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Published by Viva! the vegan campaigning group
life
Meet the
LEEDS RHINO Anita Krajnc On trial for showing compassion
Tony Wardle points the finger at vets
Plant milks
Have they got the lot?
m u s m r e e r p t i m u S recipes to esavour
Issue 65 Summer 2017
A Tale of Two Piggies Horror at Hogwood Farm Rescued Dotty and her babies
Wine time
Top-notch vegan vin Watch out for the Avo (half)Man
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WHO WE ARE Viva!’s fight is a fight for life – for animals and ourselves. Through effective campaigning, we take the brutal reality of intensive farming to the people who can effect the most change: consumers. Our wideranging campaigns promote veganism as the best way to save animals from suffering, protect the environment, improve health and help those in developing countries. We have cleared most shelves of so-called ‘exotic meats’; our campaign against the factory farming of pigs, turkeys and ducks saw deaths dive; we are closer to a foie-gras free Britain and meat and dairy consumption are down in the UK thanks to Viva! and you. Viva! is a registered charity (1037486).
Contents
Viva!Health is a section of Viva! that promotes the health benefits of a vegan diet. The diseases that kill many of us prematurely can mostly be prevented by consuming a plant-based diet – Viva!Health explains why. We provide accurate information about healthy eating to the public, health professionals, schools and food manufacturers. We campaign on important issues including the harmful effects of dairy foods, heart health, how to help combat obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and breast cancer and the dangers of eating dairy, eggs, fish and meat.
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Hogwood Horror Farm A Viva! exposé
Meet Dotty No longer lonely
Join the Walk for Hope An amazing 750 miles across Britain
Big New Plans Get involved
Lobsters Tales The secret lives of fascinating decapods
Poland’s Battle for the Lambs
8Anita Krajnc
– A court case without compassion
A long, long trail – from Poland to Italy
Vets What are they good for?
Media Life Viva! in the news
Meet the Maker Latest vegan products
5 Lifelines. 19 Viva! Fundraisers. 24 Life Science. 34 Portion Sizes. 40 Easy Fundraising. 41 Viva!’s Campaigns. 44 Festivals. 47 Book Reviews. 53 John Robb. 56 V Biz. 57 Classified
17Anthony Mullally A vegan rhino
28Super summer recipes 35 All
about plant milks
soya
How to get this magazine Join Viva! to get your copy of Viva!life magazine three times a year for only £15 (£12 unwaged). You’ll also receive a supporters’ card – giving you discounts at hundreds of shops and on services and holidays (see myvegantown.org.uk/discounts) – plus a free car sticker. Call 0117 944 1000 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) or join online at viva.org.uk/join.
38Lifestyle’s vegan vins viva.org.uk 3
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VIVA!LIFE MAGAZINE Viva! Founder & International Director Juliet Gellatley
Welcom e
Editor Tony Wardle
Welcome to the biggest-ever issue of Viva!life. This increased size reflects the rapidly growing workload we are undertaking on behalf of farmed animals. Just how much our work is needed is brought into sharp focus by our undercover investigation into the horror hell-hole that is Hogwood pig farm in Warwickshire (page 10). Anyone looking at these images, reading our report or checking out the many more pictures on our website (viva.org.uk/hogwood) will be sickened by the brutality. But not the Government’s Animal & Plant Health Agency, not the farm’s vet, not Red Tractor ‘quality’ assurance and not Tesco who buys the meat – they have all given the place a clean bill of health. Legal protection for farmed animals in the UK is practically non-existent. The Sunday Mirror helped us to expose the cruelty at Hogwood Farm and even as I write this column, they have produced another full page exposing the pile of bones we found in a wood owned by farmer Brian Hobill (page 33). As pig meat sales fall it seems that farm conditions get worse and everyone closes ranks in denial. For me, going into Hogwood Farm was particularly stressful as I was constantly comparing what I saw there with the beauty, intelligence and happiness of Hope and Dotty, the two mother pigs we and Dean Farm rescued (page 13). I have spent hours with them, establishing a bond and starting to understand their complex communication. These wonderful animals are our ambassadors and they will increasingly show people what life for pigs could and should be like. You will see the name Hope all over Britain in coming months as we plan our biggest-ever, nationwide campaign which we want you to be part of (page 16). Talking of ambassadors, rugby league player Anthony Mullally of Leeds Rhinos smashes any false stereotypes people may have of vegans (page 17). This super-fit man-mountain has maintained peak fitness on a vegan diet, feels better and says without hesitation ‘there’s no going back’. More brilliant work has been done by Viva! Poland, tracking a consignment of lambs all the way to Italy by road (page 25). Their report is deeply disturbing but it has had an effect and court cases are pending. There is so much in this issue: discover the hidden lives of lobsters on page 22; the bravery of Anita Krajnc who faced 10 years in prison for giving water to thirsty pigs (page 8); and discover what we think of farm vets on page 32, plus all our usual features.
Campaigns & Deputy Director Justin Kerswell Campaigns & Outreach Claire Palmer, Siobhan Dolan, Sam Ashman, Laura-Lisa Hellwig, Kris Townsend, Liam Nolan Office Manager & Supporters’ Liaison Laura Turner, Nick Hallows, Beata Rzepecka-Wilk, Kristiana Shirley Viva!Health Campaigners Veronika Powell, Dr Justine Butler Merchandise, Festivals & Events Katrina Gazley, Philip McCulloch-Downs, Sophie Delarney, Rhiannon Bloomfield Food & Cookery Jane Easton, Maryanne Hall Design Ethical Graphic Design Co Web Laura Canfield, Ed Phillis, Ana Hassel, Jonathan Skinner Database Manager Jeremy Ludlow Editorial enquiries 0117 970 4633
Yours for the animals Advertising enquiries 0117 944 1000
Juliet Gellatley Founder & Director Juliet@viva.org.uk facebook.com/juliet.gellatley
General enquiries
Contact Viva! on 0117 944 1000 (Mon-Fri 9-6). Email info@viva.org.uk Write to Viva! at 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH
vegan is a staTe of kind Kind to you, animals and the planet
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Membership enquiries 0117 944 1000 info@viva.org.uk Online viva.org.uk vivahealth.org.uk veganrecipeclub.org.uk viva.vegans.international. voice.for.animals vivacampaigns vivacharity Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH
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lifelines
Did you see…? Butties for the girls The BBC One Breakfast team got themselves all excited during the general election campaign as their butty van toured the country, generously dispensing election reports and bacon butties. So excited were reporter Steph McGovern and weather woman Carol Kirkwood you’d have thought they’d discovered the elixir of eternal youth rather than a Class One carcinogen. In the studio, Louise Minchin and Dan Walker pleaded with them to bring some back – which the women duly did – and everyone laughed so happily around a pile of bacon sandwiches. These are news reporters so can’t claim ignorance. Can we look forward to jolly japes over a pile of fuming fags or a personalised chunk of blue asbestos, both equally as toxic as bacon?
Or the Great British Abuse? Again the BBC but this time The Great British Menu and a chef extolling the size of the lobster he is about to cook: “He’s an old boy, this one!” His moving mouth parts show he is alive and vital – the lobster that is, not the chef. So big is the poor lobster that he won’t fit in the pan and without even pausing in his piece to camera, the chef wrenches off both the animal’s huge claws before eventually dropping the whole lot into boiling water. Both chef and producer should now be in court facing charges of extreme animal cruelty. Phone complaints to 03700 100222.
And finally from Dettol
Shotgun wedding Don’t you just love the countryside? Browsing through Monmouthshire Living, a report on the wedding of farmers Mr and Mrs Willis of Usk caught my eye. The happy couple left the church to a shotgun guard of honour and a “wonderful send-off” by the Curre and Llangibby huntsman and his hounds. Tables were not numbered at the reception but were named after chunks of dead animal flesh – Sirloin, Rump, Ribeye and so on – and of course, they ate their own cattle. The Willis couple created original place names from shotgun cartridges while miniature milk churns and more shotgun cartridges formed reservoirs for the corsages. And the wedding cake? Made from cheese, of course! Themed weddings are all the rage these days but a theme of death? Unique I would have thought. I understand that a vegan option was not available at the banquet.
Canadian warning New government food guidelines in Canada may lead to warning labels on dairy products. Health Canada is in the middle of public consultations as it revamps the Canada Food Guide, and is considering a ban on advertising and marketing junk food to kids and teens, and looking to add front-of-package symbols warning consumers about foods that are high in salt, sugar or saturated fat. Health Minister Jane Philpott said years of eating unhealthy food and the long-term cost of Canadians developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, had to be addressed. “Warning signs could end up on the front of homogenised milk, high-fat cheeses and sweetened yogurts.” She added that there was also a proposal to be more cautious about consuming dairy products. Not surprisingly, Dairy Farmers of Canada are spitting bullets at the proposals.
In an ITV ad, a mum is energetically wiping clean both a table top and the tray of her baby’s high chair so her children can safely eat their tea. She’s using a raw chicken leg! Cue commentary that says something like: “Of course, you wouldn’t dream of doing this,” and then goes on to try and flog you some Dettol, that kills 99 per cent of all known germs (or is that Domestos?). Anyway, the chicken industry must be as furious with Dettol as they are with Viva! because the message is clear – chicken can kill your kids!
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lifelines VIVA!’S SHORTS n Independent cinema chain, PICTUREHOUSE CINEMAS, have teamed up with Swedish Glace to sell vegan ice creams. We’re now in touch with Scott Cinemas to ask them to follow suit.
Review Tally Spear – Wrong Side of the Road Raised as a vegan and inspired by talents including Bob Dylan, Neil young and Nick Drake, London-born singer-songwriter Tally Spear released her new single, Wrong Side of the Road in May. Although only 21, there is a maturity to her performance and lyrics that is captivating – blending her raw feeling with energy and a sun-kissed positivity. Just getting started, she has already done gigs at Ronnie Scotts, Liverpool Sound City and was recently filmed with Sofar Sounds. With her beautiful voice, guitar and harmonica, she is on her way and we wish her every success.
New vegan trade mag n Finally, after years of pushing, PIZZA EXPRESS are introducing vegan cheese into their restaurants across the UK. Or you could try their existing, cheeseless Pianta pizza which is gorgeous.
n “Have you ever been to HARVESTER before?” they used to ask. “No, and I won’t be coming back!” But no longer! They have introduced seven new vegan and vegetarian dishes. I like the sound of aubergine and red lentil tagine followed by coconut and raspberry rice pudding. n March 18 saw the largest Christian pro-animal gathering probably since the antivivisection rallies of the 1800s. Over 200 delegates at the CREATURE CONFERENCE in Waterloo debated, Is Christianity Good News for Animals?
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In case you’ve missed it, there is now a Vegan Trade Journal and issue number five is just out. It is extremely well produced and ranges over many subjects – the growth of non-meats, new products and developments, business start-ups plus it looks abroad and is not afraid of controversy, tackling CIWF’s much criticised tie-up with Waitrose to approve their milk. Phil Lymbery, CEO of CIWF, issues the incredible statement that Waitrose’s ‘outdoor’ milk delivers everything that is needed for animals to lead a happier, healthier life. The only difference between these and the other brutal dairy farms is that it isn’t zero grazing. The mag doesn’t shy away from detailed criticism, including from Viva!. It’s a very good read. Register for free copies online at vegantradejournal.com. A print version is also available.
Vegan Chef Course Viva! is working closely with the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) for its new Vegan Natural Chef course which starts on November 4. It includes everything you need to know to become a successful, plant-based chef – how the digestive process works, working with plant-based proteins and building a culinary career! The three-part course consists of 420 hours of life-changing education plus an internship of an additional 100 hours. naturopathyuk.com/courses-eu/courses-vegannatural-chef
UPCOMING EVENTS Don’t miss out on veggie and vegan events taking place throughout the Summer season up and down the country. See our full event listings on page 44 or go to: myvegantown.org.uk/events. If you see a little it means Team Viva! will have a stall at this event so be sure to swing by and say Hi, or better yet, volunteer! For Viva! Festivals, go to viva.org.uk/festivals JULY 29 – Bury Vegan Festival 29 – Maidstone Vegan Festival 28-30 – Isle of Wight Vegan Festival AUGUST 19 – Vegan Health & Lifestyle Event – Stourbridge 26 – Bolton Vegan Fair 26 – Cheltenham Vegan Fair
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Dairy despair
Most expensive burger in the world If you’re feeling flush (and can face the thought), you could get Prof Mark Post, of Maastricht University, to rustle you up one of his special, tiny little experimental burgers at a cost of £10,000. He is yet another person involved in the very, very slow rush to produce ‘meat’ from animal cells. He says he has the backing of a big food company and reckons that in three years’ time, the cost of one his burgers will drop to only £11. In seven years, however, he predicts it will be in supermarkets at normal prices.
Down with meat Meat consumption in the UK (and the US, for that matter) has been falling steadily for the last decade or so. A report in the Evening Standard reveals that it is now accelerating and fell by 4.2 per cent last year alone, with consumers buying more fruit and vegetables. Viva! might even doff its cap for all the work it has done to promote this decline, which shows signs of accelerating.
Having run out of space in Medialife, we have to bring you this additional coverage of our egg report. Of course, Cancer Research UK denied there was even a smidgin of evidence linking eggs to cancer, despite the peer-reviewed reports quoted in our publication. Tony Wardle was quoted as replying: “Perhaps this response is not surprising coming as it does from an organisation that raises funds by holding barbecues – the most carcinogenic way possible to cook meat!”
Here we go again! Every few months a headline screams at you, ‘butter is back’ or ‘saturated fat is good for you’. They invariably have to be retracted or are discredited but by that time poor science and bad journalism have done the damage and increased confusion in consumers. The latest is that cheese does not increase your risk of stroke or heart attack. And you can be sure, the faster milk goes down the drain, the more desperate will this ‘science’ become. And guess who provided the funding for this ‘research?’ Global Dairy Platform, Dairy Research Institute and Dairy Australia. There is an overwhelming amount of science to show the exact opposite and Public Health England agree – they’re not budging. Sat fat is bad!
…and here’s the reason The very popular Forbes magazine has run an insight into the US dairy industry that says: “The growing popularity of dairy-free milk is slowly draining the American dairy industry”. It goes on to report on a Congressional fight to have the word ‘milk’ banned for all substances other than bodily secretions: “It seems consumers are waking up to the realities around dairy and changing their behaviour.” Recent market research studies predict that the plant-based milk industry will reach $35 billion in the US by 2024, while consumer reports predict that dairy sales will fall by 11 per cent by 2020. It is a similar story in the UK, with plant milks being included in the national inflation basket for the first time.
Talking green Our old friend and Viva! patron, Dale Vince, boss of Ecotricity, has introduced a new mobile phone service called Ecotalk. Dale promises you’ll get the usual great Ecotricity service with superfast 4G, competitive pricing, 30-day contracts and no exit fees – plus you can keep your existing phone number. To be one of the first, call 0333 800 4400 or go to ecotalk.co.uk. viva.org.uk 7
Image © Philip McCulloch-Downs
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When compassion was a crime (almost) By Tony Wardle
T
here are probably many offences you can think of that would rightly attract a 10-year prison sentence. I doubt that giving water to a living being who was desperately thirsty would be one of them. When the being involved was a pig and the place was Canada, it was precisely the sentence that Anita Krajnc faced – for giving water to thirsty pigs! But first the background. Anita is founder of a group called Toronto Pig Save whose mission is to ‘bear witness to the suffering of animals in transit and at slaughterhouses’, to focus people’s attention on the brutal every-day of meat production. Pig Save is entirely non-violent and simply wants people to see the reality. As Anita says: “There is nothing like looking soul to soul, eye to eye with an animal. We are animals and other animals need protection from us – so we go outside our comfort zone to do what is right”. When you look through Anita’s
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biography you can see she has always been driven by the desire to make the world a better place. At university, watching The Animals Film turned her vegetarian and later she became vegan. This was the film shown by Channel Four on its first night on transmission in 1982 and it had a similar effect on many people in the UK. Anita’s PhD was in political science relating to the environment and she became an assistant professor at Queen’s University. She is also a media democracy activist and writer and was an aide to Canada’s environment minister. The transition from theory to activism began when Anita (49) moved to an area of Toronto near a slaughterhouse. Walking by the lakeside with her dog, Mr Bean, and witnessing lorry after lorry loaded with pigs heading to the abattoir to be killed, compelled her to do something – and so she did and Toronto Pig Save came into being. “I set up a soup kitchen to feed people and had monthly meetings of animal rights
activists at my house. We put on art exhibitions with pigs as the subjects and gathered video footage of the slaughterhouse through the windows, showing pigs screaming at full volume and being raced through the building. It felt like an old-style asylum. “I looked at the strategies used by the labour movement and civil rights activists who held campaigning courses, organised boycotts and consumer campaigns. One of the things we do is, three times a week, stand for three hours with placards at the traffic lights where the lorries stop, bearing witness, intervening when necessary and sometimes rescuing animals. We offer words of comfort to those on their way to die – 6,000 pigs a day at this one place”. Quietly spoken and very articulate, Anita admits that she had previously known of the slaughterhouse’s existence but had essentially pushed it to one side. Her conversations are punctuated with the name Leo Tolstoy, probably Russia’s
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greatest author, and his beliefs in nonviolent direct action and one of his quotes in particular pretty well sums up the Save Movement. “When the suffering of another creature causes you to feel pain, do not submit to the initial desire to flee from the suffering one, but on the contrary, come closer, as close as you can to her who suffers, and try to help her.” The incident that led to Anita’s prosecution happened on June 22, 2015, outside Fearman’s Pork Inc slaughterhouse in greater Toronto – “a hot day which felt like 45ºC”. The crowded pigs inside a particular lorry that had stopped were panting and frothing and exhibiting all the signs of water stress. Anita and her colleagues had bottles of water which they were dribbling though the ventilation holes for the pigs to drink. “It was”, she said, “the only bit of love they’d ever had in their entire lives”. The driver climbed down from his cab and approached Anita – the conversation went like this: Anita: “Can you give this guy some water?” Driver: “Don’t give him water – don’t put water in there.” Anita: “Jesus said, ‘If they are thirsty, give them water’” (quoting from Proverbs). Driver: “No, you know what, they are not humans you dumb frickin’ broad. HELLO! I’m gonna call the cops”. Anita: “I’ll call Jesus.” And that’s what it was all about! The next day, Eric van Boekel, from whose farm the pigs came, filed a complaint against Anita and three months later she was charged with criminal mischief, the maximum sentence for which is 10 years in prison. Inexplicably, this was no longer a private prosecution but had been taken up by the Crown Attorney, throwing all the power of the state behind it. Anita Krajnc admits that she never thought it would go to trial but it did, on May 4, 2017, in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, though the severity of the charge had been reduced and now carried a maximum sentence of six months and a fine of $5,000. The prosecution contended that pigs were property and therefore belonged to Mr van Boekel and Krajnc had no right to interfere with them. And then, of course, came all the guff about the animals having been well cared for and all regulations met. Anita’s response was: “Treating living animals such as pigs as property – no different than a toaster – is the focal issue of the matter and that being compassionate to them should not be considered criminal.” The prosecution also maintained that no
Outside the court, Anita spoke at length to her supporters and added: “I’m relieved that the judge recognises that compassion is not a crime, that compassion should never be illegal. But he did say that pigs are property not persons so I think we have a lot of work still to do.” She told me that Pig Save includes all animals: “It was always my intention that Save should go global and bear witness to every slaughterhouse and every animal killed. In 2016 there were 100 groups across the world; in May 2017 there were 150 and by the end of this year there will be 200”. Viva! is very proud to be working with Save in Britain. Of all the publicity that followed Anita’s not-guilty verdict, it was the words of a local TV reporter that excited me as she filed her report to camera, with obvious passion, directly outside the court room: “People are questioning the finding that pigs are property and you can do what you want to them. People will look back on this – this is the day that animal rights went into the next stage and will face the fundamental problem that pigs are property. The next wave has begun!”
“I always wanted to bear witness to every slaughterhouse and every animal killed” one knew precisely what was in the bottles and that it could have contaminated the pigs, leading to them being rejected by the slaughterhouse. Contaminated water? The irony is that in 2014, van Boekel was about to be sentenced to 30 days in jail and a massive fine for contaminating water with pig manure but got off on appeal, despite pleading guilty to violating the Ontario Water Resources Act. In a crowded court room with a throng of people outside, Justice David Harris confirmed the law that pigs are property but to the charge that Anita Krajnc had interfered with that property, he was crystal clear: “No, she did not!” Huge cheers rang around the court room and the story went around the world, in mainstream and social media.
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In June, director Juliet Gellatley went inside one of Britain’s largest pig farms, housing 15,000 animals. This is her personal story of what she saw and why she is determined to offer pigs…
Hope not I
know some people will hate the comparison but these are my thoughts and it is what went through my mind. When I walk amongst thousands of animals crammed together, faces looking at me with anticipation, I see the bubbling energy of youth but witness that enthusiasm and brightness constantly slapped down. I feel their hope – that nebulous sense of a life they are meant to live but which never materialises. When I am there amongst them, I recall pictures of desperate people, packed into railway trucks, into gas chambers; innocents about to be murdered. This is what my recent visit to Hogwood Farm in Oxhill, Warwick, elicited in me – that deep, acidic feeling in your soul that the human race is committing war crimes every day – in this case, a war against animals. One man who saw Viva!’s Face Off footage of Necton Farm in
Norfolk (viva.org.uk/faceoff), which went viral through Facebook, commented: “It’s nowhere near as bad as the place I once worked”. And that was the spark for the investigation. Colleagues and I set off on a warm, dry June evening and entered a ‘farm’ which was a huge industrial complex and our hearts sank. I’ve investigated many farms and have developed coping mechanisms but this skank-hole was one of the largest
Imagine being in a shed so crammed with other people that the only rest you can get is that brief, deep slumber from sheer exhaustion
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and worst I have ever seen – and probably all legal such is the pathetic state of protection for farmed animals in the UK. I stepped into a colossal shed that was more tightly packed with pigs than I have ever seen. There was no gangway and I tried to step carefully though them but pigs, being bright but utterly bored, swarmed towards me and nibbled the coverings of my shoes that I wore to ensure there was no spread of disease. I looked around and there were hundreds of animals about three months old and all wide awake at this early hour. This place doesn’t switch off the lights and there is no way any animal could sleep properly because of the overcrowding – there simply isn’t the space. Imagine being in a shed so crammed with other people that the only rest you can get is that brief, deep slumber from sheer exhaustion, and then you are woken again by
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60 per cent of those are sold to pig farms. One of the most surreal experiences I had was in another shed. This time not crowded at all – quite the opposite. It was an old building festooned in cobwebs; a ghostly, oppressive place where it appeared that ill animals are more or less abandoned. One sow was lying on the filthy floor, shaking. I went to her, knelt and whispered soft words, rubbed her tummy and I simply wanted to weep but just one solitary tear escaped. Days earlier I had Hope’s piglets, Jack Wigglinson and Lily Bubbles flopping on my lap, demanding their belly be tickled. And here was a sow, neglected, abused, dying but asking for the same, despite having been appallingly treated by others of my species. And so we moved on to more modern industrial units, separated into concrete cells with slatted wooden gangways. Each was crammed with piglets where the cynical addition of a chain with plastic sheathing for biting hung limply, its novelty value long gone. This is ‘environmental enrichment’! No straw, no bedding, just harsh, soiled floors, concrete walls and a life filled with utter boredom, frustration and no outlet for those active, intelligent, inquisitive minds. Contrast this to Hope and her babies, Mia Snuffles and Tom Rocket, who zoomed towards me when I visited them yesterday. Happy, joyous and playful. I kissed their ears, their snouts, rubbed their bellies (of course!) while they gently grunted – a grunt of complete contentment. u
another person clambering on top of you. Contrast this to the beautiful, noble sow, Hope Apple Blossom who Viva! and Dean Farm Animal Sanctuary rescued along with her six piglets, now five months old, who sleep for hours in deep straw, peaceful and content in their cosy outdoor bedroom, set in idyllic, rolling Welsh countryside. I walked into another vast warehouse; a tiny area cordoned off from hundreds of other pigs. I looked down and there were two pig skulls, a jaw and a hacked off lower leg, all left to rot in what looked like years-worth of filth. I glanced to my left and the dead, blackened and bloated body of a pig was being pushed and prodded by his cellmates. All were covered in excreta. No wonder disease is rife on factory farms; no wonder antibiotics are so overused on these animals that superbugs are being created inside their abused, sick bodies; antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their flesh that people eat. Half of all antibiotics in the UK are used on farmed animals and
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It makes me laugh when they start grazing the grass whilst being stroked, like you sipping wine and nibbling chocolates while being massaged – what a lovely life! I opened the door to the next cell block and to my horror, an ill pig lay slumped against the wall. A little piglet had some neurological disease and walked oddly sideways, nipping at the camera – at last something to play with. Four other sick animals had clearly been abandoned to the gangway. A previous visit had revealed the atrocity of dead bodies pulled outside into an inglorious heap and left. We could find no evidence of them being shot and I suspect they were left to starve to death but I don’t know this as a fact. What I do know is that I was seeing the embodiment of hell. A colleague called me over to the farrowing unit. “This sow is giving birth”. The mum’s face was one of the most upsetting things I’ve seen. Sometimes, I look back at the photo of her expression – the hopelessness of a mother giving birth in a metal crate, on to cold, unforgiving concrete. One of her babies was struggling, shivering, ill. Another tiny little thing, the ‘runt’, couldn’t find his way to her teats. I helped him and wondered if I should as he would be better off dead but I so wanted him to feel comfort then and there in that moment. The spectre of a mother filled with anguish is almost unbearable. Hope was rescued when her babies were three weeks old – just before they would have been snatched from her. For the first time, she has stayed with them – is still with them and always will be. She is still very protective and last week chased the vet when he wanted to vaccinate them! My
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APPROVE
GOVERNME APPROVED
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It’s all go for Dotty and her friend Winnie
Dotty Not so lonely now Thanks to your help in rescuing her, the loneliest sow in Britain is now the happiest sow in Britain. By Laura-Lisa Hellwig
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ast February, we told you that we had been able to rescue a sow named Hope Apple Blossom and her six piglets from slaughter. The farmer from whom we got her watched our extraordinarily emotional video of Hope running free for the first time. It pricked his conscience and he got in touch. He was winding up his pig farm and asked: “Could you offer my last sow a home?” The twist was that she was very likely pregnant! If we couldn’t take her, then her fate, and the fate of her unborn piglets, would be the slaughterhouse. She was pregnant, alone and without Hope. The answer, of course, was yes, from both Viva! and Dean Farm Animal Sanctuary, who would offer her a forever home. We asked for your help again and so many of you responded, donating to help us rescue the loneliest sow in Britain – and we did. She was named Dotty by Mary Frankland, founder of Dean Farm, and that’s where she now lives amidst acres of fields and woodland. Dotty settled in well, made close friends with another rescued sow, Winnie, and the vet confirmed that she was pregnant. But what a different pregnancy this was – wandering free
across the fields, sun bathing and munching fresh, green grass, things she had never before been able to do during any of her three previous pregnancies. Just eight days after her arrival, on Saturday afternoon on June 3, spotty Dotty gave birth to five gorgeous piglets. Just minutes after lying down in her huge bed of soft, clean straw, she gave birth to her first and then four more followed. The last-born was tiny compared to his siblings and would almost certainly not have survived in factory farm conditions. u
Juliet with Jack Wigglinson
Wandering free across th e fields, su n bath ing and mu nch ing fresh, green grass, th ings sh e had never before been able to do during any of h er th ree previous pregnancies. viva.org.uk 13
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But Dotty, obviously being a very caring mother, nuzzled the little one, encouraging him to find her teats and suckle. Only a few hours later, the little piglets were curious to leave the nest and explore their surroundings but Dotty was having none of it. She is obviously a very protective mum, so she made a bee-line for them, softly pushing them back into the safe space she had created for them. Nursing five lively piglets can be hard work so Dotty now munches her dinner-time pig nuts lying down. Just five days after birth, even the little late arrival is jumping through the soft straw with his brothers and sisters. It really is pure delight watching them running around, while Dotty keeps a protective eye on proceedings. Like all babies, they still sleep a lot, tucked up together by their mother in the fresh straw. Juliet, founder and director of Viva!, lovingly calls them her, ‘Dalmatian piglets’ because, just like their Mum, they are pink with black spots. These little ones know humans only as friendly people who bring food and make their bed nice and cosy. After just these few days, they are trusting and run curiously to their human visitors, warming everyone’s hearts with their absolute cuteness. Dotty’s previous litters were taken from her when they were about three weeks old – long before they were ready, even before they were weaned. But this litter is different. She can mother them on straw instead of cold, wet concrete. She can watch them grow and care for them, using her powerful mothering instincts properly for the first time.
Dotty having her noon nap at Dean Farm Animal Sanctuary
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Sh e can moth er th em on straw instead of cold, wet concrete. Sh e can watch th em grow and care for th em, using h er powerful moth ering instincts properly for th e first tim e. When curious visitors come to see Dotty and her babies, she watches over them very carefully and makes a warning sound when anyone tries to come too close. Along with Hope and her piglets, Dotty and her family have an important role to play. They are Viva!’s pig ambassadors, showing people how pigs should live, how they want to live. We will be releasing video after video comparing their lives in the safety of Dean Farm with those millions of pigs who are trapped in Britain’s factory farms. Visit viva.org.uk/pigrescue to watch our gorgeous, heart-warming videos. We will keep you updated on our beautiful families’ adventures – animals you helped us to rescue. Thank you for your support.
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Walk for Hope!
Two stalwart Viva! supporters are embarking on a 750 mile walk – one of them on crutches! On June 1, 2017, Dave Lewis and Lizzie Riordan set off on an epic three month 750 mile walk across the UK. Their aim is to raise awareness of the plight of animals in factory farms and slaughter houses and to raise funds for Viva!’s campaigns that investigate cruelty, expose industrial farming and inspire people to take action. As if a gruelling 750 miles isn’t enough, Dave has a broken back and is doing the whole walk on crutches! Dave and Lizzie heard about Viva!’s rescue of mother pig, Hope Apple Blossom and her six babies from slaughter, who are now safe for life at Dean Farm Sanctuary. They also watched Viva!’s Face Off investigations of British pig farms and wanted to help us stop the cruelty. Lizzie went vegan only five months ago – no slow transition but more a eureka moment after chatting to a friend at a party. She asked him what was his secret to being so full of energy and he replied “I’m vegan!” Lizzie told us: “As soon as I became aware of what happened inside UK factory farms and slaughterhouses something changed inside me. I saw the dark side of humanity and knew I could no longer be a part of it. Thank goodness Hope and her piglets have been
liberated but her brothers and sisters continue to suffer. “I am proud to be supporting Viva! in their quest to expose the cruelty and suffering endemic in our food system. It really doesn’t have to be like this.” Dave told us: “I am doing this walk to raise awareness of the pain, misery and suffering that is inflicted on countless innocent beings that directly results from people choosing to eat animals. Hope and her young family are very fortunate to have been rescued from a life of incarceration that can only be described as hell on earth. “While her brothers and sisters continue to endure the terrible things that human beings inflict on animals in the name of taste, I will continue to fight for their liberation. I am thrilled to be supporting Viva! in their work and to be a part of their vigil to expose Hogwood pig farm.” Dave and Lizzie have embarked on this colossal journey with no training and are aiming at about 15 miles a day. They are very lovely, bright, humorous people (they’ll need to be!) and have been overwhelmed by people’s generosity at putting them up en route and walking with them for sections.
Please sponsor Dave and Lizzie – spur them on and raise funds for Viva!’s campaigns to give animals hope. viva.org.uk/walkforhope
The route
The walk begins in Bodmin, Cornwall and finishes in London. Along the way Dave and Lizzie will be visiting a number of the UK’s Save groups. The distance they plan to cover is 750 miles and they will complete the journey in three months. It will end in London, where they will join the Official Animal Rights March.
Hope at Dean Farm Animal Sanctuary viva.org.uk 15
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It’s coming…! Viva!’s biggest campaign is on its way and YOU will be at the heart of it You were with us when we watched Hope make her dance of joy across the sanctuary field – the first time she had ever seen a field or stood on grass. You were with us to watch her piglets take their first steps. You watched them grow, happy and healthy in their forever home – the first time their mum had been allowed to raise her piglets. We know you want to help us get the message out to millions more people – because, like you, we know people care. It’s a small step from caring to changing their diet – the most effective way of all to save animals. Hope’s life is oh so different from the lives of factory farmed pigs and we know that, if we show people this contrast, they will be willing to change. We want to create a world where all pigs are entitled to a life like Hope’s – to fulfil their natural instincts. What an aim – and we need YOUR help to reach millions of people and show them that life can be better – for everyone. As a first step, help us reach two million people with this message – the message that could start changing the face of the UK forever. It’s coming! Watch this space.
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Anthony Mullally the
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VEGAN RHINO
don’t know if you’ve ever watched rugby league but even on TV you can almost smell the testosterone emanating from the screen. It is a clash of heavy, supermacho, muscled, fit and very, very strong men in their prime. So crashbang-wallop is the sport that you wonder how any of them survive a single game let alone a season of bashing into each other. Anthony Mullally is one such player. A prop with Leeds Rhino’s, who are in the Super League and at the time of writing were in the semifinals of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup, equivalent to the FA Cup Final. He also happens to be a vegan. I met him on his home territory at the Leeds Vegan Festival with some team mates and it felt like an audition for Vikings, the kind of guys who if you saw in a dark alley you’d turn and run. As one of them left, Anthony turned to me and said: “He’s now pescatarian, he’ll be the next to go vegan!” I think the lesson is – don’t stereotype people. As I cricked my neck looking up at all 6ft 3½in, 18 stone of him, Anthony’s face told a different story: bright, intelligent blue eyes that were anything but scary – kind and gentle (although I bet many an opponent would argue with that). So what brought about his change of diet?
nutrition and health? “I’ve always cared about animals but like a lot of people I didn’t really want to know what was going on behind the scenes. My sister got me to watch some videos by the animal rights campaigner Gary Yourofsky – and that disturbed me. You can pretend everything’s okay when you don’t know the reality but you can’t unlearn the truth. Once you’ve seen it, once you know Tony Wardle talks to rugby league’s it, it’s with you forever. “It was his claim that we humans gentle giant who wants a peaceable are not carnivores but plant eaters – life off the pitch herbivores. It was a complete eye opener so I did a lot of research on similar theories comparing our anatomy with meat eaters and plant “My sister is vegetarian and her boyfriend eaters and I was convinced. I delved is vegan and every time I went back home to further and found there were so many Widnes they would give me bits of other negative effects of meat eating, not information that got me thinking – truth is, just on us but the environment – animal they worked on me. I was interested but my agriculture is one of the leading drivers of work is performance-related and I have to climate change. And then, of course, stay at top fitness – I couldn’t risk anything there’s the cruelty to animals.” that might affect that.” Like so many other people, Anthony’s The desire for change was obviously change of heart – and diet – came in there and Anthony set about researching stages, originally giving up red meat, then various aspects of the diet. He satisfied chicken and then fish. At this point he was himself over calcium and protein, was vegetarian but so far had told no one and convinced that neither our teeth nor gut as he admits, he is a player in the most are those of a carnivore. It seems that macho of all sports, packed with alpha every subject I raised, he had got there males where vegetarians are an alien breed. before me. So was the whole thing about “We always go for a meal together u
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“Viva! is a one-stop shop for everything to do with veganism and I know you’ll be there to help me if I ever need it“ before the game and so I had to tell everyone, particularly the coach and catering staff. I knew exactly what to expect – some serious ribbing!” It was at this point that Anthony went public and wrote a piece for the clubs fan magazine. It’s really interesting reading it now as you can see that the die was already cast and being veggie was never going to be enough. “I still eat eggs and cheese on occasion, though I try to stay away from milk and will only buy coconut and almond milks. I don’t overindulge in eggs and cheese to compensate for meat as I don’t agree with the dairy industry or the factory-farmed egg industry. I understand it is hypocritical to still eat dairy at all but my process of change is a slow one.” And he explains why. “I naively thought it would inhibit my performance on the rugby field and my ability to maintain strength and muscle mass, especially as I’m a prop forward who, historically, are supposed to be the biggest players on the field. But as time went by and I slowly weaned myself off meat, my strength and size have not decreased at all and, if anything, I feel better – especially in myself”. Having been capped for the Irish team, it obviously hasn’t affected his performance!
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Anthony has now made that final step to becoming vegan and everyone knows it. I wondered if the leg-pulling ever got nasty and Anthony Mullally just smiles. “No, it’s constant banter but always good natured and my stock reply is something like ‘you wouldn’t say that to a gorilla.’ It seems to work”. Of course he gets asked the old, old chestnut that everyone faces – what do you
do about protein? – “along with a look like I have just slapped them across the face!” For someone who has researched his change in diet as carefully as if writing a thesis, that presents no problem. “I get it from lentils, black beans, kidney beans, tofu, soya chunks, occasionally Quorn, quinoa, nuts and many varieties of seeds. To complement them are obviously a lot of vegetables which themselves have protein – just as much as a piece of steak but without the cholesterol”. Game, set and match I would have said. I wondered if there might be a little admiration amongst his team mates for what he’s done. “I think there is – but they’d never admit it. One of the guys eats meat when he’s out but has stopped cooking it at home – I think he’s on the road!” At just 25, Anthony Mullally has several years ahead of him on the rugby pitch – years of brutal physical contact and regular injuries. Does he have any doubt that his vegan diet will sustain him? “Absolutely not! I think it’s important to do your bit and I am helping animals and the environment as well as myself. I’ll never go back to eating meat and dairy. Viva! is a one-stop shop for everything to do with veganism and I know you’ll be there to help me if I ever need it.”
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Avo – a man of two halves
Our Team Viva! Heroes are those people who do something extraordinary for Viva!
…one half of which is championing Viva! and veganism – lovely sourdough toast with smashed avocado, a few chopped radishes and some sprinkled chilli flakes. Classy and simple – just like me!” So, who does he see as his prime veggie rival in the upcoming 10k run for Viva!? “No doubt about that – it’s asparagus woman. It’s those deliciously long legs …! But at least I’ll make people laugh while I raise awareness about all the great work for animals that’s being done. I’ll use the power of social media to get them reading amazing books, watch great documentaries and meet pioneering people. Viva! is a great charity with a great purpose and if everyone just slowed down and thought about their meat intake, it would have an amazing effect on people, the planet and its animals. One day we will all ‘get it’.” You can see Avo Man at the London Viva! Vegan Festival in Wembley on Saturday, September 16, 2017 (see page 44). For details and to support him and Viva!, check out viva.org.uk/AvocadoMan. Or follow him on Instagram or Facebook at the.avocado.man.
Photos © Avocado Assistant
You may laugh – in fact you’re expected to laugh – but if Avocado Man is half the bloke he says he is, Viva! will be much richer when he’s done. He’s seeking sponsorship for a 10-kilometre run and all the proceeds will go towards our campaigns. Why Viva!? “You stand for everything I stand for. It’s a perfect fit. Hopefully, my run will make people more aware of what Viva! does and inspire them to make steps towards a healthier, more sustainable diet – and that includes avocados!” It’s no good, I simply can’t avoid the question of what happened to his other half. “To the best of my knowledge, I was born like this. Back in Mexico, I remember my mum telling me that some avocados have a hole and some have a stone but she never mentioned the missing half. Mind you, I do have a strange dream every full moon of my other half crying out over and over – ‘A half, a half, my kingdom for a half’. It’s pretty scary!” How do people react to this half man-ocado? “I was once asked if I was pregnant, which I thought was pretty weird.” I didn’t really like to ask about eating his relatives but he was cool. “My favourite recipe is from the Naughty Avocado pop-up in Old Street Station, London
You can be one of our Team Viva! Heroes too. To find out how to get involved, go to viva.org.uk/team-viva or contact Sam on 0117 944 1000 viva.org.uk 19
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Image © Philip McCulloch-Downs
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Lobster tales As big sea predators such as cod are overfished, lobster numbers are increasing and they face a dismal fate, says Tony Wardle
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nce, decades ago, I used to stay at the Chelsea Hotel in New York from time to time, whose history is littered with great creative names – Arthur C Clarke, Daniel Ginsburg, Dylan Thomas and is where Nancy Spungen was killed. On the ground floor is its equally famous Don Quixote Spanish restaurant, where customers would have a plastic bib fitted around their necks if they ordered the special – two broiled, Maine lobsters for $10. I once asked one of them if she had any qualms about the animals being cooked alive. “Nah,” she replied, “they’re just lulled to sleep!” It’s typical of us humans – grab hold of any ill-informed excuse to justify our habits. To claim that fish are stupid, have a three second memory span and don’t feel pain is scientific nonsense but it makes exploiting them so much more acceptable. Truth is, fish have complex social patterns, have a long-term memory or they couldn’t identify food sources and predators and
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pain is an essential part of their survival. In fact, they have very similar pain receptors to mammals. Crustaceans such as lobsters and crabs fare even worse from myth making – heat them up from cold to kill them and they’re simply lulled to sleep; plunge them into boiling water and they die instantly. Scrabbling around the pan in desperation and snapping their tails is nothing more than a reaction! Not satisfied with this, a bunch of scientists decided to torture some of the lobster’s close kin, hermit crabs, just so they could verify what was blindingly obvious. They gave them electric shocks and when the shocks became severe enough the crabs would leave their shells, despite their soft bodies making them vulnerable to predators. A little wrinkle was then added – a predator smell was injected into the tanks and the hermit crabs withstood far greater pain from the shocks rather than emerge to be eaten, as they thought.
So lobsters feel pain, considerable pain, of that there is no doubt. And they have incredibly complex social lives, despite mostly being solitary creatures. As with most mammals, there is an alpha male who will mate with most female lobsters in the area, partly because he has found himself the most secure hidey-hole amongst the rocks. The process of mating puts humans’ rushed attempts to shame. Lobsters molt – shed their shells – to enable them to grow, hiding while their new shell hardens. During the first couple of years that can be up to 25 times and then it slows down until after seven years old, it’s just once a year. Females only mate immediately after they have shed their shells and will cosy up in a close embrace with the male in his lair for 10 days or so – a form of safe sex, I guess! By that time her new shell will have hardened and she will emerge to produce some 10,000 eggs, which she carries beneath her abdomen before they hatch into minuscule,
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plankton-sized young, to drift on the ocean thermals and currents. Those who survive eventually take up residence on the ocean floor in mud, sand or, preferably, rocks. The male then repeats the mating process with another female – and another and another… Game boys are male lobsters! As part of the mating process they can travel with other lobsters in long, fluid, almost choreographed processions hundreds of meters long and travel as far as 100 miles in a kind of beautifully elegant pilgrimage that no one truly understands. Lobsters are decapods (having ten feet) and there are hundreds of species across the world but only a few are caught and eaten – the main ones being the American (Homarus americanus) and European lobsters (Homarus gammarus), with their red colour and big claws, which can exert up to 100lbs pressure. They are thought to live up to 50 years and increase in size with every molt, becoming more fertile the older they get. Uhmmmm! The largest ever caught weighed over 40lbs, although the average size served in most restaurants is 1-2lbs. Many warm-water lobsters have no claws and are often referred to as crayfish. Another popular variety is the Norwegian lobster (Nephrops norvegicus), better known as the Dublin Bay prawn, langoustine or scampi – much smaller and slimmer than the other types of lobster and orange in colour, measuring up to 22cm. They are usually associated with Mediterranean holidays even though few are caught there. The main fishing ground is the North Atlantic, particularly the Irish Sea, where they live in burrows in the sand, popping out at night to feed – and that’s when they are caught by trawlers using otter board trawls. A staggering 46,955 tonnes are allowed to be taken each year and almost the entire catch is exported – particularly to the Mediterranean! This type of trawling, of course, is one of the most destructive forms of fishing ever devised because of the damage it does to the seabed and other sea life. Bigger lobsters are caught almost exclusively by baited pots (traps) and just about every fishery will have some lobster boats at work. Others are winkled out of their rocky hides by scuba divers or taken as ‘bycatch’ by trawlers fishing for other species. The combined total
global catch is extraordinary – in excess of 181,000 metric tonnes but widely believed to be under-reported. A great deal of this is accounted for by the much-publicised US Maine fisheries (which supplies the Don Quixote) and their Canadian neighbours. Along the Maine coast as many as three million baited pots are set and hauled in again each year by 5,800 lobster fishermen who, between them, produced sales figures of about $533.1 million in 2016 but this was the boat price not retail value. Retail values this year stand at about $7 a pound. Such a total would be impossible
to prevent fighting because, as a largely solitary species, it is highly stressful to be kept in close proximity with other animals and they will fight. They are then posted, still alive, all over the US and the world, with £26 million dollars-worth going from Maine to China. They will almost all be boiled, chopped up or grilled alive. The reason it is so difficult to kill a lobster is that it has 13 nerve centres throughout the length of his body, which constitute his brain. All have to be disabled to prevent suffering. Some restaurants now use an implement called the Crustastun that essentially electrocutes the animals – five seconds for a lobster, 10 for a crab is the claim. Apart from some rearing in ponds in much the same way as prawns, lobsters have so far largely been saved the agony of industrial farming, mostly because they can take seven years to reach a saleable size and have big appetites. That’s about to change! Vietnam is trying it and the use of submersible tanks is being touted around the UK. But it’s Darden Restaurants (Red Lobster brand) in Orlando that is really going for it. They are planning the world’s largest lobster farm – in Malaysia on a 23,000 acre site with 12,000 workers. Their aim is to churn out 96,000 tonnes of lobster annually, worth $1 billion. And as with every other factory farm, on land or sea, we know exactly what the outcome will be in terms of environmental devastation and appalling animal welfare. As Peter, Paul and Mary said – when will they ever learn?
The majority have their claws bound with elastic bands to prevent fighting without on-shore hatcheries that take fertilized eggs from female lobsters, rear the fry to a size where survival odds are better and then release millions of them into the Maine waters. It’s difficult to imagine the impact that such a disproportionately large number of a single species in one area will have on the biodiversity but just up the coast in Canada, the industry is twice the size of the Maine fishery. Lobsters can remain in the pots for up to seven days before being hauled in and then face two fates. Some are snapped in half while still alive their tails being cooked for use in commercial products. The majority have their claws bound with elastic bands
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lifeSCIENCE
Viva!Health unravels scientific research and makes it easy to understand. Here we update you on the latest findings… By Veronika Powell MSc, Viva!Health Campaigner
Positive change Nurses from across the US were recruited to try veganism and the results are astonishing Nineteen nurses participated in a nutrition educational program by following a plant-based diet for 21 days. The aim was to improve their knowledge of plant-based nutrition and experience its benefits. They were encouraged to eat fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, pulses and nuts and seeds; cut out meat, seafood, dairy products and eggs and limit highly refined foods, such as white flour, oils and sugar. Nearly three-quarters saw a decrease in total cholesterol, more than half lost weight and all reported health benefits. Many experienced a dramatic improvement in energy levels – 11 per cent were highly satisfied with their energy levels before the diet whereas 41 per cent felt this way at the end of the 21-day program. And whilst only 6 per cent of participants were highly satisfied with their overall health before starting the program, 44 per cent felt this way afterwards. All the nurses agreed that they gained valuable knowledge and experience about nutrition and health and now see a plant-based diet as a viable option for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Evans J et al., 2017. A Plant-Based Nutrition Program. American Journal of Nursing. 117 (3): 56–61.
Fruit fights diabetes
Prostate protection Plant-based diets can be potent in preventing prostate cancer Genetic factors can play an important role in prostate cancer but lifestyle and diet choices are crucial – they can significantly increase or reduce the risk. Obesity poses a particular risk because it raises the levels of sex hormones which, in turn, increase the risk of this hormone-sensitive cancer. Some sexually transmitted diseases have been linked to a higher risk, too, as well as physical inactivity, smoking and alcohol consumption. Among different foods, the worst offenders were saturated animal fats, red and processed meat and dairy products. These have been linked to prostate cancer in multiple ways, including increasing growthfactor and sex hormone levels, harmful by-products of metabolism, carcinogenic compounds and altered cell metabolism. On the plus side, foods that have been shown to offer protection from prostate cancer are soya, tomatoes (due to lycopene, their red pigment) and green tea. Sufficient vitamin E and D intake is also important in prostate cancer prevention and so is regular intake of selenium – think Brazil nuts. Perdana NR et al., 2016. The Risk Factors of Prostate Cancer and Its Prevention: A Literature Review. Acta Medica Indonesiana. 48 (3): 228-238.
Extensive study reveals daily fruit consumption can help prevent diabetes or lessen its severity Fruit is the most natural food for us yet many believe that because it’s sweet, diabetics or people at risk of developing diabetes should avoid it. Results of this impressive, seven-year study of over 500,000 people finally nailed this myth. The study found that daily consumption of fresh fruit reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 12 per cent and for people who already have diabetes, it reduced the risk of premature death by 17
per cent and the risk of developing diabetes-related complications (heart disease and stroke, kidney diseases, eye diseases and neuropathy) by up to 28 per cent. The relationship between fruit consumption and health benefits was clear – the more fresh fruit the better. And, as the authors highlighted, people should not be told to limit their fresh fruit intake, whether diabetic or not! Du H et al., 2017. Fresh fruit consumption in relation to incident diabetes and diabetic vascular complications: A 7-y prospective study of 0.5 million Chinese adults. PLoS Medicine. 14 (4): e1002279.
Viva!Health has a new, exciting, online tool – Interactive Shopping Baskets for diabetics! Head over to vivahealth.org.uk/diabetesshopping-basket and see what’s in the ‘good basket’ and the ‘bad basket’! And don’t forget to share with your loved ones! 24
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Happy heart foods A new review of evidence shows how fantastic plant foods are for your heart A team of esteemed researchers looked at available scientific evidence about certain types of food and diets and their link to heart disease and stroke. Their findings were clear – plant-based diets with healthy sources of protein, such as pulses, nuts and seeds, fresh fruit and vegetables, and limited amounts of olive and rapeseed oils, promote heart health and should be encouraged. Saturated fats and cholesterol are to be avoided at all cost, which means no eggs, fatty and processed meat, dairy fats, fried foods, palm and coconut oil. The study also warns against supplements with high amounts of antioxidants as these do not help, are no substitute for a healthy diet and high doses of some vitamins may cause harm. Green leafy vegetables offer extra benefits for heart health and it’s recommended they be eaten on daily basis – think broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and watercress. Eating whole fruits and vegetables is encouraged but juicing is discouraged as it removes beneficial fibre and the nutrients bound to it. See the study’s main findings in the table below. Freeman AM et al., 2017. Trending Cardiovascular Nutrition Controversies. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 69 (9): 1172-1187.
C E N T R A L I LL U ST R A T I O N Evidence for Cardiovascular Health Impact of Foods Reviewed
Summary of heart-harmful and heart-healthy foods/diets Evidence of harm; limit or avoid
Inconclusive evidence; for harm or benefit
Coconut oil and palm oil are high in saturated fatty acids and raise cholesterol
Sunflower oil and other liquid vegetable oils
Eggs have a serum cholesterol-raising effect
High-dose antioxidant supplements
Juicing of fruits/vegetables with pulp removal increases caloric concentration*
Juicing of fruits/vegetables without pulp removal*
Southern diets (added fats and oils, fried foods, eggs, organ and processed meats, sugar-sweetened drinks)
Gluten-containing foods (for people without gluten-related disease)
Evidence of benefit; recommended Extra-virgin olive oil reduces some CVD outcomes when consumed in moderate quantities Blueberries and strawberries (>3 servings/week) induce protective antioxidants 30 g serving of nuts/day. Portion control is necessary to avoid weight gain.† Green leafy vegetables have significant cardioprotective properties when consumed daily Plant-based proteins are significantly more heart-healthy compared to animal proteins
Freeman, A.M. et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2017;69(9):1172–87. This figure summarizes the foods discussed in this paper that should be consumed often, and others that should be avoided from a cardiovascular health perspective. *It is important to note that juicing becomes less of a benefit if calorie intake increases because of caloric concentration with pulp removal. †Moderate quantities are required to prevent caloric excess.
The case against meat Growing evidence links red and processed meat to all Western, degenerative diseases A comprehensive review of major studies on red and processed meat consumption presents a convincing case that they should not be part of our diet. It links red and processed meat consumption to diabetes, coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, several types of cancer and premature mortality – dying early. Red meat includes beef, veal, pork, lamb and mutton; processed red meat includes ham, sausages, bacon, frankfurters, salami and any other meat that has undergone treatments such as curing, smoking, salting or has additives such as chemical preservatives. Consumption of 50 grams of processed meat daily (three to five bacon rashers, a small sausage or less than a burger) increases your risk of prostate cancer by four per cent, mortality from cancer by eight per cent, breast cancer by nine per cent, colorectal cancer by 18 per cent, pancreatic cancer by 19 per cent, stroke by 13 per cent, fatal heart attack or stroke by 24 per cent, type 2 diabetes by 32 per cent and the risk of premature death by 22 per cent. Consumption of 100 grams of red meat daily (less than one pork or lamb chop or less than a half an average steak) increases your risk of stroke and breast cancer by 11 per cent, fatal heart attack or stroke by 15 per cent, colorectal cancer by 17 per cent and advanced prostate cancer by 19 per cent. The more meat, the higher the risk! There are many mechanisms at work, including toxic and carcinogenic compounds as well as meat’s natural components that can cause harmful reactions in the body. For more information, see our new report, Meat the Truth, at vivahealth.org.uk/meat-truth or call 0117 944 1000 to order a paper copy (£10). The study also highlights that the production of red meat is a considerable environmental burden and all countries should implement policies to limit consumption. Wolk A, 2017. Potential health hazards of eating red meat (Review). Journal of Internal Medicine. 281: 106–122.
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Last day of the lambs
Pavel Artyfikie reports on a disturbing Viva! Poland investigation into the long distance transport of lambs from Poland to Italy hey don’t know it but April 3, 2017, is the beginning of the end for 822 lambs – but that end won’t come today or even tomorrow. They have been taken from the security of their fields and transported to an assembly point in Bańska Niżna, southern Poland, where they are tossed like trash into huge pens. This is just the start of their ordeal. They are crowded together with strangers, some of who are much bigger and stronger. Just a few will be lucky enough to reach the water troughs. Most don’t even know what water is as they have only ever drunk their mothers’ milk. These little creatures will never again know the luxury of drinking. Two of Viva!’s activists are at the assembly point, watching and covertly recording what they can. Several other activists wait at designated locations along the route, ready to proceed with the agreed plan, all anxious and uncertain about what the next few hours will bring and how they
T
will cope with it; will they be up to the task? This last day of the lambs seems to be all about waiting. They have been here three hours before the huge transporter arrives to collect them, but still the loading doesn’t start – not for another two hours
wait on the Slovakian border, together with an officer from the Road Transport Inspection Service who will stop and examine the truck. They hear the transporter long before it comes into view – the bleating and crying of hundreds of baby voices preceding it, and the impact is chilling. Our team thought they knew what to expect but their faces show that the reality is far worse than their expectations. The inspection reveals that the vehicle violates a long list of animal welfare and transport regulations. It is not equipped with milk substitues for the hundreds of unweaned lambs who can drink only milk. The watering system needed by the older lambs is turned off so not even they can drink. Overcrowding is the most serious violation together with the large number of animals who are visibly weak and ill. Some are lying down but are being trampled by those still standing. One downed lamb is
Some are lying down but are being trampled by those still standing
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of pointless waiting. We can see their stress levels rising and when they are finally driven onto the truck it escalates to severe. No one seems concerned; no one cares. Finally, the truck moves off to start its long, 1,500 kilometer journey to Italy. One of our team follows behind; others
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Viva! Poland’s team on the 1500km (932 miles) monitoring trip found the suffering of the lambs extremely hard to bear but it spurred them on to make things better in the future
extremely weak, shaking, and unresponsive. Polish law allows Viva! to temporarily confiscate any animal whose health or life is threatened but the local police refuse to allow us to do so. And so the local county veterinarian arrives and he too ignores our briefing and request to seize the animals. Without even inspecting them, he confirms the lambs’ fitness to continue their long journey. We argue for an hour but the truck starts up and moves on towards Italy. Viva!’s team follow behind once more, as far as the ‘rest’ stop in Redics, Hungary. Again we inspect the lambs and the sickest one is still in very bad shape. We report it but the Hungarian authorities see no problem and waive the lorry on. Finally, we reach Italy and are assisted by Silvia Meriggi from our old friends Animals Angels, Europe’s most experienced group at tracking long-distance transports. Together, we report the welfare problems and again the truck is inspected by police and the official vet. They find nothing wrong, claiming there are no specific space requirements for lambs. Officially, they are entitled to 0.2 sq mt each but it can be less ‘if necessary’. How much less the
In this report are many regulations don’t say so it echoes of our long-fought could be 0! They don’t even campaign against live address the other violations we horse exports to Italy – have recorded. the very thing that took And so into Italy and their Viva! to Poland. The final destination – the appalling footage we infamous slaughterhouse at obtained at the Redics Acquapendente, near Orvieto. rest stop in Hungary, of a They have been on the road trampled little grey mare who died there, formed for four days in cold, wind, the central image of the entire campaign. It and rain – hungry, thirsty, shocked Polish people and led to the trade overcrowded and stressed. collapsing, with Poland’s chief vet blaming Viva!. The offical transport Blame like that we relish. Tony Wardle documents state a journey time of two days, but no one shows any concern. ‘‘We’ve come all this way, tried every option only to find that the Indeed, it wasn’t all for nothing. The whole system is just one big failure and press coverage we obtained resulted in the what really matters is the industry’s profit. Italian slaughterhouse terminating its Right now, I just hope that all the evidence contract with Poland and no further we have gathered will not be for nothing. transports were sent last Easter. Viva! has We were there with those 822 babies until prosecutions underway against the the very end and I believe that in some way transport company, assembly point operator that made them important, that they had and the polish county veterinarian, whose someone who cared for them for just those lack of action was responsible for all the few days,” says Anna Plaszczyk, head of violations and suffering that followed on the Viva! team. that long journey.
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m m e r u Sand the dining is teasyime Fresh, delicious and tempting amidst the scents of a summer garden (or back yard for that matter, probably minus the scents). These delicious recipes will have you smacking your lips on a lazy summer day where shorts and flip-flops and chilled wine are absolutely necessary accompaniments. At the time of writing, the sun is blistering down, the
pollen is high and we’re all saying, ‘I could get used to this!’ We can’t guarantee it will still be heatwave mode when you read this but whatever the weather, these little beauties will delight – tried, tested, photographed and brought to you by our cookery wizard, Chava Eichner of Flavourphotos. More at veganrecipeclub.org.uk.
Grilled asparagus and sunshine orzo pasta SERVES 4 Many years ago our friend Rob introduced us to barbecued asparagus – a great success! This dish will add a vibrant splash of colour to your alfresco feast – just add sunshine and a nice glass of chilled bubbly… l 125g/4½oz orzo l ¼ tsp turmeric l 300g/10½oz asparagus l A little vegetable oil (e.g. rapeseed) l 1 large roasted red pepper (from a jar) l 12 mixed olives l 8 cherry tomatoes l Basil leaves and chives l Chopped pistachios or other nuts (optional)
Dressing l ½ small red onion l 3 tbsp olive oil l 2 tbsp white wine vinegar l A small squirt of agave nectar (or sugar to taste) l Salt and black pepper
1 Parboil the asparagus for 3 minutes. Remove from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and rinse under cold water. Set aside. 2 Add turmeric, a little salt and orzo to the water and cook according to packet instructions. Drain and place it in large bowl to cool. 3 Chop tomatoes in half, cut red pepper into thin strips. Add both to the orzo, together with olives, fresh basil leaves and chopped chives. 4 Make the dressing, mix it into the orzo and combine. 5 Drizzle a little oil over asparagus and grill on a BBQ or in a griddle pan. Turn once and grill until lines start to show and the asparagus is cooked through. 6 Adjust seasoning of the orzo, transfer to a large serving plate and place the asparagus on top. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if you like. Bright and beautiful – perfect for a summery BBQ. FROM THE
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BBQ avocado with giant couscous salad SERVES 2 A pretty summer dish for avocado lovers! Drizzle some good olive oil over the salad before serving or try some infused oils – garlic and chilli, lemon or dill oil – they all add delicious extra flavour. l 125g/4½oz giant couscous l 1 ripe avocado l 2 spring onions, finely sliced l 2 tbsp each of chopped dill, mint and parsley l 1 orange l 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds l Juice of ½ -1 lemon l Olive oil to drizzle l Salt and pink pepper 1 Place giant couscous in a pot with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 7-8 minutes until soft. Drain and set aside to cool. 2 With a sharp knife, cut off all the orange peel. Cut the orange flesh into thin slices and halve each slice. 3 Chop herbs and spring onions. Combine with couscous, orange pieces and pomegranate seeds. 4 Squeeze lemon juice over the couscous – add more if you wish before serving. 5 Cut avocado in half and remove stone. Use a large spoon to scoop out each half. 6 Brush with a little oil and place, flat side down on BBQ or griddle pan. Grill for a few minutes. 7 Adjust seasoning of couscous with sea salt and crushed pink peppercorns. Arrange avocado halves on top and drizzle with olive oil.
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Three for One, Super-fast Ice Cream Recipes SERVES 4 This is a supremely simple, delicious and sugar-free recipe that takes only a few minutes – but you will need a high-speed blender to cope with frozen ingredients and nuts.
Vanilla
l 90g Brazil nuts l 60-120ml/¼-½ cup water – start with a little and add more if necessary l 2 tsp vanilla extract l 8-9 medjool dates l 10 large ice cubes – more if necessary
Banana & Chocolate Chip
l 90g Brazil nuts l 60-120ml/¼-½ cup water – start with a little and add more if necessary l 2 tsp vanilla extract l 4-8 medjool dates – start with 4, adding more for greater sweetness l 2 medium bananas, fresh or frozen l 5-10 large ice cubes – use fewer if you’re using frozen bananas l To add after blending: 100g/heaped ¼ cup chocolate chips
Berry
Aubergine Miso Steaks SERVES 2 The miso glaze turns these grilled aubergine steaks into a real BBQ showstopper. Serve them with a selection of salads and potato wedges or in a bun with green leaves and colourful tomatoes. Leftovers make a great sandwich filling and are a tasty addition to couscous and pasta salads. l ½ aubergine per person l Salt
Optional: chilli flakes; chopped parsley
Glaze per aubergine l 1 tsp medium or sweet miso l 1 tsp agave syrup l 2 tsp mirin (rice wine) l 1 tsp soya sauce, eg shoyu or tamari l 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Serving options – one or more of these l Sweet potato wedges l Tofu skewers with satay sauce (see veganrecipeclub.org.uk) l Rice l Green salad
1 Slice each aubergine into rounds or lengthways 2cm thick. Sprinkle with sea salt on both sides and leave for an hour to tenderise. 2 Mix glaze until fully combined and set aside. 3 Wash salt and moisture from aubergine slices and pat dry. With a sharp knife, cut a shallow criss cross pattern on both sides of aubergine steaks. 4 Brush glaze generously on both sides, retaining a little for later. 5 Place on red-hot grill or griddle for a few minutes per side, caramelising the steaks without burning. Should be soft but not mushy. 6 Once nicely charred, brush with remaining glaze. Add chilli flakes and/or parsley if desired.
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l 90g Brazil nuts l 60-120ml/¼-½ cup water – start with minimum and only add more if necessary l 2 tsp vanilla extract l 8-9 medjool dates l 110g/½ cup frozen berries – cherries, blueberries, loganberries or blackberries would all work, or a mixture. Avoid anything with woody bits 1 Choose your recipe and assemble the ingredients. Place everything in a high speed blender and whizz. 2 Stop frequently, scrape down sides then whizz again. 3 Serve immediately (can be kept in freezer for a few minutes but don’t let it harden).
Here comes
Summer!
Viva!’s sizzling new vegan Summer guide is on its way, with 30 superb, sun-drenched recipes for you. Fancy Breakfast Quesadilla with Avocado, Luxury Stuffed Picnic Loaf or Summer Pea & Mint Soup? Or what about Eton Mess, with heapings of meringue, berries and whipped coconut cream? Or Marinated Tofu Skewers with Thai Peanut Sauce? The Aubergine Miso Steaks and delicious Ice Cream recipes on these pages are little sneak previews of what’s to come. Buy it from the Viva!Shop, vivashop.org.uk/books/viva-guides-reports or call us on 0117 944 1000, 9.30-5.30 Monday-Friday.
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FROM THE
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Farm vets…
cruelty is their calling Tony Wardle lets rip at a profession he believes has lost its way
I
know, I know – not every veterinarian is the same. But if you want to stay in business as a farm vet it seems you have to accept that your role is to get as many animals as possible to slaughter in a saleable condition and to hell with animal welfare – and that’s it! I doubt if most can even remember the moral requirements of their equivalent of the Hippocratic oath! The farms we have exposed over the years, the cruelties we have revealed on camera; the heart-breaking suffering we have brought into public view, have one thing in common – they were all overseen by a vet. How come we unearth appalling cruelty and they don’t; how come we gain nationwide publicity and they don’t; how come they allow these conditions to exist and we don’t? I quote as an example our most recent exposé of Hogwood Farm in Warwickshire (see page 10). Look at the pictures, read the descriptions, view the video and then decide just how cruel this place is. An independent vet described the footage to the Sunday Mirror in much the same terms as we did – cruelty almost beyond belief. The vet who had regularly attended these animals, contracted by the farm owner, gave the place a clean bill of health even after our exposé, we are told by a journalist. There was nothing wrong with these conditions, he said! There was also nothing wrong with the regular invoices he must have tendered and the cash he received in return, which for 15,000 animals would be considerable over the 10 years he has been employed. He knew that our attack on Hogwood Farm was just as much an attack on him. We know from many exposés over the years that it is the vet responsible who will mount the fiercest counterattacks against us. The Hogwood Farm vet and every other UK vet signs a declaration when they become a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and are allowed to practice. Read it, if you can, without laughing (the Caps are theirs, not mine). “I PROMISE AND SOLEMNLY DECLARE that I will pursue the work of my profession with integrity and accept my responsibilities to the public, my clients, the profession and the Royal College of
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Veterinary Surgeons, and that, ABOVE ALL, my constant endeavour will be to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to my care.” It then provides more detailed information, such as: Veterinary surgeons must make animal health and welfare their first consideration when attending to animals. How does that fit with animals being left to die unattended, with cannibalism, with bloated corpses left amongst the living. It makes the next two requirements almost laughable. Veterinary surgeons must provide veterinary care that is appropriate and adequate. Veterinary surgeons must take steps to provide 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief to animals. A pig industry spokesperson said that the Hogwood Farm vet visited every three months! So where were vets when the government, decades ago, decided to sanction the use of sow stalls? It meant that mother pigs spent their entire lives in one cage or another, so small they could never turn around. And to curtail their movement even further, many were tethered to the floor with collars around their necks or middles. Not surprisingly, complete mental breakdown was common. Why did the RCVS not instruct its members to refuse to participate in such a transparently cruel system? And when animal groups began to campaign against sow stalls, were vets at the head of the queue, demanding change? They were nowhere to be seen and made no public utterances, giving the impression that things couldn’t be that bad. And when there was a Tory filibuster in parliament to delay the ban, did they shout out in horror? Not so much as a whisper! It was a similar story with the unimaginably cruel veal crates, where little calves were kept in tiny, solitary crates and were purposely diseased with a liquid-
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only diet so they developed anaemia – to keep their flesh white. Vets should have refused to countenance crates and been leading protests demanding they be ended. But they weren’t. Unless we expose what’s going on, the public would have no idea. But there is another crisis that vets have helped to create – antibiotic-resistant super bugs. They are already killing tens of thousands of people in the UK and threaten to return us to prewar days when infections were a major killer and invasive surgery was almost impossible. And again the public are being misled. The media message is largely that the cause is from doctors overprescribing antibiotics to their patients despite the fact that all new strains of superbugs are coming from farmed animals, not humans. Veterinary surgeons who prescribe, supply and administer medicines must do so responsibly, according to their code. Fifty per cent of all antibiotics are used in UK farming (80 per cent in the US) and mostly require a vet’s authorisation.
Historically, vets have been quite happy to sanction the prolific use of antibiotics on their client’s behalf: therapeutic ones to treat diseases; prophylactic ones to prevent diseases; and growth-promoting ones to build bigger animals by suppressing bacteria in their gut. When, in 2005, the EU banned the use of some growth-promoting antibiotics, specifically because of fears of superbugs, we all thought that their consumption would fall. Ironically, there was an increase in total usage as farmers (or rather their vets) discovered that by using either therapeutic or prophylactic antibiotics instead of growth promoters, you got exactly the same result. Was that the ‘responsible use of medicines’? I think not. This looming crisis has its roots firmly in the acquiescence of farm vets and they should be ashamed. It seems they (mostly) have forgotten entirely the most basic commitments of their inaugural swearing. They are simply part and parcel of the whole factory farming system, a system that could not function without their full co-operation. They can end it tomorrow if they so choose by refusing to cooperate with these hideous systems. But sadly, they seem to have forgotten entirely the use of one simple word – NO!
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Milk race
As more and more plant milks are popping up, you may be wondering about their health benefits and how they compare to cow’s milk. Veronika Powell explores the milky landscape Firstly, let’s have a proper look at what any milk actually is – a very watery liquid, around 90 per cent is always water. Therefore, any amount of nutrients it contains is more or less diluted and any health effects depend on how much of it you drink. SUGAR WITH YOUR MILK? As you can see in the comparison table, dairy milk has more sugar than most plant milks. Why is there sugar in plain dairy milk you ask? Milk sugar – lactose – is a natural component of milk. It is a simple sugar which means it breaks down fast and is quickly absorbed by your body – the same as table sugar. On the other hand, unsweetened plant milks have almost no sugar and even the sweetened varieties are often sweetened with apple juice, which is better for you than sugar. The lowest in sugar: soya, almond and hemp milks
FLOATING FATS Dairy milk always contains saturated ‘bad’ fats which are a risk factor for heart disease. In that respect, coconut milk is similar as it’s the only type of plant milk that naturally comes with a higher saturated fat content. All the other plant-based milks have a very healthy fat profile. Hemp milk also
comes with an extra dose of essential omega-3 fats, closely followed by soya, with its healthy unsaturated fats. Rice, oat and almond milk have the absolutely lowest fat content. The best fat profile: soya, almond, oat, hemp and rice milks u
Cow’s milk vs plant milks Nutrient/ 100g
Dairy milk (semiskimmed) 2.0g 1-1.3g 0-0.1g
Total fat Saturated fat Polyunsaturated (essential) fats Protein Sugar
3-4g 5g
Fibre Calcium
0g 120mg
* Unsweetened
†
Soya milk
Almond milk
Oat milk
Hemp milk
Rice milk
Coconut milk
1.7g 0.3g 1.0g
1.1g 0.1g 0.3g
0.5-1.5g 0.1-0.2g 0.7g
2.8g 0.3g 2.0g
1.0g 0.1g 0.6g
0.9-2.0g 0.9-1.9g 0g
3.0g 0.1g* 2.4g† 0.5g 120mg
0.4g 0.1g* 3g† 0.4g 120mg
1.0g 4.1g
0.6g 0.1g* 1.8g† 0.5g 118mg
0.1g 0.1-0.2g 3.3-7.0g 1.6-1.9g
0.8g 120mg
0.3g 120mg
0.1g 120mg
Sweetened
hemp
soya
coconut
oat
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STO PACKING PROTEIN Protein levels vary and although dairy milk has about the same protein content as soya milk, cow’s milk proteins, such as whey and casein, are very hard for the human body to digest. In fact, they used to make furniture glue out of casein! Soya not only contains a good amount of protein but it’s better protein at that! Soya protein lowers cholesterol and may reduce the risk of breast cancer. Best for protein: soya milk LIQUID CALCIUM The amount of calcium you get from most fortified plant milks is the same as from cow’s milk. Not all varieties are fortified but most are, so check the carton! The calcium in dairy milk is why we’ve been told to drink the white stuff but don’t forget that cow’s milk also packs a good dose of hormones and pus by default. No one needs that!
ROUGHAGE IN YOUR DRINK All plant milks contain some fibre, which is essential for good health, whilst dairy milk never contains any. Fibre helps to keep your digestive tract healthy and can slow down sugar digestion. Soya, almond, hemp and oat milk are best for fibre but oat milk beats the others.
oat
Best source of fibre: oat milk ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT? It takes 1,020 litres of water to produce one litre of cow’s milk. To produce the same amount of soya milk, you need 297 litres of water – and even less for other crops like oats! Almonds drink a bit more but they’re certainly not the culprit behind California’s water crises as some tabloids claimed – unlike livestock farms!
Best for calcium: all fortified plant milks
THE WINNER IS? It’s impossible to pick which plant milk is the best. Ultimately, it comes down to taste because you’re most likely to stick with something you actually enjoy drinking! The truth is, all plant milks are not just more ethical and sustainable than cow’s milk, they are also healthier.
PS Here’s a little comparison of plain low-fat dairy yogurt and plain soya yogurt
Dairy vs soya yogurt
soya
Nutrient/100 g
Plain low-fat dairy yogurt
Alpro plain soya/soyaalmond yogurt
Total fat Saturated fat Polyunsaturated (essential) fats Protein Sugar Fibre Calcium
1.5g 1.0g 0.044g
2.8/2.3g 0.4g 1.4g
5.2g 7.0g 0.0g 183mg
3.9/4.0g 2.2/2.1g 1.1g 120mg
Soya yogurts are a clear winner here! The only thing to watch when it comes to non-dairy yogurts are some coconut ones, which have a high fat content.
t coconu
hemp
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P PRESS | STO STOP PRESS | STOP PRESS | STOP PRESS | STO
P PRESS | STOP PRESS | STOP PRESS |
Hogwood
the horror grows On July 10, Viva! held an emotional vigil outside the Warwickshire farm where 15,000 pigs live in shameful conditions. Despite being in the middle of nowhere, 60 people turned up to express their solidarity and declare that they cared. Some have continued that vigil and are still there, including Dave Lewis and Lizzie Riordan, who have interrupted their 750-mile Walk for Hope (see page 15) to express their heart-felt feelings for those who are suffering. Having received a tip off that farm owner Brian Hobill had dumped dead animals in nearby woods, we did a detailed search and sure enough found the remains of many animals, both mature pigs and piglets. It was the final insult for director Juliet Gellatley and she spoke tearfully to camera to express her revulsion at the way animals are treated (viva.org.uk/hogwood). Neither Viva! nor the Sunday Mirror had been able to discover who was buying meat from this hell-hole but another tip-off informed us it was Tesco, and it was correct. Mr Hobill’s neighbours really don’t seem to like him! Having already run the original story across a double-page-spread, the Sunday Mirror returned to it, giving another full page to our grisly find and linking the meat supplied by Hogwood to Tesco, who had apparently only recently inspected the farm and given it a clean bill of health. The Stratford Herald and Stratford Observer also returned to the story to cover our grisly find.
One of Mr Hobill’s excuses for the condition of his animals was that Viva! had ‘manipulated’ the scene and our actions had been caught on his CCTV cameras. The law states that anyone filmed by CCTV has the right to obtain a copy of the footage. As Mr Hobill had specifically named Juliet, a delegation detached itself from the vigil and accompanied her to his front door to deliver a letter demanding to see what he had supposedly filmed. We know it will never be produced because his claims are simply untrue. We now have to decide whether it is worthwhile to seek a Court Order, probably to be told that the footage has been lost. With all the supposed ‘control’ bodies having approved conditions on this appalling farm – the Government, the vet, Red Tractor and Tesco, perhaps we can finally put to rest the claim that Britain has the best animal welfare in the world.
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Special feature
lifestyle Gotta Face? Don’t drink it! Lifestyle’s Katrina Gazley talks vegan wine and why we should all be drinking it The vegan lifestyle appears to be having its culinary heyday and we couldn’t be more chuffed! Celebs are ditching meat and dairy and coming out as plant-based and proud, from Bill Clinton to Miley Cyrus. Instagram is full of gratuitous plantbased photos of avocados [in just about everything] and drool-worthy seitan steaks that rival any meaty counterpart. Even UK high street chains are getting in on the action – offering a vegan option or two when before there were none and if you’re Pret a Manger; dedicating entire fridges to veggie-only nosh! The collective consciousness seems to be chanting the mantra ‘Gotta Face? Don’t Eat It!’ and everyone (including our animal friends) is all the more happy and alive for it. But should we be
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chanting ‘Gotta Face? Don’t Drink It!’ too? The short is answer is YES! Your glass of vino or bottle of brew could be harbouring a whole host of hidden nasties and animal ingredients not listed on the label. But never fear, Viva!’s Vegan Wine Shop is here! So you can quench your thirst the kind way – with award-winning, animal-free wines. See our handy infographic on page 39 for the lowdown on what’s lurking in your drink! Since 2003, we’ve partnered with a quality wine supplier to bring compassionate wine drinkers an exclusive range of over 200 organic vegan wines (and beers and spirits) – all sourced from independent vineyards and ethically-produced. Now that calls for a cheers or three!
Viva! Vegan Wine Shop Recommends Our resident grape enthusiast, Katrina Gazley, asks wine expert, Jem Gardener, to share tasting notes for his top six summer tipples from the Vegan Wine Shop. This crowdpleasing selection of summery wines will compliment any al fresco adventure and is sure to bring out the best in the weather (we hope!), your guests and the grub.
WHITES Sauvignon Blanc La Marouette (France) £8.10, 75cl The tireless Monsieur Frelin selected vats of the best organically produced Sauvignon Blanc in his part of the Midi to make this wine. l Rich and grassy in style, without the aggression of much Sauvignon l Juicy flavour and a slightly spicy undertone, with aromas of pears and newly mown grass FOOD PAIRING: Vegan Caesar Salad, veggie burgers, sweet potato and coriander dishes, Asian foods including Tempeh.
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Shop for Viva! merchandise and wines at the same time! Visit vivashop.org.uk/veganwineshop or call 0117 944 1000 (9 to 5) for more info
Chenin Blanc Moonlight Organics (South Africa) £7.60, 75cl A breezy growing season with cooler than average nights helped create this clean and fresh Chenin, ranking it a very accessible example of this modern style of wine. l Light, delicate, floral and slightly honeyed nose l Well-balanced fruit and a soft, rounded finish l Deftly balancing crisp acidity with ripe fruit flavours FOOD PAIRING: Mexican and Greek dishes, Sushi, ‘summer vegetables’ (eg courgette, pea and asparagus).
Chardonnay Finca Fabian (Spain) £6.70, 75cl A delightful, un-oaked, summery, light wine from the heart of Spain. Harvested at night to ensure better sugar levels, acid and ‘aromatics’ – the scents that linger after the grapes go into the bottle. l Ripe bouquet of pineapple and full flavoured l Crisp like a Granny Smith with a tropical fruit finish FOOD PAIRING: Risotto, pastas with creamy sauces, Thai tofu dishes, avocado.
REDS Merlot La Marouette (France) £7.80, 75cl Wonderful soft, ripe fruit in this highly recommended red wine. A wine in the modern style, open and succulent. l Delightful plummy character of good Merlot, with touches of damsons, violets and spicy fruit
Tempranillo ‘Finca Fabian’ (Spain) £6.70, 75cl Simple and agreeable easydrinking red with a good amount of tannins on the finish. l Fresh and fruity with pleasant cherry/berry flavours FOOD PAIRING: Mexican and Latin American foods, grilled or stuffed mushrooms, rootvegetable based stews and casseroles.
Nero d’Avola Era Italy £8.40, 75cl A clean, warm and very accessible Sicilian red. This wine has become hugely popular – due in part to its value for money, in part to its irresistible charm and sheer gluggability!
Is your wine vegan? FINING AGENTS COMMONLY USED DURING THE FILTERING PROCESS
Albumin A protein extracted from egg whites
Casein A protein found in cow’s milk
l Deliciously juicy, with blackberry and ripe plum flavours l Noticeably soft, full finish FOOD PAIRING: Vegan pizza, tomato based pastas and other tomato based dishes.
Ordering online is easy! Pick & mix any 12 bottles of wine to create your own case
Gelatine Derived from the collagen of an animal – skin, boiled crushed horns and hoofs, connective tissues, organs and some intestines. Generally from cattle, chicken, pigs and horses
Isinglass Substance obtained from dried fish bladders
FOOD PAIRING: Grilled veg, black olives, sweet potatoes, curry, winter stews and casseroles.
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A m essage from Juliet Gellatley and Tom Wigglinson…
Shop for the animals with Easyfundraising
Simply by doing your shopping you can donate to Viva! at no cost to you! The Easyfundraising scheme is simple, effective and so underused that I’m going to keep mentioning it! Ocado, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Amazon, Next and many more – are all subscribers who donate a small percentage of your shopping bill to Viva! and it costs you absolutely nothing! It means so much to Viva! and animals, like rescued piglet Jack Wigglinson in the photo. When I discovered Easyfundraising, it seemed too good to be true: you can earn donations for Viva! while you shop – it's genuine and very simple to use. All you do is sign up to Easy Fundraising, which takes two mins, and thereafter you simply go on to their site and choose which online shop you’re interested in. When you make a purchase they give Viva! a percentage of what you spend or a set donation. The biggest brands are there: Debenhams, John Lewis, Superdrug, ebay – there are thousands of options, most
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selling some amazing vegan stuff. The donations cover just about everything – kitchen appliances and holidays, your weekly shop or your new insurance policy. So, I’m not going to let up – I’m going to keep on reminding you. Using Easyfundraising will get Viva! extra cash while you shop. It won’t cost you a penny extra but it will mean the world to the animals we want to save. Try it out at: easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/vivaorg. Get links to all the tools here: viva.org.uk/easyfundraising. Thank you from Viva! and from all us animals. Juliet & Jack
Jack
“It’s really easy to get F R E E donations for Viva!, with Easyfu ndraising. It costs you noth ing but it h elps Viva! do even more for animals”
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Viva! Easter Week of Action Reflection on laying hens reaches thousands! Painted chicken eggs were once a favourite Easter gift, their prettiness belying the misery of the hens who laid them. Painted eggs have largely disappeared but 18 million hens remain incarcerated in barren, wire cages. In the week leading up to Easter Sunday, Viva! launched a series of high profile actions around the country. We showed our undercover footage of egg producing systems using new, virtual reality headsets and alongside were our innovative, six-foot high, Aframe displays. People were invited to look into a barred mirror to simulate a cage whilst alongside the mirror was a picture of an actual cage crammed with hens. We took our display to Bristol, London and Birmingham and spoke to countless members of the public about what egg eating means for hens. Our faithful volunteers handed out an endless stream of leaflets and provided guidance on eggfree eating. Viva! supporters joined the Easter action by door dropping leaflets in 14 major cities – from Carlisle to Brighton – while some 10,000 leaflets were dispatched from our Bristol offices.
viva.org.uk/cracked
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life Viva!’s media blitz for the animals BY TONY WARDLE, EDITOR
Kangaroo burgers – now you see ‘em, now you don’t! When Sainsbury’s announced they were to introduce kangaroo burgers, Viva! immediately went into action. We recruited the support of Joanna Lumley and both the Sun and Daily Telegraph ran picture stories of our campaign but Sainsbury’s said they wouldn’t budge. So, we compiled a shocking report of the cruelty involved in the kangaroo trade and sent it to them, also informing them that we would be holding demonstrations outside hundreds of their local stores – the pavements are public property so they can’t ask you to move on and there are plenty of public witnesses. Lo and behold, eight days after their introduction, kangaroo burgers were removed from sale. “We only ever intended introducing them for a trial period and that trial is now over,” said a spokesperson. You bet your life it is!
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Hell hole exposed
Media coverage of Viva! campaigns has been extraordinary over the past three months, culminating in a double page spread in the Sunday Mirror on our Hogwood Farm investigation. The build up to it was nail-biting as everything but our inside leg measurement was checked and double checked before publication and the police even made a cameo appearance. Owner of the farm, a Mr Brian Hobill, struck out in all directions to try and divert attention from his appalling animal welfare conditions. He claimed that we had smashed through a door, causing criminal damage; he had CCTV footage of us manipulating the scene and of placing maggot-ridden, rotting corpses in the wheelbarrow from sealed bags where they had been stored. Funnily enough, he has never produced the incriminating footage – and never will because the claims are sheer nonsense. Whenever we expose someone, be it a huge corporation, a major supermarket or an individual, they always come up with some story or other to try and weaken our exposé. It often goes something like this: ‘That isn’t the farm you claim it is’. Yes it is, we filmed the sat nav coordinates. ‘Ah, but we don’t buy from that farm’. Yes you do, we filmed the delivery note! ‘Ah, but our animals don’t come from the shed you filmed.’ Yes they do, we filmed the order sheet pinned to the wall. The Mirror’s online coverage was extensive and even included a link to our Face Off video. The Coventry Telegraph, Banbury Guardian and Leamington Courier all gave the story a big picture splash and also included our video link. More on page 37.
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Egg report goes national Gaining publicity for the plight of poultry is always difficult – but not this year. Our egg report – Laying Hens: The Inside Story was picked up by the Guardian with a hugely-supportive feature, headed: Don’t be fooled by the pretty box: find out the horror behind your egg. The Bristol Post and Aberdeen Press & Journal also ran big pieces critical of the industry while the Mail Online also went to town in defence of laying hens. Our Easter Day of Action for hens was covered at length by the international Huffington Post, the Bristol Post and the Bromley Times, while our Claire Palmer did a lengthy interview on Made in Bristol TV. This is almost certainly the most detailed and widespread coverage ever of the conditions poor little laying hens have to endure.
‘Summit over farm break-ins’ Radio Four – moving with the times
I wonder who they could be talking about? A full-page article in the British Farmer & Grower aired concerns of the NFU about constant exposures by Viva!. They called an industry-wide conference at its Warwickshire headquarters to develop strategies to combat Viva!’s activities, in particular our Cracked report and exposé of several egg-producing farms. They never, ever concede that anything is wrong on any of their farms, no matter how overwhelming the evidence. They play the Nelson game by placing their animal welfare telescope to their blind eye and saying, ‘I see no hardship!’ Since they held their conference we have, of course, exposed another farm, Hogwood, right on their doorstep. That’ll please ‘em! And by the way, fellas, we never break in and never commit any illegal act.
You know veganism is being taken seriously when BBC Radio Four’s Farming Today does a panel debate on the subject. Viva!’s founder and director, Juliet Gellatley, made a blinding contribution that produced many messages of congratulations. Other participants included Minette Batters from the NFU, environmentalist Mark Lynas and Bristol University’s John Webster, professor of animal husbandry. Mark Lynas supported Juliet in almost every way while John Webster succumbed to media blindness. Despite having said in his research, that separating cow and calf after birth was hugely stressful, suddenly it was no problem at all. How many times have we witnessed this? The classic was Professor Tom Sanders, whose research showed conclusively that iron anaemia deficiency was no more common in vegetarians than meat eaters, who would say the opposite when on TV or radio. You have to wonder why they do this.
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t h n e o r k Oad c A B big style! Viva! is delighted to announce that our partnership with the Northern Vegan Festival and Great Yorkshire Vegan Festival will continue into 2017, with an extraordinary array of events across Britain. Due to popularity, Viva!’s own festivals are also hitting more and more UK cities in bigger and better venues attracting thousands of people! Come and visit us and sample all the delights on offer.
Í International food tastings and the best in convenience foods Í Nutritional advice Í Free recipes and detailed factsheets Í Cookery demos to wow you – and great talks Í A host of vegan goodies – cosmetics to cuddly toys; fairtrade fashion, chocolate and much more!
It’s a
greoautt! day
Saturday, August 12, 2017 – 10.00-17.00 Liverpool Viva! Vegan Festival Í Saturday, August 26, 2017 – 10.00-18.00 Bolton Vegan Fair Í Saturday, September 16, 2017 – 11.00-18.00 London Viva! Vegan Festival – Wembley Í October 7-8, 2017– 11.00-17.00 Brighton Viva! Vegan Festival Í Saturday, November 18, 2017 – 10.30-17.00 Sheffield Viva! Vegan Festival Í Sunday, November 26, 2017 – 11.00-17.00 Winter Vegan Christmas Festival – Leeds Í Saturday, December 9, 2017 – 10.30-17.00 Bristol Viva! Vegan Xmas Festival
FOR EVERYONE – meat-eaters, VEGANS, THOSE aspiring TO BE vegan AND THOSE WHO JUST NEED A HELPING HAND
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO VIVA.ORG.UK/FESTIVALS
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it’s coming…
at the drum
Wembley Saturday September 16, 2017 This will be the crème de la crème of our superduper festivals and we can promise you there’s something for everyone. This massive event will have a huge range of stalls:
l l l l l l l l l l
Hot and cold food Fashion Ethical gifts Cosmetics Beauty products Charity stalls Campaigning groups Nutritional advice Art exhibition Beautiful beer graden
Our guest speakers and chefs will include Ms Cupcake, demonstrating her delicious cake recipes and top chef Richard Buckley showcasing his gourmet skills.
Speakers will include Musician and TV presenter John Robb YouTube vlogger Vegan Geezer Viva! founder Juliet Gellatley
PLUS… An entire room dedicated to sports and fitness speakers. Athletes Christine Vardaros, Terri Fierce, Hench Herbivore (Paul Kerton), Fiona Oakes – all giving inspirational talks. Don’t miss Terri Fierce’s pole fitness performance! Come along to the London Viva! Vegan Festival and pick up your FREE copy of Everyone’s Going Vegan magazine, worth £4. You will discover why you don’t need dairy, how to replace eggs, how to beat cancer – plus free calcium chart, celebrity interviews and so much more. We look forward to seeing you there and everyone is welcome to this fun-filled day! Becoming vegan is one of the most empowering things you can do – power to save the lives of animals, power to improve your health and decrease your risk of many diseases, and power to help save the environment. So come and find out what the vegan lifestyle is all about and taste amazing vegan food – hot cheesy nachos from Mex It Up, luscious pastries from Hooty Bakery and much more.
Entry is just £5 – under 16’s FREE! There’s something for everyone so bring family and friends for a great day out! viva.org.uk 45
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SUBSCRIPTION OFFER
Save 50% when you subscribe to Vegan Food & Living magazine Vegan Food & Living is the fastest growing UK magazine celebrating the delicious approach to ethical eating. Every issue features at least 75 delicious recipes, plus ingredient focuses, expert guides to nutrition, important ethical issues, the latest news and exclusive competitions, plus how to take your culinary skills to the next level.
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Buy Animal Rescue for only £7.99, SAVE £1. Offer ends August 31st 2017
Th e Vi va! Boo k Clu b rec o m m ends… Save £££ on our summer shortlist of recommended reads!
Falafel Forever
Buy Falafel Forever and The Vegan Baker, SAVE £5
Dunja Gulin, Hardback, 64pp. £9.99 Chickpeas are a staple for many a vegan but that doesn’t mean the way we eat this protein-packed ‘pea’ has to be boring. Falafel Forever sets out to prove just that, one tasty ball at a time. Inside, crisp and colourful photos of each plated dish are paired to 25 inventive recipes; from Robust Tempeh Faux-Lafel (not a chickpea in sight) to Falafel Coconut Curry – a warming, fragrant main designed to soak up leftover falafels. Sections are divided into Fried, Baked, Raw, Meals and, last but not least, Sauces and Dips. The crowning glory to this muchloved Middle Eastern snack is traditionally a creamy tahini sauce; Dunja’s garlicky version is a winner but as we’re breaking falafel conventions here, the Roasted Red Pepper and Mustard Sauce is a rich and zesty alternative.
Animal Rescue
Patrick George, Hardback, 52pp. £8.99 Clever, colourful and creative, Animal Rescue has all the hallmarks of a classic, ‘lift-the-flap’ picture book (move over Dear Zoo!) but with the heart of an activist! While the ever-present themes of captivity and freedom might seem a tad heavy-weight given the recommended reading age of 3-5 years, our little 100’s more reader’s rescue mission is simple in approach. By vegan reads at flipping the acetate overlay, they can choose the vivashop.org.uk/ natural habitat they think each animal (alligator to books whale) belongs to; from a handful of chickens Dunja Gulin, Hardback, 144pp. £14.99 pecking in the open countryside, they flip – and The Vegan Baker takes the guess (and grunt) work out of the plopped into a dark shed, teaming with chickens. sometimes-minefield that is free-from baking. Say goodbye to claggy cupcakes There is a purposeful absence of words throughout and sunken sponges – Dunja has tried and tested over 50 recipes which are Animal Rescue, the pleasing pop art-inspired paired with enticing photography, from bean brownies to speciality breads, to illustrations do all the talking; a sleeping red fox ensure that whatever comes out of your oven is a smashing success. curled up around a forest tree then flip – wrapped The basics of vegan baking are covered, including how to make vegan around a woman’s neck like a scarf. Until that is, the buttermilk, to the best sweetener, flour and fat substitutes for a healthier very last page when the reader is asked: bake. While the handy Troubleshooting chapter gives tips on how to avoid “Which animals would you rescue?”. the dreaded soggy bottom (of the pastry kind!) and ensure your frosting is This playful picture book is fun, always fluffy. despite the subject matter, There is a wonderfully rich, continental flavour to Dunja’s recipe almost ageless in its appeal repertoire: Pan di Spagna is a light and sure to spawn a pound cake traditionally eaten at generation of weddings in Istria, Croatia; Black Forest compassionGateau Cupcakes pay homage to the conscious tots. German dessert classic; and Soparnik Pies, filled with onions and greens, are a healthy Turkish-influenced lunch, not dissimilar to Cornish pasties. Whether you’re craving a simple scone, fancy the challenge of a threetiered chocolate cake or in the mood for savoury snacks, The Vegan Baker has it all.
The Vegan Baker
All of our summer reads and more are available to buy from
vivashop.org.uk/books viva.org.uk 47
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Merchandise for life Wear your voice with our hand-picked range of cool and cruelty-free accessories, from slogantastic sling bags to silvery statement wristwear.
AcCesSorise your
m s I v i t C A Viva! Eco Sling Bag
Best selling, super soft bag that slings over your shoulder and stylishly speaks volumes about shopping cruelty-free. Each bag is screen-printed by hand, using water-based inks, showcasing our trend-setting and animal-saving prints. Choose from: One of Us (Green), Gotta Face? Don’t Eat It (Charcoal) and Cut It Out, Stop Eating Animals (Blue). Features a single strap and button closure. Made from salvaged material (60% recycled organic cotton/40% recycled polyester). 36 x 40cm. £10
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Love our sling bag prints? They are available in our #compassionatee clothing collection too!
Shop Kind with the Viva! Shop. For more animal accessories and vegan gifts, go to vivashop.org.uk
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3D Animal Tote
Over-sized and outrageous shopper totes adorned with 3D flappable fabric ears. This is fun fashion for those who want to share their compassion with the world in a big way. We fell in love with these ear-
popping carry-alls after spotting them in our sister charity Viva! Poland’s shop, so we brought them to the UK! Handmade in the EU using durable poly and digitally printed with eco inks. Each bag is
lined and features a sturdy zipper, pocket for a mobile and key holder. Straps are 30cm in length. Bag size is approx 46 x 46cm (+/- 2cm). Choose from: Peach Bunny, Pink Pig, Tabby Cat and Tiger Cat. £22.50
LoveLibbyX
For the more discreet activist, LoveLibbyX’s jewellery is delicately fashioned from polished aluminum then stamped with simple vegan mantras and lovely etchings of bird cages, leaves and even cupid’s arrows. Each piece is lovingly made off the coast of North Yorkshire by proud vegan, Libby. The bracelets are fully adjustable due to the gentle give of the material so will comfortably fit most wrist sizes. The Until Every Cage is Empty cuff (25 x 150mm) is £17 and the Vegan and Plant-Powered bangles (6 x 150mm) are £12 each.
Sock it to Me The kitschy creatives behind the Sock it to Me brand never disappoint when it comes to giggle-inducing sock patterns featuring whimsical animals; queue Kitty Willow and Catcus designs. We’d happily wear these feet warmers whatever the weather, whatever the occasion and would take part in a bit of ankle flashing at any given time – just for the sock of it! They also make a cute gift for animal lovers and the hard-to-buy-for (who doesn’t like/need socks!). SITM are based in the ultra hip, vegan hotbed that is Portland, Oregon, and we like to think that by owning a pair of their socks, a little bit of hip is sure to rub off! Approximately fits UK women’s shoe 4-8. Crew socks are £7.99 and Knee socks £8.99
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“I’m cOmiNg bAck to hAunt yOu” Harry has always hated animal abusers and has cheered himself hoarse at Viva!’s undercover exposés. He knows they change people’s hearts and minds. He doesn’t want death to get in the way and so he’s left Viva! a legacy so we can continue to frighten the life out of animal abusers after he’s gone – and help to change the face of Britain.
Please remember Viva! in your will so we can go on saving animals For information on leaving a Will, see viva.org.uk/legacies or ring 0117 944 1000 Check out our campaigns on viva.org.uk/campaigns
The man pictured is a model but we want to thank Harry Burton for his extraordinary generosity
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l Explore My Vegan Town and discover your new favourite places to eat, stay and shop! l PLUS search for vegan-friendly services, local groups and fun days out! In collaboration with Viva! members, business friends and our expert team of eaters, shoppers and day-trippers, My Vegan Town is an amazing, free, vegan directory that brings the cruelty-free community together. Whether you’re looking for a vegan baker to whip up your wedding cake or you fancy going to a free-from foodie festival, our directory has it all.
Launching Summer ‘17 Brand new website and features + 1000’s of listings!
be a cruelty-free champion Share your experiences and encourage others to live kind by reviewing the veganfriendly things you love. It’s super-easy to do and it’s free!
vegan-friendly business? Manage your own listing and offer customers exclusive discounts on My Vegan Town.
Create a free account today!
Head on Down to myvegantown.org.uk viva.org.uk 51
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Juniper Green Organic Gin The world’s first Organic Gin Famous for aroma and flavour Smooth and delicious Winner of 20 medals since 1999 Gluten-free and suitable for coeliacs Available online from: Abel & Cole, Ocado, Speciality Drinks, Vinceremos, Vintage Roots or at your local specialist retailer The Organic Spirits Company Tel: 01483 894650 Email: office@londonandscottish.co.uk Registered by the Vegan Society
ANIMAL FRIENDLY VEGAN FOOTWEAR Wedge Sandal (Black)
• Lightweight & Adjustable • Cushioned Sole • Made in Spain
Est. 1990
NOW IN STOCK Over 100 mens & womens VEGAN styles: Including Casual, Formal, Sport, Leisure, Work, Hiking, Dress, Fashion, Sandals, Belts & Accessories Made in England & Europe: Quality ‘breathable’ non-leather materials ORDER DIRECT AT:
www.vegshoes.com
Tel: 01273 691913 52
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info@vegshoes.com
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Help the animals? Roger that! Land’s End to John O’Groats – that’s the trek Roger Roberts will be starting on September 9, 2017. What makes it so remarkable is that Roger is no super-fit, young biker but still he intends to cover the 969 miles at an average of 107 a day, on a journey that will take him through some seriously challenging environments and up lots of very steep hills. Aged 55, Roger has been vegan for 34 years and says it was one of the best decisions of his life. He’s doing it all for Viva!, to raise £4,000 for our campaigns. So far he has over £1,500 under his belt and is looking for the rest – from individuals and the corporate sector, too. Already generous support has come from vegan brands MooFree, Oatly, Herbivorous, LoveChock, Rawbite and Solkiki. As part of his training, he cycled to Viva!’s festivals in Cardiff, Birmingham and Nottingham and you can see him in Coventry on Saturday, July 29, and Liverpool on Saturday, August 12. You can also support him at justgiving.com/fundraising/rogerjohnroberts. Roger you’re a champ – vegan power!
VivE l e Youth: What went right? Sometimes culture shifts so quickly that everything feels different in the blink of an eye or a flicker of the web… What once was a long-term log jam, with some dead end certainties, can suddenly become a free-for-all flood of ideas and options. The recent UK election proved this. When it was called, the Tories were in cruise control – the world was their expensive oyster paid for by their personal magic money trees; Labour were going to be wiped out, apparently. No matter how hard they tried, the old media like the Sun and the Daily Mail, with all their grubby ink and grubbier opinions, couldn’t stop the march of a new middle England of suddenly energised youth, who were doing more than ’posting pictures on Instagram’. There are certainly some truisms in politics – one is, don’t ever take on the mothers when their sons and daughter are being threatened. The other is, never underestimate youth for, like the end of the Cretaceous period when the lumbering dinosaurs were fighting over their shrinking terrain, the meteorite of change can come crashing down. The same goes for veganism in a world full of plodding TV chefs, who seem to have barely noticed the dietary youth quake, sound tracked by brilliant musicians like grime artist JME, whose championing of veganism filters into his songs but mostly his social networking. And it’s this that is now driving the opinions of the youth culture and the daily grind of tabloids and middle England rags are on the decline. We are in a different zone. This works both ways. It could mean that Donald Trump, the epitome of meat-eating, flesh-breathed, lard-buttocked old school masculinity, can be swaggered into power with command of the new media, boiled down to idiot shock slogans. Ten years ago, you had to explain the word vegan to every passing person, only for them to complain that you were ‘going on about it’. Now it’s a word that’s everywhere – what was once days of nibbling bread on tour has been replaced by options – a brave new world with young ideas blipped across the internet, ideas they grabbed after Brexit stole the physical realities of the new world. They are building a foundation for a more hopeful new future. My generation recall punk fondly, for ever, as it was our own, personal youth-quake. But what’s the point if we are all to become Jeremy Clarkson by the time we’re in our fifties. Why recoil from the modern world – there is still time to try new ideas before we all get wheeled into old people homes. My granny used to think a vegetarian diet was her daily lamb chop, peas and potatoes without the lamb chop. Of course we loved her but even trying to get her to eat pasta was a struggle. My friend’s granny was baffled by the telephone but what seemed strange then is normal now – from phones to food. The future belongs to everybody.
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Photo © Melanie Smith
Media man, punk-bred John Robb
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Registered Charity No. 1122303
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/DeanFarmTrust /deanfarmtrust.org.uk E. info@deanfarmtrust.org.uk
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www.deanfarmtrust.org.uk
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Continued from page 12
Anyone reading this, please tell your instant action at the very least for the sick respect for Hope is enormous. She remains friends and family about Hogwood. Stress and dying; and in the longer term for the wary of people but she allows me to cuddle that this is not some small, aberrant farm farm to be closed. As yet we have heard and fuss over her precious babes, with a but British factory farming. We reported it nothing. But a journalist tells us they have watchful eye from about 10 feet away. to the government’s Animal & Plant Health approved the farm. She tolerates me because I am like the Agency and Trading Standards, asking for Viva!’s experience of government vets is less gushing aunt who comes along to than encouraging as they are part take the pressure off her every and parcel of this system and now and then by playing with sanction it. Everywhere Viva! points her fantastically boisterous the camera on Britain’s factory children! For the first time, Hope farms we find misery, desolation, l Join Viva! – our power comes only from people like you asked me to give her belly rubs gloom, deprivation and pain. viva.org.uk/join about two weeks ago – I felt very Ninety per cent of Britain’s pigs are l Donate to our campaigns to end factory farming and privileged indeed to be given that intensively farmed and, sadly, this promote veganism viva.org.uk/donate level of trust. industrialisation continues. The l Spread the word – show people viva.org.uk/faceoff On leaving Hogwood, my only answer is to go vegan and l Become involved – get on the streets colleague removed empty plastic encourage others to follow suit. viva.org.uk/faceoff/pigs/get-involved feed sacks from a massive Each and every one of us must take l Help people be vegan – get them to sign up to the fun wheelbarrow. It was piled high responsibility for what we buy and and popular viva.org.uk/30dayvegan with rotting piglets in a sea of what we eat. We have the power to l Encourage people to try vegan recipes from the writhing maggots… it was the stop the war on animals. Veganism inspirational veganrecipeclub.org.uk end of our investigation and means power to the people, the seemed to embody everything we animals and our planet. had just experienced.
Hope for a vegan world
h c u m y r e v u o y k Th a n A massive thank you to all the incredibly enthusiastic and hard-working Viva! Stall Volunteers who helped represent you! Viva! at events throughout the spring. We
❤
l Willow and her friend Bethan – Portsmouth Vegan Festival – £430. l Ruth for running an outreach stall at the International Women's Day in Brighton. l Amrit and Carol – Ealing Animal Welfare Bazaar – £25. l Nigel, Paula, Pat and her daughter – Essex Vegan Festival – £520. l Nicola and her partner Roger – St Helen's Town Hall Vegan Fair – £300. l Suzzy and Tristan – Ab Fab Vegan Festival in Aberystwyth – £150. l Tim and his wife Daniela – Burton Vegan Fair – £110. l Caroline, Phil, Taz and Andre – Cornwall Vegan Festival – £460. l Carolyn and her daughter Eleanor – Cambridge Vegan Market – £465. l Claire and her daughter Rhiannon – Wiltshire Vegan Fair – £230. l Nigel and friends – Southend Vegan Fair – £685. l Sophie and Rhiannon – Taff & Yanks Vegan Fayre in Newport – £340.
Rise up and run a stall for the animals! Viva! attends over 50 veggie and vegan events throughout the year and we rely on you, our lovely supporters and friends, to help run our stalls. As you can see, volunteering for Viva! raises serious money for our campaigns and with our excellent literature, these shows help to spread understanding about the issues. On page 44 is an events listing. Where Viva!’s name is in the title, Viva! staff will be present but these are big events and we still need as many volunteers as
possible to help us. It is honestly very difficult for us to do all that’s needed without you being there in sufficient numbers. So please think about joining us. Where Viva!’s name isn’t mentioned, you could really be our champion and run a stall on our behalf. We’ll give you all the help and support you need. Go for it – it really is great fun.
For all the info you need on becoming a Viva! Stall Vol visit our new volunteer pages at viva.org.uk/viva-stall-vol To get your free copies of our superb, 64-page Everyone’s Going Vegan mag to hand out at your own events, email rhiannonbloomfield@viva.org.uk viva.org.uk 55
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V-Biz Spotlight
Vegan bakeries on the move The V-Biz team recently sampled baked goods (perk of the job) from two new movers and shakers in the vegan start-up world. Both offer their prized pastries online – get your orders in now!
The Vegan Pasty Company Filled with locally sourced ingredients, these flaky, crusted parcels are handmade in Cornwall by a group of passionate animal and pasty lovers. Choose from three flavours: Traditional, Cheese & Onion and Mountain Chilli (gluten-free). All pasties are palm oil-free too. From £54 for a box of 12. To order and for a full list of stockists, visit thecornishveganpastycompany.co.uk
Viva!life’s section devoted to all that’s new and cool when it comes to veggie, vegan and ethical businesses. We believe that you are what you eat but also you are what you buy, so why not support these new businesses that are making a vegan splash in a not-so-vegan ocean!
Naked Bakery Not content with conquering France’s most-prized sweet delicacy – the macaron, this new vegan bakery has created rainbow-tastic, gold-glittered unicorn ones. They are almost too pretty to eat but don’t let that stop you from scoffing them. Choose from a box of 6 for £12 or £20 for a box of 12 different flavours (your choice). Naked Bakery also offer bespoke occasion cakes, buns and pastries, cookies and biscuits. nakedbakery.co.uk
SupportCer’s Discount lub
Viva! is proud to work with a lot of like-minded individuals and businesses to help promote a cruelty-free lifestyle for all and to bring you (our members!) amazing discounts on vegan products and services. The following businesses have recently
joined our Supporter’s Discount Scheme – check them out! Don’t forget to mention that you are a Viva! Member when making a booking or purchase.
AnimALL Apparel
Arethusa
Plant Wisdom VGKEBAB
Small group vegan tours through Italy with food, accommodation and sightseeing. 5% discount on trip bookings, quote membership. veganitalianjourney. wordpress.com
Health supplements and plant-themed home decor online. 10% discount on online orders, use code ‘VIVA10’ at checkout. plantwisdomshop.com
Vegan clothing line featuring animal-print t-shirts. 10% discount on online orders, use code ‘VIVA’ at checkout. animallapparel.co.uk
Delicious and easy-toprepare meatfree kebab kits in three flavours. 25% discount on online orders, use code ‘viva25’ at checkout. vgkebab.com
If you're a vegan or veg-friendly business, join our Supporter’s Discount Club (it’s FREE!). Sign up online viva.org.uk/viva-supporters-discount-club or contact katrina@viva.org.uk
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HOLIDAYS – FRANCE
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La Maison du Vert vegetarian & vegan hotel & restaurant
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Personal
Looking for friendship, love or even a new business partner? Well, Viva!life Personal is the place to come! It’s simple and effective, and good value for money with prices starting from £8 for a 20-word lineage advert.
West Cork – Vegetarian self-catering apartments. Peaceful, wooded surroundings. Organic vegetables and wholefoods available. Green Lodge, Ballylickey, Bantry, Co Cork. Tel: 0035 3 2766146 Email: greenlodge@gmail.com
The Followers of the Way. Golgotha Skulls, Red Sea, vegetarian perspective, artist Antony Bates and Rev. Ferrier. Please send SAE. Please reply to Box 61/5, Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Vegan Tattooist Wanted. To join Vegan Tattoo Studio in Wakefield. Contact Justyna on just30@tlen.pl
www.taxreturnonlineservices.co.uk Financial Accounts Preparation • Self Assessment Tax Returns Rental Accounts • Business Tax Advice 5% donation to VIVA!
Looking for other Vegan musicians to create project/band with. All genres and ideas welcome. Based in Cornwall Contact: veganvocalist@icloud.com
Tel: 01485 601499 viva.org.uk 57
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250,000 pets come into UK rescue centres each year,* but not always for reasons r you might expect. Some come from homes where w they have been much loved but their hum man companion has passed away, or from fam milies who face eviction have to give up those tha at are dearest, fearing they face no other option. a dedicated to helping Here at Rain Rescue, we are rescue, rehabilitate and re e-home dogs and cats from these crisis situation ns as well as saving those abandoned on the streetss, rescuing 500 in the last 12 months. With your help p, we could save more *ADCH Website
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Aspiring or longstanding veggie or vegan?
Registered charity number 1120687
Contact VfL for your FREE 16-page recipe booklet
0161 257 0887 | www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk
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Make e a differenc ce with you ur energy bills b Here’s four BIG rea asons to join n us... Britain’s greenest energ gy company >L Z\WWS` NYLLU LSLJ[YPJP[` HUK MYHJR MYLL NYLLU NHZ
The best customer serviice No automated phone lines – just frriendly people who pick up the phone and d treat you like a real person.
Everybody pays the sam me We have a e just jus one o e tarif a fff for electricittyy and a d VUL MVY NHZ ¶ ZV HSS V\Y J\Z[VTLYZ HYL VU our latest best price.
We believe a vegan die et is better for everyone We even helped our local football team, t Forest Green Rovers, become the world’s ÄYZ[ HUK VUS` ]LNHU MVV[IHSS JS\I
Up to £60 donatiion to Viva! * when you join Ec cotricity -VY M\SS [LYTZ HUK JVUKP[PVUZ WSLHZL NV [V LJV[YPJP[` JV \R ]]P]H
Call us free on 0808 123 3 0123 or visit ecotricity.co.uk k/viva (quote VIV VA wh hen you switch)