off, as they associate it with femininity, but I don’t care.”
For Orlando, being a straight vegan man in Brazil, and even more so in Rio Grande do Sul state, requires one to be confident and secure both in one's veganism and in one's masculinity: “Masculinity is very fragile here. If I use a blue umbrella, my father will make fun of me, saying why am I using a woman's umbrella, because of the colour. I am comfortable and confident in my masculinity, but if you aren’t, you will have a rough time. All over Brazil, it is more difficult to be a male vegan (compared to female vegans), and in Rio Grande do Sul it is even worse.”
André related that he suffers much more for being trans than being vegan. “I have not suffered a lot for being vegan but more so for being a trans man. People perceive a certain femininity in me for being trans, and the prejudice is more because I am a trans man, which they see first. In a patriarchal society, men who are dissident in any way are considered to be less manly or gay, but in my case, I am already an outsider.”
For André, who has recently opened a vegan cafe in Porto Alegre, the discrimination against trans people is so strong in Brazil, that he has not had to struggle with losing any form of male privilege. The prejudice he faces as a vegan pales in comparison to the hatred directed at him for being trans in a country that has the highest murder rate against trans people in the world.
Intersectionality
Geraldo affirmed that his veganism was intersectional in nature. “I became radicalised in the left against pornography, against women as a product, just like animals should not be products. It was me who first became vegan, not my girlfriend, although most people think it was the other way around! Since becoming vegan, through my girlfriend and our vegan Instagram page, I have become more conscious. It
is all interlinked – veganism without intersectionality is simply cuisine.”
This sentiment was echoed by Júnior. For him, veganism was the culmination of a long journey towards greater awareness about the interlinked nature of all forms of oppression: “Veganism was the last step for me in terms of my politicisation … I see a connection, veganism forms part of this ecosystem against oppression, domination and capitalism. But not all vegans see this intersectionality.”
Vegan men who are a minority within a minority, such as trans and black men, face additional challenges in this area. Black vegan men experience vegan spaces that tend to be very white, often lacking in anti-racist consciousness.
As perhaps the most meat-focused state in Brazil, where homes that don't have a special wall-fitted barbeque for the weekly churrasco tradition are considered to be lacking, being vegan and male also means being positioned as not fully or properly gaúcho, the regional term for someone from the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Orlando related how in one of his WhatsApp groups, a fellow group member made the comment that “A gaúcho can't be vegan”. When Orlando retorted that he was proudly both, the other man was quick to defend himself, saying that it was just a joke. “I personally wasn't offended by what he said, but his ‘joke’ revealed prejudice.” While some vegan men continue to assert a gaúcho identity, others, such as Júnior, no longer identify as gaúcho but rather as Rio Grandense, wanting no part of a regional identity that they associate with racism, sexism, homophobia and anti-veganism.
Against all odds
Despite battling these cultural stereotypes, whether with their families, in friendships and dating or in relation to ‘alpha’ men, vegan men continue to challenge dominant notions of masculinity and resist definitions of what it means to be a gaúcho. Against all odds, the vegan movement in Brazil continues to grow. As it gains in visibility, traditional masculinities are increasingly giving way to vegan men who are confident and proud in their difference.
All of the names in this article are pseudonyms.
In a patriarchal society, men who are dissident in any way are considered to be less manly.
André
PLANT FEASTS
Three vibrant berry recipes from Frankie Paz’s new book
SQUAT PANCAKES
Approximately 12 pancakes Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
3 medium-ripe bananas
180 g/1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp ground flaxseeds
375 ml/1 ½ cups oat milk
½ tsp coconut oil
For the raspberry chia jam
350 g/2 ¾ cups frozen raspberries
2 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp chia seeds
These super-simple pancakes were conjured up while I was living in a squat in East London. It was porridge that kept me warm day and night, yet my taste buds craved more. I looked in the cupboard to see what I could cook up, and all I had were oats, bananas and milk. So, I blended what I had, and behold, the squat pancake was born.
Stack them and serve with coconut yoghurt, raspberry chia jam, fresh fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Directions
First make the jam. Add the raspberries to a saucepan and bring them to the boil. Add the maple syrup and lemon zest before turning the heat down and letting it simmer for about 10 minutes. Leave it to cool for 5 minutes, then add the chia seeds, stir and leave to set for an hour.
In the meantime, put the bananas, oats and flaxseeds into a blender, then pour in the oat milk bit by bit, blending until you get the consistency of cake batter.
Heat the coconut oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium–low heat. Spoon about 3 tbsp of the batter per pancake into the pan and cook for a few minutes on both sides until golden brown. Cook the pancakes in batches until all the batter is used up.
Plant Feasts by Frankie Paz is published by Nourish Books.
Photography by Hannah Bodsworth.
Ingredients
280 g/scant 2 cups cashews
1 tsp ground ginger
180 g/1 ¼ cups pitted dates, chopped (I use Deglet Noor)
40 g/½ cup unsweetened desiccated/dried shredded coconut
A pinch of salt
½ tbsp coconut oil, melted
For the filling
350 g/scant 2 ½ cups cashews, soaked for 4–6 hours, then drained
150 g/1 cup frozen wild blueberries, defrosted
6 tbsp maple syrup (or agave syrup)
½ tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp lemon juice
250 ml/1 cup water
8 tbsp coconut oil, melted
WILD BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE
Time: 25 minutes + 4–6 hours soaking + 3 hours to set in the freezer or overnight in the refrigerator
This cheesecake represents the pure joy of nature. Every time I share this dish, people always ask if the colour is natural. The wild blueberry, with all its revitalising power, nourishes the body and makes the spirit smile. The ginger and coconut base complements the fruity berry cheesecake filling perfectly. It’s an ideal dessert for summer or even when the skies are grey and you want something that will just brighten up your day.
Directions
To make the base, pulse the cashews, ginger, dates, desiccated coconut and salt in a food processor until broken down, then add the melted coconut oil and blend until the mixture is starting to stick together and form a dough. Spoon the dough into the tart pan, pressing down firmly to cover the bottom.
To make the filling, blend the soaked cashews, wild blueberries, maple syrup, nutritional yeast and lemon juice in the blender, adding the water bit by bit. You want a thick, smooth consistency. If the filling is too thick, add another tbsp of water. Add the melted coconut oil and blend until well combined.
Pour the filling into the tart pan. Place in the freezer for a minimum of 3 hours or in the refrigerator overnight. If frozen it needs to thaw at room temperature before cutting and serving.
Makes 9 slices
Ingredients
180 g/1 cup rolled oats
180 g/1 ½ cups ground almonds
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground ginger
5 tbsp agave syrup
120 ml/ ½ cup melted coconut oil
For the strawberry chia jam
350 g/2 cups ripe strawberries, chopped (or you can use frozen)
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 tsp lemon juice
2 drops of geranium essential oil, or 1 tbsp chopped dried rose petals (optional)
2 tbsp chia seeds
GINGER-INFUSED STRAWBERRY OAT BAKE
Time: 45 minutes
Inspired by the beloved fruit crumble, these breakfast bars remind me of my childhood. They feel like a dessert, yet chia seeds and almonds add extra nourishment. I add a little ground cardamom for a subtle aphrodisiac.
I vary the jammiest of jams with what’s in season: strawberries for summer, raspberries and blackberries for autumn and rhubarb for the winter.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200 °C/400 °F/Gas Mark 6 and line a 20 cm x 20 cm square baking pan with baking parchment.
First, make the jam. Place the strawberries in a saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the agave syrup, lemon juice and geranium oil or rose petals, if using, and cook for 10 minutes until the strawberries are soft. You can crush them with a fork as you go. Then turn off the heat, add the chia seeds, stir well and set aside. In a bowl, mix the oats, ground almonds, cardamom and ginger. Add the agave syrup and melted coconut oil and stir well. Spoon three quarters of the oat mix into the lined pan and spread it out evenly. Spread over the strawberry jam, then scatter the remaining oat mix over the top. Pop it in the oven for 30 minutes until the top starts to golden. Leave it to cool in the tin before cutting it into 9 pieces. The bake will last up to 5 days in the fridge.
Paul and Stuart - the Vegan Queens
I think it's really important to have more links between veganism and LGBTQIA. Queer people have invariably been through personal oppression or have witnessed oppression.
THOSE VEGAN GUYS
Ursula Watson chats to Paul and Jason, a married couple from Manchester, who share down to earth videos on their growing YouTube channel
Paul and Jason’s vegan journey began ten years ago. “It was a documentary called Vegucated,” remembers Paul. “We were already vegetarian at that point. We watched it at the beginning of 2014 and that was the day that broke me. We were vegan from that day.”
Paul has a background in drama and has worked as a TV host. “I'm going to call us a power couple,” he says, “because we've done a lot in our hometown, Oldham. We've run a cycle club, a nonprofit arts organisation and a theatre company that toured around the country tackling homophobia. We've always been philanthropic. We've never expected monetary gain, we just enjoy doing good things together, and that bled into the YouTube. In 2017 we decided we’d found our feet, as vegans. We then wanted to share our knowledge with those who might be at the start of their journey.” And so Those Vegan Guys was born.
Down to earth
Paul and Jason often film their supermarket shopping trips to show the range of vegan products available. “That's partly the reason for the channel,” says Paul. “We were seeing a lot of questions in online vegan groups, such as ‘Where can I buy a vegan soup?’ And so many of the comments were suggesting people make their own, instead of answering the question.”
Jason agrees, “We know it comes from a good place, but it isn't always particularly helpful for new vegans. They just want a simple answer. People might not want to make their own.”
There is a link on the channel for a free e-book to help those starting their vegan journey. Paul says, “I just thought there should be more free stuff out there. It's not done professionally, but it's absolutely cram-packed full of information and recipes that are fairly easy for people to use.”
A standout feature of the channel is the weekly live streams which are attended by a regular and faithful community. Paul says, “We have had so many messages on Instagram, emails and Facebook saying ‘I found your channel and I’m still vegan’. I think that's partly down to our down to earth approach. People feel they can connect with us.”
During lockdown, Jason and Paul live-streamed their Christmas day lunch and have continued to do so every year since. “I'm really proud of the fact that we talk about
mental health and wellbeing,” says Jason. “I think when you go vegan and you open your eyes to all of that, it can have a significant impact. The world can be a hard place sometimes, so it's nice for people to be able to come and watch, get involved with the live stream and chat online to others who are watching. It’s a bit of escapism for an hour and a half, and viewers can connect with people from all over the world –that's the lovely part.”
Paul agrees. “We have dozens of people join us on every live stream who just really enjoy each other's company, they're not paying attention to us at all. That's gorgeous, because they are there forming friendships with each other.”
The Vegan Queens
Paul is one half of a drag act, the Vegan Queens, with his friend Stuart Crowther. Together they have performed at many Pride events over the years. “We introduce ourselves, and we explain why we are the Vegan Queens. We point out that every bit of make-up on our faces, and everything we're wearing, is completely 100% vegan, and you can do it too. Then we sing cabaret!”
Jason adds, “I think it's really important to have more links between veganism and LGBTQIA because people who are LGBTQIA have invariably either been through personal oppression or have witnessed oppression. We are able to ask people to make the link. If you feel oppressed, imagine how the animals feel.”
The Vegan Queens have filmed a poignant video with vegan charity Gen V on the link between speciesism and homophobia. Last year they were invited by the charity to join their high-profile campaign asking Rishi Sunak to go vegan for a month. “A campaign like that is very much about using that platform and messaging. It's about all of that traffic around London, all seeing those placards, meeting the fabulous Vegan Queens in Parliament Square, and it's
being able to drive that message to hundreds and hundreds of people if not thousands. Sometimes if you've got a really serious and important message that you want to deliver, it’s often better received with a bit of humour. And that's something that the Vegan Queens are brilliant at.”
This year they have been promoting Viva’s 50 by 25 campaign, asking restaurants to become 50% vegan by 2025. Paul says, “The campaigns have all been really fun, which is a great type of activism.”
Future Plans
In 2023 the Vegan Queens performed at Vegan Campout. “What became very apparent is there is a massive LGBTQIA community at Vegan Camp Out,” says Jason, who made a solo appearance onstage to perform his song Choices which raises money for the Farm Animal Rescue Sanctuary in Warwickshire. The Vegan Queens were a crowd favourite and are back again this year to host two nights of cabaret and another solo performance by Jason.
In the meantime, Paul has another project. “I've signed a deal to publish my children's book, Penny the Pigeon Queen.” The book was written after seeing children often run at or stalk the birds. “Pigeons are often the first wild animals that we come into contact with, and if we allow children to dominate and oppress and frighten them, we're already saying that it's OK to do that to animals.”
Jason adds, “It's the first opportunity for a parent to teach compassion for animals to a child. I’m proper proud of Paul, and I'm really proud of Helen Woods Horley who did the artwork. The story in itself is beautiful, and it goes right back to philanthropy, putting good out there into the world consciously and subconsciously.”
Visit youtube.com/thoseveganguys to find Jason and Paul’s videos.
I'm really proud of the fact that we talk about mental health and wellbeing.
Paul and Jason at The Barnival
VOLUNTEER OF THE SEASON
Meet Shamala Govindasamy, a fantastic volunteer who has been assisting with proofreading tasks.
Why do you volunteer?
I volunteer as a proofreader to put my passion for animals and the environment into practice. Working with other committed people feels like a great way to use my skill set while giving, growing and gaining experience. The focus and attention to detail required for proofreading means I have gained knowledge in a lot of different areas, whilst engaging with a group of impressive, engaged volunteers. I highly recommend volunteering at The Vegan Society as a way of contributing to the cause with the skills and time you have to hand.
Tell us about your career so far.
My first big job was running buses from the UK to India overland via Iran and Pakistan, which involved plenty of challenges (burst tyres, resisting bribes at borders, no water in the desert…) The positives included tasty street food and interesting people. I eventually moved on to Teaching English as a Second Language to asylum seekers then on to project management working for Reuters media, local government, universities and the health sector. At present I manage the national safeguarding programme in Public Health Wales.
What has being vegan taught you?
Being vegan has taught me that a compassionate way of living is possible, fulfilling and fun! It has further encouraged
me to align my actions with my values in all aspects of my life – environmentalism in particular. I’m also amazed at how much veganism has expanded my diet. I’ve now been vegan for seven years after 35 years of vegetarianism and continue to find new foods and cuisines to experiment with. As an added bonus my hay fever of 26 years totally disappeared, and has stayed away, after 14 months of veganism!
How do you spend your time when you’re not volunteering or working?
I run, do hot yoga, swim and practise creative writing. I live in Swansea, Wales, so the Gower Peninsula is close by for windy walks and coastal dips. I grew up in Malaysia and Australia (Sydney is my hometown) with English-Indian parents, which means plenty of travel to see family. I enjoy cooking and experimenting with food. South Indian and Malay are my heritage foods with dosa, uthappam, laksa and gado-gado as top favourites. My partner and I have four awesome bio and step kids between us.
What would a more vegan world look like to you?
A vegan world would be one where humans and animals lived in harmony and without cruelty. Food production would be considered on a global basis with fairtrade agreements and respect for the environment, where everyone is a friend of the earth.
SHOPAROUND
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Lola’s Vegan Cupcake Box
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Shone Knitwear
Shone is a statement knitwear brand that uses vegan and sustainably sourced plant-based fibres to create unique and visually striking designs. With the aim to push the boundaries of what knitwear can achieve, Shonagh, the designer behind Shone, plays with the juxtaposition of delicate, lace-like knitwear made with chunky yarn for a strong feminine aesthetic with a difference. Vegan fashion fans will love this exciting British designer who now has a range of certified vegan products. Available at shonedesigns.com
Joe & Seph’s Gourmet Popcorn
Joe & Seph’s vegan popcorn collection delivers all the same indulgent caramel goodness as their non-vegan flavours, with butter simply swapped out for olive oil in their caramel base. It’s perfect for those who enjoy a plant-based lifestyle and never want to compromise on taste and is available in several delicious flavours, including Salted Caramel, Toffee Apple & Cinnamon, and Coconut & Cacao. Joe & Seph’s Gourmet Popcorn is air popped, never fried and handmade in small batches in their London kitchen with top-quality ingredients. Available at Ocado and joeandsephs.co.uk
Lucy Bee SPF 30 Serum Drops
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MEMBERSHIP
Humane wildlife solutions
I was very interested in the letter from David Gibbons on humane ‘pest’ control (Issue 2, 2024). As a surveyor for 25 years, responsible for over 100 residential letting units, this was a constant problem.
Most of the ‘pest problems’, infestations of rodents or ants, were helped by sending advice to tenants, basically to cut off food sources. If there is no food, almost all rodents and ants will disappear very quickly indeed.
That sounds pretty basic, but it is not something everyone understands without prompting. Lots of people have lots of strange ideas about what attracts mice, rats, ants – but it is usually the fundamental need to eat!
Star Letter
I enjoyed reading the articles ‘Shades of Grey’ and ‘Open Heart’ in the latest issue of The Vegan. It is good to have your principles challenged from time to time, as both articles have done.
One option for grey squirrel control that Drs Van Goozen and Milburn do not mention in their article is reintroducing pine martens – a native species of mammal that is critically endangered in England and Wales. Like other grey squirrel control measures this is not without its drawbacks, but vegans might be happier to have a natural predator of squirrels doing the controlling, rather than humans with our crude and often unpredictable measures.
Paul Appleby
Congratulations to Paul, who has won a 500 ml Laundry Liquid bottle and a 500 ml Fabric Conditioner bottle from Fill Refill (@fill_co). Next issue’s winner will receive a Green People Scent-Free SPF30 Sun Cream (200 ml, worth £31). Send your letters to editor@vegansociety.com or our usual postal address.
Membership news Events
So far this year members of staff from The Vegan Society have attended the Bristol Vegan Fayre on 30 March and the Manchester Metropolitan University Sustainability Festival on 7 June. They enjoyed meeting old and new members and chatting to the general public about The Vegan Society's work.
We will also be at the following events this year. Please do come and say hello. If you complete our quiz, you can pick up some goodies from our trademark holders.
Mike Bird
Vegan Camp Out, Bicester, 26–28 July
Vegan Party Conference, London, 28–29 September
Birmingham Vegan Festival, 12 October
Vegan Life Live, London, 18–20 October
Benjamin Zephaniah Day, MAC Birmingham, 2pm on 1 September.
Discounts
Members of The Vegan Society can receive 10% off our multivitamin VEG 1. In addition to this, there are over 100 third-party discounts which companies offer to members of The Vegan Society. These include the ever-popular 10% off at Holland & Barrett. Redeem this discount by showing your membership card in-store or using code ‘vegan10’ online. You can also receive 20% off at The Body Shop by quoting code 11861 at the till or online.
This summer why not:
• Stock up on suncare products with 15% off at Green People.
• Choose a plastic-free solid skincare formulation with 20% off at SBTRCT Skincare.
• Indulge in a bottle of Prodolce vegan sparkling wine with 10% off.
• Try out a dog shampoo for your companion animal with 25% off at Faith in Nature
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.
Annual General Meeting 2024
Thank you to all the members who took part in the voting process and to those who attend the AGM and contributed to the discussion. Your time is greatly appreciated. The full breakdown of the results has been posted in the members’ area of the website on the 2024 AGM page. This is accessible once you log in to your online membership account. If you would like help to access the results or don’t have internet access, please contact membership@vegansociety.com or call 0121 8279 905.
All resolutions passed. Most were very straightforward with over 90% of the votes cast being for the proposal.
A special resolution was proposed to change Object b of our charitable objectives. The proposal would mean changing our aim from ‘To relieve elderly vegans who are in conditions of need’ to ‘To relieve all vegans who are in conditions of need’. This was tabled because we received two separate members’ proposals requesting it. After a discussion, Council decided to put this to the AGM as a Council proposal. This passed with over 80% of votes, with or without the chair’s discretionary votes.
The second Special Resolution was proposed by Council to try to address the problem of losing trustees with experience who wish to serve their full term.
We will now approach the Charity Commission for their approval of these Special Resolutions.
All new candidates were voted in comfortably and we welcomed Rodger Armstrong, Chapman Chen, Linda Russell and Paras Shar to the Council of The Vegan Society. Sadly, Rodger has since resigned.
We also thank the outgoing trustees, Donald Lee, Mellissa Morgan and Peter Smith for their invaluable contribution to Council over the last two to three years and send our best wishes to them for their future activities.
Try out a dog shampoo for your companion animal with 25% off at Faith in Nature.members
VITAMIN B12 FACTS
evolves. But why is this nutrient
vitamin needed to produce red blood cells and keep our nervous systems healthy.
Fortified foods and supplementation are the only proven, reliable sources of vitamin B12 for vegans, as plants cannot produce this vitamin. Some plant foods, including some algae such as spirulina, contain B12 analogues – inactive relatives of vitamin B12 that can cause false readings when measuring B12 levels via blood tests.
Other plant foods, including duckweed, chlorella, various seaweeds and mushrooms have all been claimed to contain B12 but have yet to be proven as a reliable source for humans.
For plant sources of B12 to be safe and effective, they must provide adequate quantities of active B12 and maintain B12 status in humans. Throughout decades of scientific experiments, only fortified foods and supplements have proven to be reliable sources.
Fortified foods and supplementation are the only proven, reliable sources of vitamin B12 for vegans, as plants cannot produce this vitamin.
B12 evidence-based recommendations for vegans
Vitamin B12 is absorbed better in small, frequent amounts, which is why recommendations vary considerably between fortified foods and supplementation.
The Vegan Society recommends incorporating at least one of the following into your routine to meet your B12 needs:
• Eat fortified foods two to three times a day to get at least three micrograms (mcg or µg) of B12.
• Take a daily B12 supplement providing at least 10 mcg.
• Take a weekly B12 supplement providing at least 2000 mcg.
The Vegan Society’s recommendations consider both national and international recommendations, aiming to reliably avoid B12 deficiency. Each of these recommendations should provide at least 1.5 mcg of
absorbed vitamin B12 per day on average (regardless of whether supplements are taken with or without food), meeting the UK’s adult reference nutrient intake (RNI) and US dietary reference intake (DRI), inclusive of those who are pregnant or lactating. The World Health Organisation makes the same recommendations as the USA.
There is no upper limit for vitamin B12 intake and therefore there is no harm in combining supplements and fortified foods. However, no benefits have been shown from blood levels above the normal range, so it is prudent not to exceed 5000 mcg per week. Very high doses of vitamin B12 can lead to exceptionally high blood levels, in some cases leading to unwarranted health investigations (as certain illnesses can also cause elevated blood B12 levels).
Relevant studies
Medicine (IOM) states that: "Since 10–30% of older people may malabsorb food-bound B12, it is advisable for those older than 50 to meet their RDA mainly by consuming foods fortified with B12 or a B12-containing supplement."
As this is standard practice for vegans, it does not alter our recommendations; however, those with impaired absorption of B12 from moderate dose supplements or fortified foods may find weekly supplementation of 2000 mcg is the best option, as it does not rely on normal intrinsic factor in the gut.
The relationship between B12, folate and homocysteine
Cyanocobalamin is the form of vitamin B12 recommended when choosing supplements.
Some studies suggest that vitamin B12 status continues to measurably improve with up to 4–6 mcg of dietary intake per day – corresponding to absorbed amounts of around 2.5 mcg, matching average diets for Western omnivores. Those wishing to match this would need higher intakes than the recommendations above. One option is to consume B12 supplementation twice a day rather than once a day, for example, splitting a VEG 1 tablet and consuming each half of the tablet four hours apart with food. This will double absorption of vitamin B12 while leaving absorption of other nutrients unchanged. Other options include combining fortified foods with a daily supplement at different times of the day or taking the weekly high dose supplement on an empty stomach.
A short-term trial measuring B12 levels in adult vegans indicated that supplementation doses of either 50 mcg once a day (expected to give about 2 mcg absorbed B12) or 1000 mcg twice a week (taken on an empty stomach for three months) are adequate to give good average B12 status. However, this study did not consider background B12 intakes from other sources and did not compare any other doses. The difference in absorption between a 50 mcg tablet (2 mcg) and a 10 mcg tablet (1.5 mcg) is unlikely to make a substantial difference.
What might affect my B12 status?
Some adults may absorb B12 less efficiently than others. This includes people with malabsorption issues (e.g. untreated coeliac disease), people who take metformin and people who lack a protein that aids B12 absorption known as intrinsic factor (more common in adults over 65). Some studies have shown that very high supplementary doses of vitamin B12 are required to minimise methylmalonic acid (MMA) levels in people over 65 who initially showed elevated MMA, but it is not clear that this gives a health benefit. It may also be recommended for adults over 50, regardless of dietary pattern, to supplement vitamin B12, due to the effects of reduced stomach acid. The US Institute of
A B12 deficiency can lead to high levels of homocysteine, which although potentially dangerous may not create overt symptoms. Homocysteine is an amino acid that can cause detrimental effects if blood levels are elevated.
High levels are associated with stroke, dementia, pregnancy complications and early mortality. Vitamin B12 and folate help to clear homocysteine from the body, which is another reason why daily greens and vitamin B12 intake are so important.
What type of B12 should I look for in supplements?
Cyanocobalamin is the form of vitamin B12 recommended when choosing supplements. This is because it has been proven to be the most stable form of B12 and has been rigorously tested and proven to improve B12 status in humans.
What do I do if I think I have a B12 deficiency?
If you have a B12 deficiency you may not experience symptoms immediately, and the severity of symptoms differs between individuals. Onset will be more rapid in infants, with serious consequences. Symptoms of deficiency in adults can include fatigue, tingling in the hands and feet, reduced pain sensitivity, confusion, blurred vision and poor memory.
Clinical deficiency symptoms are caused by severely impaired activity of two B12-dependent enzymes, reflected in elevated levels of homocysteine and MMA, which act as markers for B12 deficiency.
Some deficiencies can be resolved by direct administration of high dose vitamin B12, but it is important that you speak to your general medical practitioner if you suspect there is a problem. A blood test measuring B12 levels in isolation is unreliable for vegans, and measuring homocysteine or MMA is considered a more accurate measure of B12 status.
Visit vegansociety.com/b12 for more information. Email nutrition@vegansociety.com for references or to suggest a future topic.
CRUSTLESS MINI MUSHROOM QUICHES Serves 4
This yummy snack includes some B12-fortified foods to contribute to your daily intake. Remember to check the nutritional information tables when choosing your ingredients to see if B12 has been added. Dairy alternatives should provide around 0.3–0.4 mcg of B12 per 100 ml/g and fortified nutritional yeast has a whopping 44 mcg per 100 g as we use this in much smaller amounts.
Ingredients
100 g unsalted cashew nuts
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons fortified nutritional yeast
300 g firm tofu
2 tablespoons gram (chickpea) flour
¼ teaspoon black salt
100 ml fortified plant milk
3 spring onions
100 g mushrooms
Vegetable oil
Tip: Black salt can be otherwise known as kala namak and can be bought online or in vegan-friendly shops. This ingredient can be omitted if needed.
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Add the cashews, garlic powder and 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to a food processor and pulse until it is finely grained. Empty into a bowl and leave aside.
3. Add the tofu, gram flour, black salt, plant milk and 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast to a food processor and blend the mixture until it is smooth.
4. Thinly slice the spring onions and slice or chop the mushrooms into small pieces.
5. Add the sliced spring onions and chopped mushrooms to your tofu mixture and fold it in gently.
6. Grease a muffin tray with vegetable oil and add a generous amount of your mixture to 8 muffin moulds. The quiches won't rise during the cooking process so pile it in!
7. Sprinkle on your cashew mixture and place the quiches in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Nutritional information per portion
kcal 303 fat 19 g sat fat 3.4 g carbohydrates 11 g sugar 2.9 g fibre 5 g protein 21 g salt 0.4 g calcium 356 mg B12 1.4 mcg
Rymer Photography by Hannah Hossack-Lodge
Photo taken at Goodheart Animal Sanctuary, Worcestershire
ANOMALY OR SCANDAL?
The place of non-human animals in the faiths
Contrast these two views of
“The beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven were created for mankind; these are the wealth and possessions of men.” So said Martin Luther (1483–1546), one of the founders of Protestant Christianity.
“What is a merciful heart? It is a heart on fire for the whole of creation, for humanity, for the birds, for the animals … and for all that exists” wrote Saint Isaac the Syrian (613–700), a scholarly monastic who was at one time Bishop of Nineveh.
Luther and Saint Isaac are important figures in the history of Christianity, so how can they hold such different views of our fellow beings? The answer seems to be that most faiths have failed to develop a coherent view of the place of nonhuman animals in the world and have not fully defined what our relationship with them should be. This is not helpful to vegans of faith who find it hard to defend their vegan lifestyle on a faith basis.
Beautiful teachings
The good news is that all the faiths do have some beautiful teachings about animals within their holy books and all have outstanding individuals and groups throughout history who have put those teachings into practice.
Jews and Christians alike can point to the first book of the Bible: “And God said: ‘Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed – to you it shall be for food.” It seems that the vegan diet is the Divine rule right at the beginning!
Sadly, it seems that God changed his/her mind as, after the flood, God declares that humans can now eat meat: “Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you.”
Better news is the fundamental Jewish teaching that human beings must avoid tsa’ar ba-alei chayim – causing pain to any living creature. Why should this be? Perhaps, because they too are created by God and because “the righteous person regards the life of his animal.”
The revered rabbinic scholar Maimonides (1135–1204), wrote “It should not be believed that all the beings exist for
Deep dive
the sake of the existence of humanity. On the contrary, all the other beings too have been intended for their own sakes, and not for the sake of something else.”
Truly consonant
The contemporary Orthodox rabbi, David Rosen, has come to believe that only veganism represents the true way for Jews, saying: “In our world today, it is precisely a plant-based diet that is truly consonant with the most sublime teachings of Judaism and of the highest aspirations of our heritage.”
It is sadly true that Christianity seems to have little to say about our relationship with other animals. While the New Testament records that Jesus ate fish, it is also true that the communion meal he established of bread and wine is completely vegan. (Animal-based additives, such as isinglass from fish bladders, found in some modern wines, would not have been used in those days.)
When Jesus tells his followers to be “merciful”, does that include being merciful to animals? We don’t know.
When Jesus drove the animal traders and their animals from the great Temple in Jerusalem, was his anger due to the captivity and sacrifice of the animals or was it the nature of the trading so close to the venerated Temple? We don’t know!
There have been many Christian saints who showed love and respect for animals. Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) called animals “brother” or “sister”. He bought back lambs who were being taken to slaughter. When other threatened animals or even fishes were brought to him, he would greet them and set them free, returning the fishes to the lake.
Reverence for life
The Christian theologian and missionary Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) developed a philosophy which he called “Reverence for Life”, for which he received the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize. He wrote: “Only by means of reverence for life can we establish a spiritual and humane relationship with both people and all living creatures within our reach.”
In June 2015, Pope Francis issued an encyclical, Laudato Si’, in which he proposes an “ecological conversion”, which is based on “attitudes which together foster a spirit of generous care, full of tenderness” and which “entails a loving awareness that we are not disconnected from the rest of creatures but joined in a splendid universal communion.”
In July 2022, perhaps for the first time, Pope Francis urged young people to consider their meat consumption, saying: “There is an urgent need to reduce the consumption not only of fossil fuels but also of so many superfluous things. In certain areas of the world, too, it would be appropriate to consume less meat: this too can help save the environment.” This may sound like a mild statement, but for the Pope to mention eating less meat is fairly revolutionary.
Methodist theologian and vegan Dr David Clough (Aberdeen University) has set up CreatureKind (becreaturekind.org) to encourage Christian churches and institutions to move towards plant-based diets.
The United States and Europe, both predominantly Christian areas, have been responsible for developing,
adopting and spreading industrial factory farming, the biggest cause of human-inflicted animal suffering in the world. Dr Andrew Linzey, an Anglican priest, has written extensively about the rights of animals and the horrors of factory farming: “Does the Church really see the suffering of farm animals? Has it really grasped that now, as never before, we have turned God’s creatures into meat machines?”
The Muslim holy book, the Qur’an, tells us that Allah “set down the earth for his creatures”. Indeed, the animals are on earth to enjoy its benefits, just as humans do: “…and the earth too He spread out, bringing waters and pastures out of it, and setting firm mountains (in it) for you and your animals to enjoy.”
Communities like yourselves
The Qur’an declares that Allah cares for all creatures: “There is not a creature that moves on earth whose provision is not His concern. He knows where it lives and its final resting place.” Although humans are again seen as on a higher level than animals, the Qur’an is clear that “all the creatures that crawl on the earth and those that fly with their wings are communities like yourselves.”
Islam teaches that humans should behave like vice-regents for Allah and should care for the earth and its creatures. Several authoritative stories demonstrate the importance of kindness to animals. One such story tells how the Prophet Muhammad came across a camel in a very poor state. When he discovered the owner of the camel he said: “Don’t you fear God with regard to this animal, whom God has given to you? For the camel complained to me that you starve him and work him endlessly.”
Recently a leading group of international Islamic scholars produced (with United Nations support), a document called Al-Mizan, which urges Muslims and all people to protect the environment. It says, “Industrial agriculture, as practiced today, is perhaps the single greatest factor effacing the diversity of life on Earth, and the gravest agent of global climate change.”
Graveyards of animals
It is clear that Muslims are allowed to eat animal-sourced foods; however, such foods should be not only Halal (permitted) but also Tayyib which means good, wholesome and pure. To an animal welfarist, meat or eggs from factory farms are definitely not Tayyib. An increasing number of Muslims are favouring organic animal products, and the number of organic farms run by Muslims is increasing.
Vegans might say that a rigorous interpretation of the Tayyib rule would exclude all animal products. It is interesting to note that one of the Prophet Muhammad’s companions, Imam ‘Ali, is quoted as saying: “Do not make your stomachs graveyards of animals.”
Hinduism began as a set of ancient beliefs grounded in animal sacrifice, but over the centuries Hindu teaching has moved towards seeing the divine in every creature and teaching that consuming animals is wrong.
Although many Hindus believe there is one divine being, Brahman, behind all the other deities, it is true that many
Hindus worship a variety of gods and goddesses. One of these is the cow, Gau Mata, the mother. Killing a cow would be the worst thing a Hindu could do, apart from human murder. Cow slaughter is banned in most Indian states. There are over 3000 gaushalas or cow sanctuaries in India, where old cows live out their lives, protected by volunteers.
One divine essence
The Upanishads are a set of scriptures, written down about 700–500 BCE. Generally, they teach that there is one divine essence behind and within every being, Brahman, who is also the Self. Some of these scriptures are truly beautiful, such as this verse, emphasising the unity of humans and animals:
“ Those who see all creatures in themselves
And themselves in all creatures know no fear. Those who see all creatures in themselves
And themselves in all creatures know no grief.”
The famous Hindu teacher Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902), who took the first ever Parliament of the World’s Religions by storm in 1893, said: “In every man and in every animal, however weak or wicked, great or small, resides the same Omnipresent, Omniscient soul. Between me and the smallest animal, the difference is only in manifestation, but as a principle he is the same as I am, he is my brother, he has the same soul as I have.”
Mahatma (great soul) Gandhi (1869–1948) was influenced by the Jain doctrine of Ahimsa, non-violence, which will always be associated with him. In his autobiography, he writes: “To my mind, the life of a lamb is not less precious than that of a human being. I should be unwilling to take the life of a lamb for the sake of the human body.”
Although Gandhi aspired to be vegan, his doctors insisted that he drank milk. Of course, in those days there were no alternatives like soya or oat milk, which many vegans today can access.
Today, India is not only the leading global milk producer, but it has also become the world’s largest consumer of milk. Around half of India’s milk comes from buffaloes, close biologically to cows, but not venerated.
In 2017, the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) carried out a survey of dairy farming in India. In 78.8% of the dairies, the cows were tethered, often by short tethers. There was no bedding or soft ground for them to lie on. In over 63% of the dairy farms, the cows were tied by their hind legs. Injuries to the animals were seen in over 64% of the dairies.
Many younger urban Hindus today have rejected vegetarianism as old-fashioned, and they have taken to savouring meat and frequenting fast-food outlets. The mostordered dish on a major Indian food delivery platform in 2021 was chicken biryani. But on a positive note, there are animal welfare/rights groups in all major urban centres in India, working hard to return society to a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Sikhs are divided on vegetarianism, but they serve only vegetarian dishes in the food halls (langurs) attached to their temples, where free food is served daily to all.
Achieving enlightenment
In contrast to Hinduism, Buddhists do not worship a god, nor do they believe in an individual soul or a permanent self. They believe that by recognising our impermanence, through meditation and the cultivation of wisdom and an ethical life, we can avoid suffering and finally reach the state of ultimate peace or nirvana. Meanwhile we are all caught up in the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, samsara.
The most wonderful action a Buddhist can take is to attain the state of enlightenment, but instead of remaining in bliss, return to another incarnation on earth in order to help other beings.
Vegans will resonate with the loving kindness prayer in Buddhism: “May all beings everywhere be happy. May they be healthy. May they be at peace. May they be free.”
Buddhist teacher Thích Nhất Hạnh, who died in 2022, says: “Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion … I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life.”
The Dalai Lama recommends saying this prayer:
“As long as space endures, as long as sentient beings remain, until then, may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world.”
Matthieu Ricard is a modern Buddhist monk, a vegan and a passionate advocate for animals. In his brilliant book, A Plea for the Animals, he concludes: “Applying our compassion only to certain beings, human beings in this case, makes it a lesser and a poorer thing.”
Do these fine sentiments get put into practice? Thailand’s population is over 90% Buddhist, yet it is a huge producer of factory farmed chicken. Its national sport is cockfighting. There is the anomaly, perhaps the scandal. Faiths teach compassion for animals, some promote vegetarian diets, but most faith leaders fail to teach this to their followers.
The body as a temple
Rastafarians believe their body is a temple. They follow the ‘ital’ diet, eating organic plant foods, preferably in season. They do not eat meat or eggs, and many do not eat fish. Perhaps they come closest to a vegan diet.
If you are a person of faith, do please talk to your own leaders about faith, farming and food. Perhaps you might give them a copy of this article or even a copy of my book!
By Joyce D’Silva, author of Animal Welfare in
World Religion: Teaching and Practice. Joyce has worked for Compassion in World Farming since 1985, including 14 years as CEO. Joyce played a key role in getting animal sentience enshrined in the EU Treaties. She has been vegan for 49 years.
Please email editor@vegansociety.com or contact us on our usual channels for article references.
ARE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS VEGAN?
Animal byproducts are sometimes found in surprising places. Holly Johnson takes a look at how they’re used in cellos, violins, drums and more.
For many of us, it’s hard to imagine a world without music. Humans have been making music in some form or another since prehistoric times – in fact, the earliest known musical instrument is a 60,000-year-old Neanderthal flute found in Slovenia, carved from the bone of a bear using primitive stone tools.
Other discoveries include a 40,000-year-old flute made from vulture bones, 33 flutes made from crane wings dating back around 9000 years and drums made from alligator skins, dated 5500 BC.
There’s evidence that cultures all over the world have used musical instruments throughout history – the Egyptians used drums, lutes, harps and even oboes and clarinets for dance and entertainment as well as religious ceremonies and banquets. Music is ingrained in our collective history and with a lack of alternatives available, animal materials were utilised creatively.
Modern day music
In 2024, it’s easy to imagine that sophisticated advances in synthetic and eco-friendly materials have deemed animal products defunct. However, animal materials are still
prevalent in everything from drums to cellos, some with rather gruesome-sounding names. Catgut, for example, is the name of a type of cord used in stringed instruments and is fashioned from the lining of animal intestines. Other uses include animal hides for drum skins along with glues, horsehair bows and animal-based oils.
Traditional violin maker and accredited Conservator of Musical Instruments and Bows Padraig O’Dubhlaoidh explains that there is an awful lot of tradition and precision involved that many are not eager to change. “Violin making is a traditional craft, originally controlled by craft guilds, who guarded and passed on the ‘secrets’ of their trade,” he tells us.
“The world of violin making is quite a conservative one, where traditions are honoured and the old masters are revered so that makers strive to emulate their success by working in the most historically accurate way and by using the same traditional materials.”
Padraig goes on to explain that the modern violin is a 16th century evolution of a medieval design – a pre-industrial era, when most manufacturing, including craft work, was based on the exploitation of natural resources, frequently involving
Padraig O’Dubhlaoidh owns a business making vegan violins
animal materials.
“The most ubiquitous material is the animal glue which holds the instrument together,” Padraig explains. “This is gelatine-based and can be made from various parts of animals farmed for food. A less obvious material using animal products is the varnish, which can include a great variety of materials such as the exudations of the Lac beetle, other insects and molluscs used to provide colour and the urine from Buffalo force fed on mangoes.”
Changing traditions
Luckily, Padraig is part of a small but growing number of dedicated musicians experimenting with modern, sustainable materials.
One of the most surprising things that Padraig has discovered whilst developing a vegan violin, is that animal materials are not actually reliable. “Animal products are incredibly variable, not just from animal to animal and region to region but also in their individual molecular structure. This not only introduces a variability to results but also affects the stability of each material. Synthetic manufactured products offer greater consistency, stability and reliability,” he says.
He goes on to explain that he has noticed “a greater freedom of vibration in my vegan violins, which also ‘play in’ more quickly and sound more like antique violins, right from the start.”
Elsewhere, in Belgium, luthier Tim Duerinck is using alternative types of wood along with carbon, glass and flax
fibres to create eco-friendly instruments, including a plantbased cello.
“Flax fibre’s unique properties lend themselves to create warm and round-sounding instruments that have an easy response. Instruments can be made entirely from flax fibre or in combination with other composites such as carbon fibre,” Tim tells us.
Looking to the future
Whilst older instruments made using animal materials will continue to be in circulation for years to come, it’s encouraging to see the likes of Padraig and Tim innovating with vegan and eco-friendly materials that not only replicate but enhance the sound and performance of the instruments.
“Traditional crafts are resistant to change, but I do think that animal materials in musical instruments will eventually be phased out,” says Padraig. “Some of the animal products mentioned have disappeared due to scarcity and legislation such as the banning of the force feeding of buffalo. There is also an increasing awareness of the cruelty and environmental damage of the industrial exploitation of animals.
“Although violin making is a relatively small area of concern, if other craft traditions can update their methods and materials, great results could be achieved.”
Padraig’s vegan violins have been registered with the Vegan Trademark. Visit veganviolins.com to learn more.
Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London, W8 7NX vegfest.co.uk/vpc-24/tickets
Glasgow Vegan Festival
Saturday 12 October (10.30am–4.30pm)
Hutchesons’ At Pollok Park, 116–124 Haggs Road, Bellahoustor, G41 4RD facebook.com/ScotlandVeganFestival
REVIEWS
the groundbreaking documentaries Cowspiracy What the Health and Seaspiracy by vegan director Kip Anderson, was recently released in UK theatres. Christspiracy: the Spiritual Secret, made with Kameron Waters, follows in the same vein but this time explores a key moral question that is usually sidestepped: is there an ethical way to kill animals?
The title can be somewhat misleading, however, as the documentary interviews (mostly male) representatives from all the major world religions, not just Christianity. Although a key focus is on the historical figure of Jesus and indeed the film itself was prompted by a question that Kip Anderson received from Kameron Waters, who grew up a devout evangelical Christian, some of the most powerful moments in the film come not from the US but from other countries to which Kip Anderson and Kameron Waters travelled.
A scene that leaves an indelible mark comes from the Gadhimai Hindu religious festival in Nepal, where every five years hundreds of thousands of animals are sacrificed to honour the goddess Gadhimai. When Anderson interviews a young male worshipper at the festival about why it is important to kill these animals, he responds by drawing a parallel with the North American festival of Thanksgiving (“this is just our way”), which the film then notes involves the slaughter of millions of turkeys, often by undocumented immigrants who have no other choice but to work in
treatment of farmed animals.
The major strength and emotional power of Christspiracy lies in this intersectional, holistic perspective that masterfully exposes the ideology of carnism that is present in all major world religions and cultures, including in those religions and philosophies where followers are entreated to have compassion for all living beings, such as Buddhism.
The real conspiracy that Christspiracy reveals is the invisible and yet pervasive ideology, which receives majority institutional religious backing, that sees animals as a class rightfully subject to human dominion and control. If you have seen some of Kip Anderson's previous documentaries you will not be disappointed, although the filmmakers could have done a better job of ensuring greater gender balance among the people they interviewed. If this will be the first, be prepared for a powerful emotional and historical journey to the roots of our treatment of animals.
Make it Vegan by Madeleine Olivia, reviewed by Olga Alexandru YouTuber Madeleine Olivia's first cookbook, Make It Vegan, veganises and modernises traditional British classics while also drawing on inspiration from her various travels across Europe and Asia. With recipes such as UnSausage Rolls, Sizzling Homemade
Baked Beans and Beetroot and Mushroom Wellington that are adapted from childhood favourites, this cookbook includes classics as well as recipes destined to become new go-tos. The book itself is a gorgeous hardcover with thick, luscious pages and beautiful yet minimalist photography.
For those unfamiliar with the social media personality, the book charts Madeleine's journey from having an eating disorder and quarter-life crisis to quitting drinking and starting her YouTube channel, which has more than 500,000 followers. The aim of her YouTube channel and cookbook is to make veganism accessible to people and to help extricate it from diet culture. With sections focusing on meal prep, kitchen equipment and ingredients this book works well for students and new vegans, as well as inexperienced cooks looking for a non-threatening entry point into the kitchen.
Each recipe has simple ingredients that are easy to find at any grocery store, and although Madeleine does have a small section at the beginning of the book about specialist vegan ingredients, she also makes sure to mention that they are not essential. The recipes themselves state whether they are nut, gluten and soy-free, perfect for people with allergies.
My favourite recipes were the Tofu Satay Curry and Smoky Quesadillas, which were full of flavour and easy to make, although the curry took longer than expected. Making the Berry Crumble Cereal Bars nearly broke my blender, so if making those I would recommend chopping the dates very finely, soaking them beforehand or using a food processor instead. The one thing I would have loved is for the dessert section to have smaller portions, as there were a lot of recipes for full cakes that served 6–8 people.
The recipes range in time and skill level needed, so any newbie cook can work their way up to more timeconsuming and complicated recipes. Showing that veganism doesn't need to be restrictive or extreme, Madeleine creates dishes that will appeal to a variety of palates and levels of experience.
The Veganic Grower’s Handbook by Jimmy Videle, reviewed by Meg Kelly
The Veganic Grower’s Handbook takes veganism a step further by showing how you can grow vegetables at home using techniques that are entirely plant-based.
When we plunge into the world of gardening and farming, we quickly discover a new array of animal ingredients to avoid. It’s common for farmers – both conventional and organic – to fertilise with bloodmeal, bonemeal, feathermeal and manure from farmed animals. A typical garden centre will have rows of animal-based fertiliser with few vegan alternatives.
Jimmy Videle’s book shows us how gardens and farms can thrive using fully plant-based fertilisers, creating a homegrown food supply that is vegan from seed to harvest. The author shares his strategies for making high-quality plant-based compost, creating a potting mix for seedlings using vegan ingredients and using green manures – such as buckwheat, oats and clover – to feed the living soil.
The chapters follow the growing season, providing you with actionable advice every step of the way, from creating your garden plan, to spring planting, summer maintenance and right through to autumn harvesting and winter storage.
Beyond this, the book is peppered with inspiring and educational photos from Jimmy's veganic farm. It wraps up with detailed crop profiles for over 70 different vegetables, so you can start planting your favourite varieties with confidence.
The book advocates for respecting all life and seeing our gardens both as a food source for us and as a way of reinstating habitat and biodiversity for the natural world. If you are a gardener, homesteader or small-scale farmer, The Veganic Grower’s Handbook is the go-to book for optimising your harvests while showing compassion to all beings.
On-farm shop at La Ferme de L'Aube
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