life
Published by Viva! the vegan campaigning group
Issue 73 spring 2020
WHAT RE A PICTU eaT R ViVa!’s gTo pho iTion – compeTThe al l s WinneR
the documentary launched at house of commons
Coronavirus
Red Tractor exposed again Viva! reveals turkey suffering
merely a dress rehearsal says Tony Wardle
Beware the phony health claims
Carol J Adams Feminist and author of The sexual politics of meat
Dr Justine Butler exposes the charlatans
Vegan vet joins Viva! Read her story
Cookery
Delicious recipes for one special day
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 wide-ranging campaigns promote veganism as the best way to save animals from suffering, protect the environment and improve health. 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!, in part, and you. Viva! is a registered charity (1037486). viva.org.uk
Contents
14
8
life 73
36
caRol J aDams The sexual politics of meat and more
12 TuRkey cRuelTy exposeD Red Tractor guilty again
14 animal snap Viva! health (a part of Viva!) really is the authority on everything to do with vegan diets and health. staffed by qualified professionals, for over two decades it has championed vegan diets for what they really are – the key to a healthier way of living, a lower risk of killer diseases and a longer life. and it has done it with sound science. it publishes fully-referenced scientific reports on such important subjects as breast cancer, obesity and diabetes – but it can also tell you the difference between potassium and selenium; manganese and magnesium. in fact, its brilliant website gives you the complete a-z of nutrients, the a-z of Diseases and a-z of Foods. everything you need is there. vivahealth.org.uk
The winners of Viva!’s superb animal photo competition
24 campaigning in polanD Viva! poland does it again
A MODE RN HORR O R S T O RY
27 ouR Vegan VeT Farm vet supports Viva!
30 Vegan BeauTy heather mills’ new B@1 range
32 supeR cookeRy a day in the life…
27
23
40 Tony WaRDle coronavirus – just a dress rehearsal
44 liFesTyle good vegan living
47 phony healTh claims Dr Justine Butler investigates
53 meRchanDise
hoW To geT This magazine Join Viva! to get your copy of Viva!life magazine three times a year for only £15. 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.
great easter bunnies 5 lifelines 29 John Robb 29 Base Retreat 36 new billboard campaign 37 Dr michael greger tour 38 lifescience 49 medialife 51 good heavens it’s Jeavons 55 street action 56 Restaurant review 57 V-Biz
53
cover photo © William Richardson viva.org.uk 3
Welcome
ViVa!liFe magazine
Once again, there is so much news to report and heading the list has to be our new documentary film, HOGWOOD – a modern horror story. In an extraordinarily short time, the costs were raised by crowdfunding and the final production is now ready. I feel certain that every single donor will be pleased with the part they have played in bringing this important film to fruition. Presented by Viva! patron Jerome Flynn, it traces our tough and tireless journey to expose the cruelty at one particular pig factory farm – Hogwood. We were determined that neither Tesco, who were supplied by Hogwood, and Red Tractor, who assured consumers it was of ‘high welfare,’ would be let off the hook. After four investigations of Hogwood, repeated national media coverage and a nationwide campaign, they eventually dumped the place (see page 23). There are 10,000 pig farms in the UK, 1,000 of them being ‘assured’. What this film shows is that assurances are meaningless. But the film goes much further than that, looking at why factory farming is propped up by government and industry and the wider issue of the impact animal farming has on health and our planet. The launch of HOGWOOD at the House of Commons comes shortly after Viva!life has gone to press but it will be a big affair and we will be energetically promoting the film everywhere. We believe it has the potential to be a game changer. As if we need additional proof of the appalling conditions most farmed animals have to endure, yet again our brave investigators recently revealed the truth. They filmed inside an intensive turkey farm that supplies Avara Foods – a major player in the poultry industry who trade with most supermarkets. And yet again, it had Red Tractor approval, until our widespread media coverage embarrassed them into revoking the farm’s membership (see page 12). Our magnificent photo competition takes pride of place with nine pages of stunning images, starting on page 14. The brief was to picture farmed animals in any setting – happy or sad – and the winning shot, deservedly, is featured on the front cover. Congratulations William Richardson! They’re appearing with great regularity now – stories on supposedly scientific research that claim to show that vegan diets are lacking or even dangerous. Often it is poor reporting by so-called health journalists who don’t appear to know how to read a scientific report; sometimes it is just a naked attempt to support the meat industry. Dr Justine Butler takes a close look at this phony science on page 47. And lastly, I would like to welcome Dr Alice Brough to our number. She was an industrial pig vet until the strain of being part of an abusive system proved too much for her. You can read her moving story on page 27. Yours for the animals
Juliet Gellatley Founder & Director Juliet@viva.org.uk facebook.com/juliet.gellatley
Viva! Founder & International Director Juliet Gellatley Executive Assistant Jess Nunn Editor Tony Wardle Campaigns Manager Lex Rigby Head of Communications Roisin McAuley Campaigns & Outreach Laura-Lisa Hellwig, William Sorflaten, Tayana Simons, Louisa Kendal, Dr Alice Brough, Siobhan Dolan Viva! Health Dr Justine Butler, Veronika Charvátová Office Manager & Supporters’ Liaison Laura Turner, Nick Hallows, Beata Rzepecka-Wilk, Charlotte Sutton Merchandise, Business, Festivals & Events Marwa Bahssali, Emily Coster, Dani Lawton, Alice Short, Jem Adéola Food & Cookery Manager Maryanne Hall Design The Ethical Graphic Design Company Ltd Web & IT Roger Peñarroya i Zaldívar, Mark Schiller, Conor Haines, Jeremy Ludlow Podcast Presenter Helen Wilson Editorial enquiries 0117 970 4633 Advertising enquiries 0117 944 1000 Membership enquiries 0117 944 1000 info@viva.org.uk Online viva.org.uk vivahealth.org.uk veganrecipeclub.org.uk vivavegancharity vivacampaigns vivacharity Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH
General enquiries
Contact Viva! on 0117 944 1000 (Mon-Fri 9-5) Email info@viva.org.uk Write to Viva! at: 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH 4
life
vegan is a staTe of kind Kind to you, animals and the planet
lifelines
RSPCA Furore Over Saving Animals Jane Tredgett, 52, was voluntary vicechairperson of the Rspca – and also a vegan. she helped to found animal Rebellion (an offshoot of extinction Rebellion) and when it called for animal rights protesters to shut down london’s smithfield meat market for a few hours, the proverbial hit the fan. ‘Vegan extremist’ screamed the Daily Mail while the countryside alliance, which encourages people to kill animals for fun, said: ‘extremists are controlling the Rspca.’ Tredgett and animal Rebellion believe in non-violent direct action and maintain that meat and dairy industries play a catastrophic role in the climate emergency and the
government should encourage people to phase out meat, dairy and fish from their diets and adopt plant-based foods. The dilemma for the Rspca, of course, is that they encourage people to eat animals through their assurance scheme and do not advocate veganism or vegetarianism. They say that over a billion farmed animals are killed in the uk every year “and this will happen regardless of what the Rspca does.” a message we seem to have heard throughout history! anyway, the inevitable happened and after 18 years as an unpaid council member, Jane Tredgett ‘resigned’.
Review of Viva!’s 2019 What a year! hundreds of demonstrations, successful undercover operations, brilliant outreach in shopping centres and universities, factory farms exposed, great new materials published, massively successful launch of Vegan now, hundreds of press clippings – it was a huge success by anyone’s reckoning. View all we achieved here viva.org.uk/2019-viva-review.
All the Way From Memphis (With a nod to mott the hoople) memphis meats is a californian food technology company working on cell-based alternatives to slaughtered meat. one of its founders, professor Will Valeti, was a cardiologist at the university of minnesota and is now putting his money where his mouth is. he recently announced the success of a $161 million fundraising effort to build a pilot facility which will reduce production costs. he proudly stated: “This is a major step forward in feeding the world while preserving the environment, protecting animal welfare and promoting public health.”
Why Aren’t They Vegan? We’ve all thought it. The answer is quite surprising, according to new research. around 70 per cent of meat eaters view veganism as ethical in principle and good for the environment. Roughly 80 per cent say that it is taste, price and convenience that are the main barriers to them adopting a vegan diet. over half believed veganism to be healthy and had no concerns about social stigma. previous surveys have revealed that the most common objection to a change of diet is ‘i like the taste of meat too much’, followed by concerns about the cost of meat substitutes and the struggle to find meal ideas. Viva! has campaigned hard on ‘why vegan’ for 25 years. and now ‘how vegan’ is getting easier by the second. Times are changing.
viva.org.uk 5
lifelines His Dark Materials a recent research project by the university of kassel, germany, set out to examine the links between emotions and diet, including being vegan, veggie or omnivore. it also delved into the link between the ‘Dark Triad’ personality traits and dietary habits. Vegans and veggies showed higher scores for caring, sadness and spirituality whereas meat eaters scored higher for machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy. interestingly, when female meat eaters were included in the study, meat-eater’s Dark Triad weakened. of course – the female factor. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01811
Bus ban beggars belief local activists in shrewsbury and Telford raised funding for two anti-dairy ads to appear on 20 local buses for four weeks to mark Veganuary. nothing gruesome about them, just a pretty little calf and some uncomfortable truths about the dairy industry. ‘not on our buses’, said operator arriva, claiming they had received complaints but
refusing to reveal the number or nature of them. ‘nothing to do with the content,’ they said, just that ‘the agreed procedure was not adhered to.’ Well, the agreed procedure for local vegans was to flood arriva with complaints and lo-and-behold, the ban was lifted. ‘it was just an error,’ said arriva. you bet your life it was!
Juliet’s inspiration Women in sustainability is a supportive network of professional women who are passionate about creating change and building a positive future. in January, they did a long, online interview with Viva! director Juliet gellatley and it was her responses to the question, Who inspires you? that i particularly liked. my dog pablo! he is the size of a wolf and looks much like one and was chained up for years in sarajevo but he is the most noble, kind and tolerant soul i’ve ever met. and hope, a pig we rescued. she doesn’t trust people and why would she, having had her piglets repeatedly taken. however, she was saved along with her fifth set of piglets and will live with them for life. she is such a protective mum and her sophisticated communication with her babes blows me away. she is a beautiful animal, full of love for her family. my mum was, and will always be, my inspiration. she had a tough childhood and responded by being determined to make life better for everyone she loved.
6
life
Proof Please Profs it’s a waste of time going vegan, ‘eminent’ professor mike coffey, of scotland’s Rural college, told an audience at the Can we have our meat and eat it? conference in london last november. “if everybody went vegan it would be devastating for the uk environment. animals bred for food help boost biodiversity.” hear, hear, yelled ‘eminent’ professor geoff simm, Director of global academy agriculture and Food security at the university of edinburgh. “livestock farmers feel they are being demonised. The argument is made that going vegan would minimise land use and the modelling studies demonstrate that that’s not the case.” These totally objective scientists both have had long careers in animal genetics – manipulating farmed animals to get maximum output for minimal input. mr coffey’s specialism is in breeding dairy cattle.
Hooray for HIPPO
Deep Throat The agriculture and horticulture Development Board (ahDB), meat and dairy promoters have had enough of fad (they mean vegan) diets and are splashing out on advertising encouraging people to choose a healthy balanced diet (they mean meat and dairy). Their sales line is, ordinary Food is good enough – just like ordinary heart disease and ordinary cancer, we presume. They’re also swinging behind the national pig association, who are utterly fed up with ‘vegan noise being rammed down people’s throats’. instead, ahDB is going to ram some highly dubious health claims down people’s throats with another big splash out on advertising, including using ‘high profile influencers and paid media’.
Meat Down, Meat-Free Up oh dear, ahDB must have been reading market researcher mintel’s latest findings. sales of meat-free foods are set to exceed £1.1 billion by 2024; 23 per cent of all new uk food product launches were labelled vegan in 2019; and 32 per cent of people say eating less meat helps to improve health (don’t know where the other 68 per cent have been hiding for the past few years). Just to add to their misery, sales of red meat in supermarkets fell in value last year by more than any other category, down by £185 million, according to research by nielsen. Beef sales declined by four per cent and pork by six per cent. By contrast, sales of meat-free alternatives rose by 18 per cent.
For decades, neville Fowler and his partner hazel have been delivering help to poor people in poor countries, not by sending cows and goats but by promoting plant foods for direct human consumption. For 30 years, neville was a government agriculturalist until he founded the hippo charity (help international plant protein organisation). he once told us a lovely story of taking dried soya chunks into ethiopia. The big customs officer asked what it was and neville told him it was a meat substitute. The customs man popped a chunk into his mouth and crunched away on it. “Very good,” he said and waved neville on his way. now in their 80s, both neville and hazel have sadly called an end to hippo. Thank you both for all you’ve done.
Roger That, Greggs! he gave us the super-successful vegan sausage roll – and then the vegan steak bake. and now he’s giving us the vegan Roger Whiteside.
yes, the boss of greggs has gone vegan after watching the film The Game Changers. in addition to these two top sellers there is also the vegan wrap on offer and the vegan glazed ring doughnut. mr Whiteside is now scanning the bakery’s range of products, potentially looking to introduce vegan versions of all its best sellers.
No joking for Joaquin guests at the golden globe film awards this year sat down to an all-vegan menu for the first time in its 77-year history. The oscars in February lagged a bit behind with only a 70 per cent vegan menu. But Joaquin phoenix, an ardent vegan and winner of the best actor award for his role in Joker made up for it in his acceptance speech. he accused humankind of having an
egocentric view of the world: “We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakeable. Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.” We’d award him another oscar for that alone!
viva.org.uk 7
8
life
The Sexual Politics of Meat an interview with author carol J adams here have been many feminist writers over past decades whose work has helped society to understand the pernicious impact of male dominance while encouraging and enthusing other women (and some men) to demand change. Some of their names are familiar – Alice Walker and Doris Lessing, Margaret Atwood and Germaine Greer. In 1990, one academic and author broadened our understanding by adding a new and previously ignored layer to the feminist story. She was Carol J Adams and her book was The Sexual Politics of Meat. The way in which it came about was not unusual as many vegetarians and vegans have become so through relating the life of a loved companion animal with what is on their dinner plate. But Carol’s perception went one step further than most, as she explained to Viva!. “I was already a feminist in the early 70s when a beloved pony was shot and killed. That night, when I went to eat a hamburger, I stopped mid-bite and realised that I was eating a dead animal. I would not eat my pony as she would be buried so why was I eating a cow? I knew I was a hypocrite and had to become vegetarian. But that self-questioning, I think, sprang out of a feminist consciousness. I began reading biographies of women – suffragettes and feminists – reading novels and history and one day it hit me that there was some kind of connection. I then spent the next 15 years figuring out what it was. The result was The Sexual Politics of Meat.” Carol J Adams was born in New York state in 1951. From an early age she was influenced by her mother, who was both a feminist and a civil rights activist. Her lawyer father championed environmentalism and was involved in an early lawsuit against the pollution of Lake Erie. You can almost see Carol’s consciousness being formed by her committed parents. She left her hometown village of Forestville to attend university in Rochester, on the southerly shores of Lake Ontario, where she read English and History but she was also instrumental in bringing women’s study courses to the university’s catalogue. She graduated with a BA in 1972 and obtained a Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School in 1976. She is married to the Rev Dr Bruce Buchanan. In 1974, Carol moved to Boston to study with Mary Daly, an American radical feminist philosopher, academic, and theologian who described herself as a ‘radical lesbian feminist’. Carol recalls this period as: “… a fascinating time of conversation and mutual critique, my evolving feminist-veganism and her evolving biophilic philosophy (architectural design that links people and buildings more closely with nature) bumping up against each other at times. Usually, at least in the beginning, she had the last word.”
T
The vegan whirlwind that is now swirling around us may – just may – be changing attitudes but for 40 years, Carol had identified both a feminist perspective on veganism and also a racist one.* “The problem has been that veganism has been represented in a certain way that skews it from the vast majority of people who are vegans and therefore loses some of these interconnected insights. About 70 per cent of people in the vegan movement are women when the movement is often seen as being led by men. There’s no logical reason why 30 per cent of the vegan community is over-represented in leadership. You have to ask why. They have helped to define the movement as single issue because they’re the ones being listened to. I want to know that the movement I’m part of is pro-choice and recognises reproductive freedom.” Anyone who has campaigned for veganism knows that men are usually the hardest nuts to crack. That is no coincidence, according to Carol. “Meat started operating as a way of reinforcing masculinity and male values and their culture protects that. These gender stereotypes prove the sexual politics of meat. People try to disprove them by promoting male vegan bodybuilders and manly male athletes without recognising the context in which that happens. In trying to align with men’s anxiety about manhood and saying ‘no you don’t have to worry, you’ll still be a man if you’re vegan’ it reinforces that. It’s as if manhood is part of a patriarchal world that uses the oppression of animals to maintain itself.
Every part of the cow’s life, from birth to death, is in a sense a unique oppression “Why don’t we deal with male anxiety and say there’s a reason for it; that white men especially are finding out that they don’t rule the world and they don’t have the right to interrupt women. The healthier thing would be to deal with what created the gender dynamics that create this anxiety, not fill them up with reassurances.” It’s extremely difficult to tie down exactly what the UK spends on meat advertising as there is direct meat promotion and then a hundred other sources – Nando’s, Mcdonalds, KFC etc – and supermarket flyers that arrive almost daily. The figure is huge. Industry spend on dairy alone in the UK is £137 million annually. There is, of course, a feminist perspective on this. “Meat advertisements are not just using sex, they’re using double entendres. Women are shown stuffing
viva.org.uk 9
their mouths with huge pieces of burger or lying under a burger that’s the size of a body, or half a woman, half a burger. There are different ways in which women are humiliated and the double entendres imply that women want to be consumed. It’s a form of hate speech, because the woman is being substituted for the animal or the animal being substituted for the woman. And that’s what’s deadly about it.” The link between human mothers and female cows is obvious and it is tempting when campaigning to say to women that dairy is rape. A big mistake, according to Carol. “A feminist insight into ‘Why Vegan?’ is much more complex than that. What happens to cows is a very important part of how we think as feminists but I would never lead with that. Dairy is definitely a feminist issue but I would always put it in the context of a feminist critique of the whole system. We’ve already got a feminist critique of the use of bodies, a feminist critique of the ends justify the means, a feminist critique of violence, a feminist critique of reproduction. “Within that framework, let’s talk about the cow. Every part of the cow’s life, from birth to death, is in a sense a unique oppression. Separated from her mother, forcibly made pregnant, milked in a way that is so terrible for them, so depleting of their minerals and exhausting their bodies. Often mistreated on the way to the slaughterhouse and then killed. All these are part of the cow’s experience and as vegans we should be talking about the entirety of the cow’s life. Reproductive exploitation is a part of that but it’s not the only part.” There’s a term from literary criticism called the absent referent and Carol J Adams came to the realisation that animals are absent referents. They disappear as living beings by being killed, they then disappear conceptually because the meat that’s taken from them, the flesh, is renamed to ‘hamburger’ or ‘pork’ or ‘bacon’. “We use the phrase ‘I was treated like a piece of meat’ when we feel like our will was extinguished. That’s the absent referent, we’ve disappeared from mattering, but by not mattering we become a matter of reference. Women are also absent referents in a patriarchal society where our will doesn’t matter. We might not disappear through death – although women are killed every day through domestic violence – but women’s will is ignored. Women are often portrayed in very clichéd ways sexually so that who we are as living beings doesn’t matter and are fitted into certain stereotypes – and become absent referents.” I know that in our early years, Viva! frequently used the word ‘veggie’, even though we meant vegan and it was done so people would, we thought, more readily identify with it. We were not on our own it seems. “In 1990, vegan wasn’t a common term and even in 2000, when I wanted to call something vegan, my publisher said that no one would recognise it. That has changed but with the good comes the bad. You look up ‘vegan women’ on Google and you get sexy vegan women. This is not progress, this is not how vegan women should have to be defined. It misses the whole plurality of veganism and excludes vegans who might have cancer or acne or a colostomy bag. “Single issue veganism, as it’s come to be expressed, is dangerous because it mischaracterises veganism as being about health when it has always been about ethics. We should be talking about healthy ethics and not body size or appearance.”
10
life
I know that many vegans struggle to understand how a woman who calls herself a feminist can still eat meat and dairy. They are not on their own as Carol J Adams thinks similarly – but with a very big caveat. “I can’t be a feminist and still consume meat and dairy and that’s why I’m vegan. However, I would never pose that to another feminist. It’s taking something that should be about consciousness changing and making it a
You look up ‘vegan women’ on Google and you get sexy vegan women. This is not progress, this is not how vegan women should have to be defined rule. As feminists we have been trying to redefine how rules work so, to enter a conversation by saying ‘you can’t be a feminist and still eat meat and dairy’ would completely violate the spirit of feminism. “I have staked my whole writing career on that argument and would like to see it made not in a confrontational way but as invitational – ‘this is why it matters, this is why it works, this is why I’m at peace, let me share some food with you’, rather than: drawing a line in the sand.”
* christopher sebastian is a prominent vegan researcher and writer on racism. facebook.com/christopher.mcjetters
Listen to the monthly Viva! Podcast for all the latest vegan news, views and interviews! You can listen to a range of past interviews, including with George Monbiot and Jerome Flynn. Upcoming interviews include comedian Carl Donnelly and Bella Lack, environmental youth ambassador. Also listen out for Peter Egan, Evanna Lynch, Heather Mills and superchef Richard Buckley
Available now: viva.org.uk/podcast
Viva! Exposes Red Tractor – Again Turkey farm dropped by disgraced ‘assurance’ outfit n the lead-up to Christmas; we celebrated our latest success as Red Tractor dropped Gravel Farm – an intensive turkey unit supplying major supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s. Between September and December 2019, investigators for Viva! Campaigns filmed shocking scenes of suffering and cruelty on a Gloucestershire farm supplying more than 33,000 turkeys a year to one of the UK’s largest poultry processors. Hidden cameras also captured one worker ruthlessly killing birds with an inhumane neck-crushing device – a practice that violates both Red Tractor and the Humane Slaughter Association’s guidelines. Footage was obtained from inside the farm’s two ‘state-of-the-art’ turkey sheds, which house up to 5,500 birds each. They were built in 2010 to diversify from the farmer’s existing 150-head beef herd and boost profits. During the investigation, our team witnessed appalling conditions, finding sick and injured turkeys abandoned with festering open wounds, broken necrotic wings and severe respiratory distress. Two birds had been so brutally pecked they were initially thought to be dead, but on closer inspection our undercover team found they were struggling to open their eyes due to the swelling around their heads. The most disturbing scenes filmed at the farm were of turkeys being killed with a neck dislocating device – a plier like tool that crushes the bird’s neck and spinal cord. According to the Humane Slaughter Association, neck dislocation is not recommended for the routine slaughter of poultry and they identified the tool used at Gravel Farm as being an ‘unsuitable piece of neck crushing equipment’.
I
12
life
Although neck dislocation without stunning has been widely used as a method of killing poultry, research indicates that it does not consistently concuss the brain and is unlikely to cause immediate death. Despite the barbaric nature of the neck dislocation device, Red Tractor continue to recommend its use for turkeys weighing under five kilograms. However, records found on Gravel Farm indicate that the device was used to kill 13-week-old the birds who weighed about 11kg at the time of death. This is more than twice the maximum weight recommended in Red Tractor’s own guidelines. These birds endured prolonged suffering and clearly had distressing deaths, struggling for several minutes after the initial crushing.
Media Coverage Our exposé achieved widespread media coverage, reaching a probable five million consumers (see Medialife, page 47). As a result of the investigation, we created the FIRST EVER vegan Christmas ad to expose turkey farming. It played every day in the runup to Christmas and was a huge success. Following the format of popular recipe videos, it started with the headline ‘The Secret Behind the Perfect Xmas Turkey’. It then juxtaposed our undercover footage with captions such as ‘always handle your turkey with love and care’, ‘always wash off excess faeces and filth’ and ‘always remove unwanted bits like beaks, feathers and eyes.’ Despite YouTube’s guidelines that ban explicit videos, our ad was approved and was viewed 105,411 times in one week, gaining more than 520,000 impressions. It meant we concluded 2019 on a high thanks to all your support!
In the UK, more than15 million turkeys were slaughtered in 2018, according to Defra - the big majority intensively bred on factory farms. Like most turkeys in the UK, those in our latest undercover investigation never see the light of day and are mechanically fed, watered and weighed to ensure maximum growth and profit. Because they grow extremely fast, they often suffer from agonising leg disorders, joint degeneration and heart disease. A combination of overcrowding and poor environmental enrichment leads to extreme stress and unnatural behaviour, such as cannibalism and feather pecking – both of which were widespread at Gravel Farm. Although there are brown and bronze-feathered turkeys, most have been selectively bred to be white so that their pin feathers are less visible once they’ve been plucked and dressed for dinner – so their carcasses look nicer. Turkeys are not native to the UK but originate from the Americas and were brought over to Europe in the 1500s by Spanish traders. There are two species –the meleagris ocellata and meleagris gallopavo, and it’s from this latter one that our domestic turkeys are descended. Like their wild relatives, domestic turkeys are highly social and become easily distressed in isolation. Their
vocalisations range from gobbles to clucks, putts, purrs and yelps and can carry for around a mile! Naturally, they can live to up 10 years of age, foraging on forest floors, roosting in trees and flying at a staggering 55 miles per hour. However, those bred for meat consumption can often barely walk let alone fly and are usually killed between eight and 26 weeks old. We naturally reported our findings to Trading Standards, Red Tractor, the RSPCA and the government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Red Tractor carried out an inspection of the farm and ended its membership of the near-useless scheme, stating: “We were shocked to see the footage and the farm’s membership to our scheme has been terminated. High animal welfare standards are a top priority, and we take any breaches very seriously. We have reported Gravel Farm to the Animal and Plant Health Agency to investigate whether any legal action should be taken”. While we are pleased by Red Tractor’s response, our investigation once again confirms our experience that regulatory bodies such as Red Tractor cannot be trusted. Their so-called assurance scheme is little more than a marketing façade that hides the horrendous cruelty that is British factory farming. The label is meaningless as we have shown time and time again.
viva.org.uk 13
Joint
Ashvin Sudra for an incredibly sad and hard-hitting portrait of this poor heifer. Ashvin said: “I took this photo whilst at a vigil with Leicestershire Animal Save. This incredibly prize small truck drove towards the gate and stopped and we suddenly heard a loud bang. I crouched down to look into the truck and noticed that two out of the three heifers were trying to turn around and fell over. As a result of this, one of them was injured.�
2nd
14
life
What a picture h p a r g o t o h p a t a h w
ANIMAL SNAP! 25th Anniversary Photo Competition Winners
What a magnificent response … what stunning pictures. This was by far the most popular competition of our 25th anniversary celebrations - we had hundreds of entries. As so much of Viva!’s work over the past 25 years has involved portraying farmed animals in pictures, we asked for high quality photos that could be taken at home, a sanctuary, outdoor or intensive indoor farm or during transport – anywhere. Sad or uplifting, amusing or enraging but it was the animals we wanted to see. And you didn’t let us down. We’re sure you’ll feel a gamut of emotions looking through the winners’ pictures.
1st
Overall 1st prize
prize
Ewe and baby photo proudly displayed on our front cover… The winner of our 25th anniversary photo competition is William Richardson of West Brompton, london. his photo is utterly sharp with rich colours, perfectly capturing an iconic moment between mother and baby. Besides being on our cover, William wins £50 of curry’s gift vouchers.
Joint
2nd
amy Jones of lincoln who took this heart breaking photo at a small-scale slaughterhouse in india. These chickens were crammed into cages and left in the scorching sun, awaiting their imminent slaughter. prize
viva.org.uk 15
Joint
3rd
Jacqui Bushby of Durham, for this beautiful portrait that stirs the soul.
prize
Joint
3rd
amy Jones of lincoln. These animals were living in a goshala in india – which is an animal shelter, mainly for cattle, due to their religious significance in hinduism. mostly rescued from slaughter, these goshalas provide shelter but they are often still used for their milk.
prize
16
life
4th prize
We love this gorgeous photo of a gorgeous rescued piggy at Second Chance Sanctuary. Well done Malcolm Head.
viva.org.uk 17
1st
prize
5th prize
FaRs (Farm animal Rescue sanctuary) in Warwickshire for this stunning portrait of adorable nero. he was rescued from a ‘petting farm’ that was sending him to be fattened for beef. nero is now safe and suitably pampered!
Runners Up congratulations to all our amazing runners up. it was exceptionally hard to choose the winners such was the quality of the entries – so well done to you all.
cheeky face of lucy enjoying a nom, by Jacqui Bushby
18
life
Winner of Under 18’s
2nd prize
Bryn appleton who is 13 and a lifelong vegan. Fantastic close up of this rather startling hen! summer hobbs, 13 of swindon for this characterful snap of corky (who must be in heaven at halloween!)
This was taken at an intensive dairy farm in Sri Lanka, where pregnant cows are kept on chains so short that they can barely move. By Amy Jones of Lincoln.
Jacqui Bushby of Durham for this poignant, appealing calf separated from his mum.
viva.org.uk 19
Sean Stone of Shoreham-by-Sea for this striking sheep portrait taken from a West Sussex footpath near Woods Mill Nature Reserve, Henfield, West Sussex.
William Richardson is our overall winner with the photo on the front cover but we just had to include this too in our winning entries. Such beauty and cuteness captured with crystal clarity!
20
life
Such a beauty with flowing hair. By Malcom Head at Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats.
Rob Easterby-Jackson took the haunting photo of this baby when he was protesting live transport at Ramsgate.
Too cute. Winner of the gnasher comp. By malcolm head at Buttercups sanctuary for goats.
viva.org.uk 21
helen Brand of eye, suffolk, for the adorable snap of this happy resident of hillside animal sanctuary, norfolk – one of her favourite places on this earth Wonderful gnashers! hayley leybourne of london snapped this beauty Reverend lynn hurry of harlow, for her rescued chucks who’ve found the perfect nest simon Wilkinson-Blake of holwell, leicestershire told us: “i live in the countryside and there are many lambs around at this time of year. it breaks my heart to think of what happens to them but at least i tried to capture how they seemed to be enjoying life for now. i think they’re wonderful.” We do too! how can anyone not be vegan?
22
life
It’s Here – Viva!’s Chilling New Documentary
A M ODER N H O R R O R S T O RY
Tesco approved it, Red Tractor approved it, Viva! didn’t – and in the end we prevailed. The two huge organisations dumped Hogwood pig farm but only after four undercover investigations, a nationwide campaign and massive negative media coverage This is the story of how Viva! succeeded, the horror of factory farming and how it threatens our world. We asked you to fund our proposed documentary film; you did and we can now show you the results. Running at just over 30 minutes, HOGWOOD: a modern horror story takes you behind the factory farm walls and beyond. It sheds new light on the horrific conditions experienced by animals at Hogwood pig farm but then it broadens out the story to look at dairy, egg, broiler chicken and turkey farming. It is the culmination of years of investigative work by Viva! Campaigns. It shows the concerted efforts of the establishment to ignore and misrepresent Viva!. It is a damning indictment of Britain’s animal farming and simply cannot be ignored. We know that good documentaries have the power to start conversations, open minds, change habits and effect change. HOGWOOD will do all these things. HOGWOOD is narrated by Jerome Flynn, the Game of Thrones and Ripper Street star who originally shot to fame as one half of Robson and Jerome. Jerome opens the documentary against the idyllic backdrop of rural England, just minutes away from Hogwood Farm. He leads us through the disturbing story, intercut with interviews by Viva! Campaigns’ brave investigators, an experienced pig vet and Juliet Gellatley, director of Viva!. The film goes on to include the environmental and
health issues connected with animal farming – Read and has expert comment from Dr Josh the full story Cullimore (GP and public health expert) and of Hogwood Joseph Poore of Oxford University (Land the movie in Economist). They present a strong and compelling case for veganism. the next Jerome closes the documentary with a Viva!life powerful message to end the cycle of suffering. Speaking about the film, he said: “It is an honour to be presenting this very important film. After seeing the horrendous conditions and animal abuse that is happening behind Hogwood’s walls, I had to do something. The pigs of Hogwood aren’t just meat products, they are sensitive, emotionally aware beings just like us and they deserve better than this.” HOGWOOD will launch at the Houses of Parliament on March 26 to an audience of politicians, journalists and supporters. It will be followed by a Q&A with Jerome Flynn, Labour MP Christina Rees, Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale, Dr Alice Brough and the Viva! producers of the film.
We will be promoting this important film everywhere and have high hopes for its success. You can help us by demonstrating your support at: hogwoodmovie.com viva.org.uk 23
Viva! Poland Creativity Unbounded It is always an honour to report on what our colleagues at Viva! Poland are doing for the animals because their work rate is phenomenal, their imagination boundless and their success almost legendary
Slaughter Exposed Viva! Poland carried out a shocking, four-month investigation at the McKeen Beef slaughterhouse in Dobra (it also has a plant in Tyne & Wear, UK). Numerous animal rights violations were recorded, many of them repeated regularly and not just ‘one offs’. These included the use of electric prods to the cows’ heads and other sensitive parts of their bodies, twisting tails, kicking and beating animals, stabbing, beating and electrocuting downer cows who were unable to stand. Together with lawyer, Katarzyna Topczewska, we submitted a report to the prosecutor’s office.
10 Million Cages This was the name of our latest antifur campaign where Viva! activists visited 14 of Poland’s main cities in just 10 days. It expanded on our former campaign, Cage by Cage, which aimed to end Polish people’s ignorance of the cruel fur trade. Sadly, Poland is an Eldorado for fur farmers, with 10 million animals killed annually, giving us the shameful position of being the second largest fur-farming country in Europe – third in the world. BY CEZARY WYSZYNSKI
Sculpture for the Suffering We have reported in the past on the plight of horses in the Tatra Mountains where they are worked to exhaustion and even death pulling tourists up seven kilometres of steep mountain road. In fact, we have prosecutions pending against two drivers whose horses died in harness. Working with renowned Polish sculptor, Ida Karkoszka, in August we created a truly poignant reminder of their plight, attracting enormous publicity at the same time. The sculptor and a Viva! volunteer reversed roles and pulled a symbolic sculpture of a dying horse on a cart
24
life
up the mountain road. Tourists joined in and lent their weight to the task. The Polish marketing industry recognised the event as one of the best campaigns of 2019.
Bus – Stop!
Bus Cows
People in the city of Lódź were urged to make changes to save the planet. While waiting at tram stops around the city, they could read Viva!’s advertising saying Save the planet with your diet! It also succinctly explained why livestock for meat and dairy are, quite simply, destroying our world.
Also on the buses – five of them – and also in Warsaw on different routes, passengers were asked an uncomfortable question by a dairy cow – and given an answer. ‘Where are you going?’ ‘I’m going to the slaughterhouse’. It was designed as an antidote to the plethora of colourful dairy advertisements showing wellgroomed dairy cows grazing on green meadows, happy that they can ‘give us milk.’ It was designed to expand November’s hugely successful outdoor campaign The real price of milk, where posters were hung on 12 carriers in the centre of Warsaw and on the metro line. As Viva! Poland manager, Cezary Wysynski explains: “We show the brutal truth as opposed to the fairy tales, colourful pictures and idyllic settings which we are exposed to from birth.”
Bus Chickens Donors to Viva! Poland dug deep into their pockets to fund an extraordinarily imaginative project that covered the entire sides of a Warsaw bus, including the windows. It was designed to resemble the transport trucks that carry chickens to slaughter. It bore the headline We can’t get off, plus the Viva! website. It was designed by Kaja from Poster & Sons.
Happy Bloody Christmas Bloody Christmas is one of the most effective campaigns Viva! Poland has ever launched and involves animal rights activists from across the country. They monitor the sale of live Christmas carp from supermarkets and stores and record the conditions in which fish are kept. Supposedly part of Polish tradition (it isn’t), we inform the authorities of any abuse – which is plenty and everywhere – and it is having an effect. Two supermarket chains have ended the sale of live carp this year and three further chains have promised to end the practice in 2020. We are determined to have the Main Veterinary Inspector exposed who has supported the selling of live fish in plastic
bags without water. This contradicts the Animal Welfare Act (on which we offered advice) and is nothing more than legalised animal abuse.
One of many anti-carp demos held across Poland viva.org.uk 25
26
life
All Creatures Great and Small Dr Alice Brough was a pig industry vet and found that a commercial vet’s life was nothing like the cosy TV portrayals. She talks about her journey to veganism and becoming Viva!’s veterinary consultant ooking back over the last few years, it is difficult for me to come to terms with how long it took me to stop eating meat and therefore paying for the exploitation of animals. Like many, I became a vet because I love animals – and there was a time when I loved the ‘farm life’ – being covered in muck every day, interacting with animals, working hard and getting strong. When I was a teenager, I took on each of my pretraining farm placements as an exciting learning experience. When I saw something that made me uncomfortable, I was assured that the problem was uncommon or insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The more I would see the same thing happening on every farm, the more I realised it wasn’t uncommon to witness suffering, or indeed insignificant, and certainly not for the animals experiencing it. My pre-veterinary training work experience was very tough. Collecting newborn calves for the ‘bobby train’
L
in New Zealand while the mothers chased after us calling out helplessly, always felt wrong. Picking out rotting body parts from the line at a free range Happy Egg facility and dislocating necks on my morning round through the cramped and dusty sheds, showed me that there was nothing ‘happy’ about it. I spent six months working in an intensive pig unit at the age of 18. But even that couldn’t prepare me for what I would see and do during my four years as a pig vet. I intend to share as much of the true, horrific nature of the pig industry as I can with anyone who will listen – those dreadful experiences will never leave me. I was frequently asked why I would choose to be a pig vet, and I constantly asked myself this same question. I realised I was unable to take
Below (small picture): The life of a farm vet tooth clipping. Below (main picture): but not any longer – assisting at Beneath the Wood Animal Sanctuary with the rescue of dozens of illtreated pigs
I dared to express disgust, anger or even grief at the horrific things I saw happening to pigs viva.org.uk 27
any effective action on poor welfare, that the veterinary world is arguably complicit in turning a blind eye and that farm assurance schemes and legal standards are woefully inadequate. When I dared to express disgust, anger or even grief at the horrific things I saw happening to pigs, the overwhelming sentiment in the veterinary profession, and in agriculture generally, was that I needed to ‘man up’. Throughout vet school and then in the agricultural sector I was constantly hammered with the same lies the public are exposed to – that livestock are possessions, animal products are necessary and this is ‘the best we can do’. I chose to concentrate on working in the pig sector because I wanted to improve welfare standards and help these intelligent creatures to lead less miserable lives. Naïvely, I thought I could influence change from within. But throughout those four awful years, I felt all I was doing was lining the pockets of monsters and standing idly by as millions of animals were needlessly tortured and murdered on my watch. Don’t get me wrong, I met some farmers who were traumatised by their work. Some did try their best but unfortunately that isn’t enough due to the sheer scale of the demand. Sadly, I encountered many who simply didn’t care about their animals. These people can’t be monitored enough and the current lack of consequences for welfare breaches is a disgrace. I started following Viva! when their campaigns began to crop up as a regular topic of conversation at pig industry meetings. I couldn’t work out why the people who were supposed to be ensuring the wellbeing of farmed animals would defend blatant malpractice, and even go so far as to lie about footage being ‘doctored’… we all knew it wasn’t. I was cheering Viva! on from behind the scenes, grinning inwardly while seething farmers yelled down the phone about ‘those bleeding activists’. Not long after becoming vegan myself, about three years ago, I had to sit through the most hideous presentation from a counter-terrorism chief constable. He detailed how much force is legal to use on a trespasser, what security measures he would suggest to prevent the public from seeing what happens on farm and patted his colossal paunch while laughing about the ‘loonies trying to stop him having his bacon sandwich’. I won’t go into the obscene language and overt sexism we were all subjected to but it gives you an idea of the strange world I found myself in – not wishing to harm animals lands you in the same bracket as extremist groups who seek to harm people? My drive now is to use every opportunity to explain to people that they are being misled and that the horrors they see on farm exposés are not isolated incidents. I’m not shocked when I review footage or see yet another story on the news because I’ve seen it all before. The atrocities are not only confined to factory farms as some of the most shocking welfare cases I’ve seen have been small farm shop operations or RSPCA Assured, outdoor bred. Back in January, a few colleagues and I had the delight of visiting Dean Farm Sanctuary to meet the
28
life
bovine stars of Channel 4’s Meat the Family. The calves were hilarious – so inquisitive and still very cuddly despite now being about five feet tall, with their attempts at play being slightly alarming! We strolled over to the pigs with the intention of filming a short segment for social media. Something about seeing pigs running around a field and enjoying belly rubs that day rendered me unable to get a sentence out without crying. These beautiful individuals opened up a compartment in my mind that is usually carefully boxed away, causing a continuous loop of harrowing moments from my past to play out, with thousands of sad eyes staring back at me. I believe wholeheartedly in what Viva! does – it’s amazing to be their consultant and effect positive change in the world, using my experience and knowledge to shed light on the realities of animal agriculture. I had almost entirely lost faith in humanity by the time I left the pig industry and needed to be around people who care for animals – I’ve found that with Viva!.
Above left: what the farmer wants, the farmer gets. Above right: Alice talks of her experiences as a farm vet to a packed audience at Viva!’s Bristol festival
The Base Retreat… stay FOR FREE
Located on the edge of Bristol, Jacqui and Fiaz offer a unique garden chalet retreat surrounded by rescued bunnies, chickens and a luxurious hot tub – as well as double en-suite accommodation in the main house. The chalet’s elevated position and bi-folding doors to the decked terrace provide spacious views of the garden and dramatic sunrises over the rolling Cotswolds beyond – perfect for summertime but also very cosy in the winter, with underfloor heating throughout and a wood burner. But the real clincher is the hot tub! Nestled under a canopy of mature trees it’s the perfect spot to soak up your surroundings, reflect on your day of activism or even plan your next outreach event. As vegan activists themselves, Jacqui and Fiaz are all too aware of the importance of taking time out and are kindly offering The Base Retreat FOR FREE to travelling activists and their teams of up to eight people, as well as monthly giveaways that include exclusive use of the hot tub! For more information on how to book: 1) Travelling activists and their team (up to eight) can stay for FREE to attend Bristol activist events. All you need to do is contact Jacqui and Fiaz direct to book or discuss – via Facebook. 2) Each month, one FREE night’s stay in The Chalet is announced and can be claimed by the first activist to respond. The Chalet sleeps four in two king size beds, so if you’re the lucky winner you are welcome to take a few friends along too. ‘Like’ The Base Retreat on social media to be notified. facebook.com/pg/TheBaseRetreat instragram.com/the_base_retreat_bristol
The eternal vegan argument of saving the planet by ditching the dystopian, flesh eating, zombie diet was once considered a fringe argument that might upset a few people at some mythical dinner party. “Don’t invite the vegans,” they would sneer, “they’ll only go and lecture you…” Now a whole continent is on fire, cities are choking with the claustrophobic stink of modern life and serious questions are being asked about travel and the sheer stress being put on the sick planet by over-consumption of our fellow creatures… the argument has gone mainstream. It is no longer a fringe problem but a daily item on the news or debate shows, where a fresh-faced vegan is usually taking on one of those waspfaced TV presenters who like to shout over their guests, wearing their out of shape jumpers whilst sticking up for the flesh eating zombie diet, despite all the evidence stacked against it. Of course, being vegan is now not enough. We could be on the brink of a planetary extinction like the Permian wipe out that removed 90 per cent of life, including trilobites, millions of years ago. But these ancient species had no choice in their own downfall. The lunacy of these chaotic modern times is the Trump mentality of charging into the apocalypse like it’s a measure of their pretend machismo. When the shit goes down, it often seems that true wisdom is in short supply. You would have hoped that a 93-year-old national treasure would be able to put their feet up for a welldeserved rest but David Attenborough is now on the TV nearly every day looking very concerned about the future of the planet. Veganism is officially now no longer a hobby or a fad, it’s become a damn necessity, the new normal. In 2020, saving the planet has ceased to be a glib phrase – even the Daily Mail looks worried. The stinking mess needs dealing with. The youth are revolting but not like back in the day of my teenage punkrock youth – a different kind of revolting, not the snarling, spitting, flicking the V’s but a calm, dignified and desperate plea to get this mess sorted out. Veganism is one of the central pillars of the 21st century survival kit. Everyone reading this magazine has known this for years. Those years when we have been charged with being cranks, sandal-wearing hippies, eating bad food, moaning about diet and not having ‘fun’ because fun was defined as getting someone else to kill your dinner for you. Funnily, everyone is saying the same things now. It’s cool to be proved right but no-one wanted this avalanche of proof. Would it have been better had there been gradual revolution, like it already was? We were going to win the argument but now it’s a desperate rush to save the planet by saving yourself and a bunch of cows as well.
viva.org.uk 29
Photo © Melanie Smith
Media man, punk-bred John Robb
Non beastly beauty with
Every time you dab a beauty or makeup product on your face you might well be contributing to animal cruelty. Without clear assurances on the label that the stuff you buy is vegan, you just don’t know. Even if it carries, loud and proud, the assurance, Not Tested on Animals, it could still be packed with bits of dead animal – and we know from experience that the use of animal products in any form is invariably a result of exploitation somewhere along the way. But, there is a solution! Viva! is delighted to introduce the be-at-one range, a true cruelty-free makeup brand, founded by an all-female, all-vegan team – proudly headed by Viva! patron, Heather Mills from her north-eastern Plant Based Valley empire. They have lovingly created a line of makeup products that prove beyond doubt there is no need to use animal derivatives to achieve a high-quality, gorgeous finish. Their makeup is full of rich, velvety pigments, blends like a dream and stays put for a long-lasting, luscious look that is kind to your skin and all sentient beings! It seems almost medieval that some firms still use carmine as a red pigment. Carmine is made by crushing up the poor little female cochineal beetle and the vast majority of lipsticks still contain it. Does vanity really require that? But that’s not the only bit of animal cruelty in the beauty world – there are many. One of the most stomach-churning is tallow, produced by boiling down fat and slaughtered animal carcasses. It is frequently found in products such as foundation, eye makeup and lipstick. With a combination of its clogging ability and the porous nature of our delicate skin, it’s no wonder there are nasty reactions, such as acne and breakouts! Why would we knowingly put something so yucky
30
life
proud to be planatnd out powered inside
and harmful on our skin? Unfortunately, the cosmetic industry isn’t noted for its clear labelling. But then, it’s hardly a selling point to broadcast that your products contain fish scales or animal fat so the majority of people don’t even realise what they are putting on their face. The only way you can truly guarantee your makeup is free of these nasties is by choosing a certified vegan brand such as be-at-one. Instead of pore-clogging tallow, they use ingredients such as avocado oil, aloe vera and argan oil – all of which are nourishing and improve the visible quality of your skin. The team at be-at-one have worked hard to produce a collection of products that embody the benefits of being vegan – proud to be plant powered inside and out. We now have a choice! Instead of choosing brands that craftily hide their animal products behind an alias, we can all make a conscious decision to support a brand that shouts about its quality vegan ingredients! Be kinder to the creatures with whom we share the planet – while looking absolutely gorgeous. Amen to that!
Available to purchase from
be-at-one.com
be-at-one proudly supports Viva! – donating 10% of profits viva.org.uk 31
A day of Delight
Four cracking recipes that will satisfy your hunger and your taste buds from morning to night and take you on a trip around the world as they’re doing so. There’s a pretty breakfast that’s as healthy as it is gorgeous looking and the yellow turmeric is as healthy as can be. Lunch takes its inspiration from Italy. Dinner makes a nod to the Far East, cries out to be eaten and can be rustled up in only minutes. And then there’s a pudding – of course there’s a pudding – to round off the day. And it all comes courtesy of Viva!’s cookery diva, Maryanne Hall, who also took the photographs. For hundreds of other superb recipes with colourful photography, have a look at Viva!’s Vegan Recipe Club – veganrecipeclub.org.uk and download the app.
32
life
Super-fast Scrambled Tofu 8-10 minutes | Serves 1-2 l 1 tsp vegetable oil l 1 clove garlic, finely chopped l 150g (approx.) firm silken tofu or firm tofu l 1 tsp tahini l 1 tbsp soya sauce (Tamari is GF) l 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes l ½ tsp turmeric
Optional extras: sliced avocado, sliced tomato, lightly cooked cherry tomatoes, super sprouts, chopped peppers or chilli, rocket, kale, wilted spinach, mixed seeds, fried mushrooms
1 Gently fry the garlic in the oil for about 30 seconds until lightly golden. Do not burn. 2 Add all other ingredients and mix together. Stir tofu well but do not break it up too much. 3 Heat to warm through (3-5 minutes) and serve.
s Hazelnut Pesto Pasta 30 minutes | Serves 4 l 400g wholewheat spaghetti l Salt Hazelnut Pesto l 150g hazelnuts (with or without skins)
l 80g fresh basil l 2 cloves garlic, peeled l 2 tbsp lemon juice l 200ml olive oil l 1 tbsp syrup (eg maple, agave) l Salt & pepper to taste
1 Pre-heat the oven to 180ËšC/350ËšF/Gas Mark 4. Heat a panful of water for the pasta. 2 Place hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast for 5-10 minutes. Do not burn. 3 If they are skinned go to stage 4. If not skinned, place in tea towel and rub together to remove skins. 4 Place hazelnuts in a blender and pulse until roughly chopped. 5 Add all other pesto ingredients and pulse but leave it fairly chunky. 6 Add spaghetti to the boiling water and simmer according to packet instructions. 7 Drain spaghetti and stir in the pesto. 8 Serve with fresh basil, cherry tomatoes and vegan parmesan or Greek-style cheese.
viva.org.uk 33
Tofu Tahini Stir Fry 20 minutes | Serves 2 Tofu (For a quicker version, use premarinated tofu and add it with the vegetables) l 280g (approx.) firm tofu, cubed l Sesame oil for frying (or any other oil) l 1 tbsp soya sauce l 1 tbsp nutritional yeast Vegetables l Use either 1 packet stir-fry mix or 3 handfuls of veg (eg broccoli, baby corn, carrot battons, pak choi, edamame beans etc)
Noodles l Use either 150g (approx.) straightto-wok noodles or dry noodle nests (follow instructions on packet)... we used dry wholemeal noodles Sauce l 60g tahini l 2 tbsp syrup (eg maple or agave) l 1 tbsp soya sauce l 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or cider vinegar) l 1 tbsp lime juice l 1-2 tbsp Sriracha (depending on how hot you like it!) l 3-5 tbsp water
NB if you’d rather keep the layers separate (like in the picture) then cook everything separately and layer noodles, veg, tofu then sauce. Tofu 1 Fry tofu in sesame oil until golden, stirring occasionally. 2 Add soya sauce and nutritional yeast, stir through and fry for a further 1-2 minutes. Set aside. Vegetables and noodles 1 Fry vegetables on a medium-high heat for a few minutes. 2 Add noodles and stir. 3 Add tofu and stir. Sauce 1 In a small saucepan, heat all of the ingredients on a medium heat. 2 Pour over the noodles, veg and tofu and decorate with toasted cashews, fresh chillies, seeds, fresh coriander and anything else you fancy.
34
life
Pear & Walnut Tarte Tatin 40 minutes | Serves 6-8 l 300g ready-to-roll puff pastry (eg Jus-Rol) l 2 pears, sliced and cored l 30g caster sugar l 2 tbsp golden syrup l 65g vegan butter (our favourite is Naturli)
l 1 tbsp brandy (optional) l 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste (optional) l Pinch salt l 80g walnuts or pecans l Cinnamon, for dusting
1 Preheat oven to 190ËšC (fan)/375ËšF/Gas Mark 5. 2 On a floured surface, roll out pastry to around 0.5cm thick. 3 Using an oven-proof frying pan (we used 28cm pan), cut pastry to fit the pan, leaving 1cm extra around the edge. 4 In a frying pan, combine the sugar, golden syrup, vegan butter, salt and vanilla extract. 5 Heat on medium heat until sauce starts to thicken and slightly browns. 6 Remove from heat, stir in brandy (if using) and coat the pears and nuts in this caramel sauce. 7 Using tongs (or alternative), arrange pear slices in a pretty pattern on the bottom of the frying pan. Scatter nuts over pear slices. 8 Place pastry over the frying pan and tuck edges around the filling. 9 Brush with a little oil and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until crisp and evenly golden. 10 Remove the very hot pan from the oven and place a large plate over the top. Flip the pan over so the tarte displays fruit side up. 11 Sprinkle with cinnamon, maybe a little more golden syrup and serve with vegan ice cream.
viva.org.uk 35
East Midlands Billboard Campaign If you live in the East Midlands, your heart may skip with excitement at the powerfully vegan billboard campaign Viva! is running throughout the region. We have two different messages appearing on 60 billboard sites from March 9 to April 5. Mainly in Nottingham and Leicester, they are also appearing in Grantham, Northampton, Hinckley, Heanor, Beeston and Derby. A very kind donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, gave Viva! £20,000 specifically to run the campaign in these areas – with strong ‘choose-vegan-for-animals’ messages. We went to some of the sharpest vegan copywriters and then tested their messages on vegans and meat eaters to find out (rather than guess) their response. It was fascinating – vegans chose the milder messages – partly presuming meat eaters would prefer them – and yet meat eaters rated the two shown here as the ones that had by far the most impact on them. They found the softer messaging too easy to ignore but these came top for making them think about the animals they eat – and crucially, think about being vegan. Many of the posters are on bus shelters where people have the time to absorb the messages. Others are gigantic and provocative and are on busy city sites. We are holding street actions with great local groups in Nottingham and Leicester using positively-vegan materials and – always popular – offering free vegan food samples! If you see the posters, please take a snap and post on social media with #favouriteanimal or #chooseveganbillboards.
36
life
If you’d like Viva! to expand our billboard campaigns with these and other highly impactful posters, donate via viva.org.uk/donate If you’d like to mail a donation (payable to Viva!), please send to: Billboards, Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder St, Bristol BS2 8QH. Please email the director’s assistant, Jess Nunn jess@viva.org.uk if you’d like to fund a billboard campaign in your region.
Viva! is proud to announce the next Uk speaking dates by Dr Michael Greger
How Not to Diet:
The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss Dr Michael Greger M.D. FACLM, is the king of nutrition – and a brilliant speaker! His free, global website hosts new videos almost daily and we challenge you to think of a subject that he has not covered! You can also view his entire back catalogue at nutritionfacts.org. His book, How Not to Die, and its follow-up, How Not to Die Cookbook, became instant New York Times bestsellers. His first book showed the scientific sense of switching to a whole-food, plant-based diet: the second book showed you how to do it. Michael Greger’s key to good health is his ‘Daily Dozen’ – 12 food types to eat DAILY for optimum health. And now comes Michael’s block-buster new book, How Not to Diet in which he investigates the science behind obesity and the causes of weight-gain and outlines the best ways to achieve weight loss and longevity. There are no fad diets here, just a truly readable, evidence-based common sense that trashes generations of myths and legends. Working in association with Michael Greger, Viva! is proud to present TWO dates in April, 2020, when you can hear his entertaining talk and discover the power of How Not to Diet.
Join us at: BIRMINGHAM, MONDAY, APRIL 27, 6PM Tickets £12 Curzon Building Theatre, Birmingham City University, 4 Cardigan Street B4 7BD BOOk AT: dr-michael-gregerbirmingham.eventbrite.co.uk LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 6PM Tickets £12 Old Theatre, Old Building, London School of economics, Houghton Street WC2A 2Ae BOOk AT: dr-michael-gregerlondon.eventbrite.co.uk Book now for an entertaining evening, with a Q&A section and book signings by Michael. You can buy How Not to Diet from: vivashop.org.uk/how-not-to-diet or at the venues. We recommend pre-booking as soon as possible to secure your place!
BOOk reVIeW – HOW NOT TO DIeT BY NICHOLAS HALLOWS Even as a skinny guy with no inclination to lose weight, this book is a super read, saturated with fascinating advice on how to create a healthy diet and lifestyle, regardless of your weight. It turns out that ingredients for real weightloss are very similar to those for an all-round healthy life. Dr Greger demolishes many misconceptions we’ve been fed by the food industry and answers some common questions: are all calories equal? What part do genes play? How important is exercise? Did you know that it’s not just what you eat that matters but when you eat it? For example, studies show that our biology is inextricably linked to our circadian rhythm – the natural cycle of day and night. We should, therefore, frontload our day with the most calorific foods because, according to Dr Greger: “Morning calories don’t seem to count as much as evening calories.” So, if you’re trying to lose weight, or just maintain a healthy one, don’t skip breakfast, skip those evening snacks instead. But the quality of your food is still paramount – don’t be having cookies and ice cream for breakfast! If you’re not interested in counting calories, maybe intermittent fasting or timerestricted eating is the strategy for you. That can be fasting on alternate days, the 5:2 (five eating, two fasting) or my favourite, the 16:8 method – you eat all your day’s food within eight hours and then fast for 16. It’s good for weight management, forming lean body mass, longevity and gut health. Dr Greger identifies all the ingredients for an ideal weight-loss diet but also explains the importance of our gut microbiome, habits and sleep in maintaining a healthy weight. How Not to Diet is a slightly lighter bite than How Not to Die and is ideal if you’re interested in losing weight, maintaining a healthy one or just passionate about nutrition. viva.org.uk 37
lifeSCIENCE
Viva! Health unravels scientific research and makes it easy to understand. Here we update you on the latest findings… BY DR JUSTINE BUTLER, VIVA! HEALTH MANAGER
Fudging the facts Misleading meat advice appears to be following the path trodden by Big Tobacco In a refreshingly straight-talking article called On Meat, Butter and Fudge, a series of papers published last year in the Annals of Internal Medicine, were recently given a well-deserved roasting. Despite admitting their own findings were “weak and based on low certainty evidence”, the authors of these papers were happy to recommend that there is “No need to reduce red or processed meat consumption for good health”. Those who slammed this conclusion were clear – processed meat causes cancer and red meat probably does too; saturated fat increases risk of heart disease; vegans have
healthier fat levels in their blood, a lower risk of chronic disease and live longer than meateaters. The perils of meat consumption also include: altered sexual development; widespread antibiotic resistance, environmental damage and increased greenhouse gases. The five papers were called out on a number of levels of deceit and the authors accused of acting as a mouthpiece for meatindustry propaganda. The misleading recommendations of their pseudoscience were not intended to convince scientists – who clearly understand the nature of the relationship between meat and health – but were published solely to create doubt and confusion in the wider population. A damning indictment! Potter JD and Jackson R. 2020. On Meat, Butter, and Fudge. Nutrition and Cancer. 72 (1) 1-4.
Protein Myth Blasted Stop asking unnecessary questions, says the journal Nutrients ‘Where do you get your protein?’ It’s an unnecessary question to ask vegans, according to this new study. They say that protein-rich pulses, nuts and seeds provide plenty of protein and the claim that some plant foods are lacking certain amino acids is wrong. All plant foods contain the full range of 20 amino acids, including the nine essential ones. Importantly, rather than claiming there are missing amino acids, an accurate statement would be that the amino acid profile may be more varied in some plant foods than others but this is not a problem if you eat a varied diet that provides you with enough energy. The concern of any amino acid deficiency in plant foods has been substantially overstated, they maintain, and that the term ‘complete protein’ is misleading. They recommend that further study on protein in vegetarian and vegan diets shifts away from unnecessary questions about protein adequacy. Mariotti F and Gardner CD. 2019. Dietary Protein and Amino Acids in Vegetarian Diets-A Review. Nutrients. 11 (11).
38
life
Doctor Know-Little How much do health professionals really know about nutrition? Not much it seems… In this study, 400 health professionals were interviewed and it was found that 80 per cent had not attended a nutrition course in the previous five years. Only a third could provide a correct definition of a vegetarian and vegan diet and just 20 per cent could answer questions about nutrients correctly. Just 45 per cent were able to demonstrate knowledge about the risks and benefits of adopting a plant-based diet. This study was conducted in Italy, but it seems highly likely we would get similar results in the Uk. Bettinelli ME et al. 2019. Knowledge of Health Professionals Regarding Vegetarian Diets from Pregnancy to Adolescence: An Observational Study. Nutrients. 11 (5).
They do Run Run Vegan runners are going for gold Growing numbers of athletes are going vegan to improve their performance. This study compared the micronutrient status of meat-eating, vegetarian and vegan recreational runners. They looked at levels of vitamins B12 and D, folate, iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. results showed little, if any, variation between the groups. For example, about 80 per cent of each group were getting enough vitamin B12, with higher levels seen in supplement users. Average values of vitamin D were in the normal range with no discernible differences between any of the dietary groups. The authors conclude that a well-planned vegan diet, including supplements, can meet an athlete’s requirements. They did, however, caution that athletes adopting a vegan diet should take B12 supplements. This accords with Viva!’s recommendations that all vegans should take a B12 supplement. Nebl J et al. 2019. Micronutrient Status of Recreational Runners with Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian Dietary Patterns. Nutrients. 11 (5).
Take Heart, Vegans! Plant-based diets protect your ticker Yet another study shows a strong link between a plant-based diet and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death. This study looked at 12,168 people, aged 45 to 64, over a 30 year period and compared diets rich in plant foods with ones containing red and processed meat and refined carbohydrates. results showed that those who ate a mostly plant-based diet were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and to die from it than those eating diets rich in meat and refined carbs. results showed a 14-16 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a 31-32 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular death and an 18-25 per cent lower risk of death from all causes amongst those eating the most plant-based foods. But not all plant-based diets are equal – obviously the healthier the diet, the greater the benefits. This study adds to a growing body of evidence that shows how plant-based diets are associated with health benefits. Kim et al. 2019. Plant-Based Diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All-Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle-Aged Adults. Journal of the American Heart Association. 8 (16) e012865.
viva.org.uk 39
It’s only a dress rehearsal… We have a global health emergency and its origins lie deep within our obsessive meat culture. But there is much worse to come, says Tony Wardle uirky things are viruses – malign little cuckoos that sneak unseen into our bodies, latch on to cells, take them over and call them home. They hijack our cells reproductive machinery, our cells then surrender entirely and become baby-making factories, churning out multiple copies of their new master. If it happens to be a disease-inducing virus, you can be in deep trouble because we can’t really kill viruses without killing our own cells. Well, that’s the biology done (which I can’t pretend to fully understand) so let’s move on to the reasons why people in China are walking around in space suits and every few years, another ‘deadly virus’ story hits the headlines – followed by a palpable sense of relief when it isn’t as bad as we expected. It’s because health professionals, journalists and governments all over the world are nervously waiting for the ‘big one.’ Not if but when! The last big one, of course, was the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic (so called because first reports came out of Spain) which scythed through the global population with a vicious vengeance. It is the young and old who are usually the worst affected by flu but bizarrely, in this outbreak, it was the young and healthy in the 20-40 age range who mostly took the hit. As if they hadn’t suffered enough already, soldiers of the Great War were felled in their hundreds of thousands. It’s estimated that around 500 million people became infected and at least 50 million, perhaps even 100
Q
40
life
million, people died. It was given the identity H1N1and it’s still hanging around. In 1957, the H2N2 strain appeared, was called Asian flu and killed up to four million. By 1968 it had changed a little to become the H3N2 virus, Hong Kong flu, and claimed another two million lives. In 2009, up popped a variant of the Spanish flu (H1N1) and 6,250 deaths resulted. Flu viruses don’t suddenly disappear when an outbreak ends but continue to swirl around in various populations, constantly mutating and changing until one of the new strains hits the jackpot and an epidemic explodes. Let’s put this into some sort of context – seasonal flu (which also constantly changes) kills about 646,000 people across the world every year – a death rate of about seven per cent of those infected. The current coronavirus has a fatality rate of about two per cent. It makes the lockdown of China seem a bit over the top. Okay, so where am I going with this? The primary source of influenza is birds, who have lived quite happily with what were largely benign viruses for thousands of years – until something changed. The science isn’t absolutely clear yet but that ‘something’ was almost certainly intensive animal farming. If you cram together animals who are all genetically similar – and therefore genetically susceptible to the same infections – disease can spread like wildfire. If you have two different species, both overcrowded and pretty close
to each other – say pigs and chickens as frequently happens in the Far East – you have a problem. Pigs are genetically much closer to humans than are birds and can act as a vector between the two species. A wild bird infects overcrowded chickens with a benign flu virus which suddenly finds itself in mutation heaven and produces innumerable new strains, most of which are unviable and die out - but one, just one of millions, is capable of infecting pigs. Lots more mutations and the pigs pass it back to the birds but now you have an avian flu strain containing genetic material that can infect wild birds and humans. In 1997, a type of bird flu appeared (H5N1) that is deadly to birds and mammals, including humans, killing nearly 60 per cent of those it infects. And it is this which has given authorities everywhere the jitters because if that ever turns into a pandemic, the world changes beyond recognition. At the moment, it infects mostly those who are in direct contact with poultry that carry the virus and is not easily transmitted person to person but it could take just one tiny mutation and … Of course, coronavirus didn’t originate like this but is thought to have come from one of China’s ‘wet’ seafood markets where caged animals are also bought and slaughtered to order. I really can’t face describing it in any greater detail but up to 100 different species of wild creatures can be on offer, from pythons to baby deer, bats to civet cats, chickens and wolf cubs – yes wolf cubs. But before we become too righteous, look in any posh butchers in the right season and you’ll see a whole menagerie of wild animals hanging up – hares and rabbits, pheasants and partridge, muntjac deer and ducks. It is thought that this new coronavirus spread from bats to snakes and then civet cats and no one could possibly have predicted that, could they? Well, no – unless you discount the outbreak of SARS, another coronavirus that appeared in China in 2004, which infected some 8,000 people and killed 774. The source? Civet cats, which again are thought to have picked the virus up from bats!
The terrifying Ebola virus was also down to people eating wild animals – bats again are thought to have infected primates, from whom humans caught the virus. Then there’s HIV and AIDS, which seem to have gone off the boil in the UK because of successful medical intervention but the statistics are staggering. There are an estimated 38 million people living with HIV and around a fifth have no idea they’ve got it. The total death toll so far is 32 million, with 770,000 dying in 2018. There are two strains of HIV, the most virulent being HIV-1, believed to have spread to humans through the butchering and consumption of chimpanzee meat. The less virulent HIV-2 can be traced back to sooty mangabey monkeys via a similar route. They each contain variations of SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus). It‘s fair to say that most of these viral diseases have originated in the Far East or Africa but before you sign up to UKIP, consider our own contribution to death and despair. Having just spent three weeks editing Viva!’s disturbing HOGWOOD documentary (see page 23), I can tell you that our animal farming practices have killed and diseased far more people than anything from China – so far, at any rate. Meat and dairy play a central role in all the degenerative (as opposed to infectious) diseases that kill most people in the ‘developed’ world. We know that with a sensible diet, which includes shunning all animal products, we can completely reverse heart disease and type 2 diabetes and slash our risk of cancers, obesity, Alzheimer’s and other diseases. That’s the science but despite it, a flood of meat and dairy has continued to flow into our shops and restaurants at knock-down prices, spurred on by the widespread use of antibiotics, used to try and keep
viva.org.uk 41
diseases at bay in animal farming. Antibiotics are effective against bacteria, not viruses, and when they were first introduced shortly after World War II, they transformed our lives by eradicating infectious diseases such as TB. For livestock farmers they were manna from heaven, enabling them to cram thousands of animals into single sheds and dose them with antibiotics to ward off diseases, to cure diseases or simply to make healthy animals grow faster. It was also Bonanza time for Pfizer, Monsanto, Merck and the other pharmaceutical companies whose growth became stratospheric. China wasn’t the only country that failed to change its way after clear warnings. Within some 20 years of their introduction, the problem of antibiotic resistance in the UK started to show as drugs ceased to be effective and in 1968, the Swann Report made a series of recommendations to curb the spread. They were watered down by government or simply ignored and as a result, we are where we are. The Chief Medical Officer is warning of an antibiotic resistant apocalypse; unless there is dramatic change, by 2050, antibiotic resistance will kill more people than cancer – currently running at about 10 million people a year globally. The UK’s toll was 165,000. Nearly every food poisoning bug in the UK has hit the headlines at some point – Salmonella, Clostridium, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus, E. coli and Listeria – they all have their origins in meat or dairy and are increasingly becoming antibiotic-resistant. More than a million people in the UK go down with food poisoning every year – a huge underestimate according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as only the most serious cases get reported. About 500 people die from from these
foodborne illnesses a year. Why is it, do you think, that whenever this subject hits the headlines, the media and ministers always blame it on overprescribing by doctors when around a third of UK antibiotics are given to farmed animals? In the US it is 80 per cent and across the world the average is about 70 per cent and many new resistant bacteria are appearing in animals – it’s why Britain’s supermarkets are now showing record levels of superbugs in both chicken and pork. Could it be that the survival of free markets is much more important than our health – and deaths, come to that? If you’re a campaigning vegan, you were once seen as a weirdo, a fanatic, a nutter. What could be weirder, nuttier or more fanatical than defending a system that’s responsible for eye-watering cruelty and causes the deaths of tens of millions of people every year and over 70 billion animals? And don’t get me started on the environment! Perhaps it’s no accident that the anagram for coronavirus is CARNIVOROUS!
Be more effective for animals Join Viva! for a two-day workshop with the Center for Effective Vegan Advocacy (CEVA) Sat June 20-Sunday June 21, 2020 Want to spread veganism? Training by these worldrenowned figures will show you how: • DR MELANIE JOY, psychologist, celebrated speaker, organisational consultant, strategist and awardwinning author; • TOBIAS LEENAERT, international speaker, vegan advocate, and strategist • JULIET GELLATLEY, founder and director of Europe’s largest vegan campaigning charity, Viva! Additional sessions hosted by Viva! campaigners, Laura Hellwig and Will Sorflaten. CeVA’s aim is to increase the impact of vegans worldwide through empowering training. Viva! has worked for a kinder world for animals since 1994 by exposing the truth about animal farming. University of Westminster, Cayley Lecture Theatre, Ground floor, 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS Cost £50 for the two days (including lunch and refreshments). Speakers are unpaid. Contact campaigns@viva.org.uk to request financial assistance. CeVA is part of Beyond Carnism, a charitable organisation dedicated to exposing and transforming carnism, the invisible belief system that conditions people to eat certain animals. Tickets: viva-ceva.eventbrite.co.uk
42
life
A workshop not to be missed! Modules include: Making a Difference for Animals – Effective Communication – Effective Vegan Advocacy – Making Compassion Easier – Strategic Vegan Outreach – Sustainable Activism – Viva! Campaigns – Viva!’s Street Action Network and University Outreach
‘I’m goIng to JOin viVa!’s UNdeRcoVer TEam!’ Cynthia’s a realist and knows her time is now limited. She has always supported Viva!’s campaigns against animal cruelty but with few resources. When she finally goes, Cynthia knows she’ll leave some decent money and wants to use some of it to save animals from suffering. That’s why she intends to support Viva!’s exposés of factory farming. Viva! is changing the face of Britain and Cynthia still wants to be a part of it – wherever she is.
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 woman pictured is a model but we want to thank Cynthia Harper for her extraordinary generosity. viva.org.uk 43
lifestyle Marwa Bahssali tries out some plush gert lush stuff to enhance your mush What a time to be alive! We have never been blessed with more vegan beauty choices than right now. So, for the first time ever, choosing your favourites can be difficult. With that in mind, I’ve done it for you by picking my personal cream of the crop(s) of non-makeup beauty products. There are a few new faces here but included are some absolute brand heroes. So you can look beautiful on the outside and feel good on the inside!
Ethically
Serums & Acids BY THE ORDINARY With all these new exciting skincare ingredients, it’s hard to know your retinoids from your peptides. But with possibly one of the most informative websites imaginable, The Ordinary have removed all the detective work! expect clear ingredients lists, with their benefits broken down beautifully. So, you can build a customised skincare routine to target just about anything you want. Plus, you won’t have to break the bank either, with a retinol starting at just under £5. Glowing skin on a budget, without any of the cruelty! 30ml size contains 0.2 per cent retinol in squalane moisturiser (squalane traditionally comes from sharks) rrP £4.20 Available from theordinary.com
44
life
Scrub BY FRANKBODY Want to be buffed to perfection and smell good enough to eat? Look no further than my all-time favourite, The Original Coffee Scrub! Including a body exfoliation in your routine will help to brighten and tone. The improved circulation created from scrubbing can also help with firmness and encourage stretch marks to fade – so what’s not to love?! rrP £12.95 Available from frankbody.com/uk
beautiful Mask – Face
BY DR ORGANICS Is it obvious I like coffee? With aloe vera and mint, this mask will not only buff you beautiful, it will soothe and tingle your skin. And we’re told that added guarana, ginger and nettle will also help to energise and renew! everyone needs a bit of TLC so what more perfect way to do that than with a relaxing facemask? rrP £6.99 Available from hollandandbarrett.com
Hair BY THE BODY SHOP I know I am guilty of forgetting to properly treat my hair sometimes but when I do remember, my go-to is the Shea Butter richly replenishing Hair Mask from The Body Shop. The great thing about this one is the highly nourishing shea butter that really lasts in the hair and continues to protect your ends long after applying. Ideally, use it once a week, they say, to see drastic improvements in your hair’s bounce and shine! rrP £12.00 Available from thebodyshop.com
Balm
Tools
BY DR PAWPAW I am not suggesting a balm can solve all of your problems but Dr PAWPAW’s Original Clear Balm will, they say: repair chapped lips, cuticles, dry skin and you can even use it in your hair! It is blended with fermented Pawpaw, derived from Carica papaya, and which is believed to have natural healing qualities. The 25ml size makes it a perfect companion to throw in your bag and, just to top it off, it’s made in the Uk! They even have a range of tinted balms. rrP £6.95 Available from drpawpaw.com
BY ECOTOOLS Not only are their makeup brushes cruelty-free, they use recycled materials and bamboo to create all their products. Think delectably soft, synthetic bristles, smooth weighty handles and a sleek finish. Quality and sustainable, with bamboo being one of the fastest growing plants on the planet! I am a particular fan of their full powder brush rrP £7.62 Available from ecotools.com
viva.org.uk 45
46
life
Fake news leave it out!
DR JUSTINE BUTLER, SENIOR RESEARCHER & WRITER, VIVA! HEALTH
iva! Health spend a lot of time challenging bogus, vegan-bashing stories in the news. We do it to reassure people that vegan is the healthiest way to eat and live! But still, the scare-stories keep on coming – going vegan saps your energy, makes your skin turn grey and your hair fall out and if you get pregnant, your baby could have a low IQ! Most are click-bait claptrap, their attention-grabbing headlines designed to sell newspapers or get you to click on suspect links. Others are based on flawed studies, many of which are funded by the failing meat and dairy industries, now on the back foot as sales of plant-based foods soar. Of course, vegan parents are a prime target. In one Daily Mail hatchet job they asked if it is morally right, or even healthy, to force a vegan diet on a child, accusing vegan parents of denying their children any choice. ‘Toddler staples’, they said, ‘such as chicken nuggets, have never made their way onto one-year-old Dylan’s plate’ – like he was missing out – on junk food! In typical tabloid style, one academic was rolled out saying it was difficult to get a vegan diet right and getting it wrong could lead to irreversible cognitive damage and, in the extreme, death! Pretty ridiculous given the damage the average UK child’s diet is currently doing to our kids – who may be the first generation that don’t live longer than their parents.
V
Then there are the so-called ‘clean-eating’ vegans dropping like flies as a result of their inadequate diet – they often turn out not to be vegan. One dramatic article in the Sun declared that ‘Vegan poster girl reveals diet ‘brought on menopause’ and says she’s back to eating burgers’. This Swedish blogger’s raw-food diet was gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, meat-free and refined sugar-free. Breakfast was just juice made from celery, cucumber, fennel and parsley, lunch a leafy salad with chickpeas and a sprinkle of seeds and her evening meal was spiralised courgettes. This would barely provide enough energy for a hamster! Blaming his vegan diet was the approach taken by many newspapers when Will Smith’s son, Jaden, began to look like he was wasting away and his skin turned grey, apparently! By his own admission, Jaden simply wasn’t eating enough and regularly skipped meals. His poor health was nothing to do with avoiding animal products, but ‘Young man feels unwell because he doesn’t eat enough’ doesn’t make a good tabloid headline. Another article on how dangerous a vegan diet can be appeared in the Daily Mail, when the BBC’s Sheila Dillon warned us that: “Vegan junk food could be a health hazard if it contains unnatural ingredients.” Yet another journalist offering dietary advice in an authoritative manner as if it were fact rather than their own personal view.
viva.org.uk 47
The real danger, of course, comes from the meat and dairy industries as they follow closely in the footsteps of the tobacco industry and spend millions on influencing journalists, health writers and politicians, challenging health reports and recruiting scientists to produce flawed research. Journalists would better-serve their audiences by recognising the real villains – meat and dairy foods that are hiding in plain sight. The Guardian warned: “Vegan products sold in supermarkets are loaded with unhealthy amounts of salt”. This story was based on products sold in Australian supermarkets – the UK has one of the lowest salt intakes of any developed country – but still it made the headlines. Vegan bacon was listed among the worst offenders but no comparison was made between faux meats and their meat counterparts. So we did the job instead and guess what? Yes, the vegan versions contain relatively high levels of salt but the meaty versions are much higher still! In the Telegraph’s ‘The unhealthy truth’ about nondairy milk, all kinds of disparaging and inaccurate comments about plant milks were thrown about, claiming them to be nutritionally inferior, packed with sugar and – wait for it – responsible for deforestation! And then the little cracker: “If it’s fortified dairy milk, it might even also have added Vitamin D,” simpered the article. Oh dear – in the UK, cow’s milk is not fortified with vitamin D. Lazy journalism! We emailed the nutritionist who was quoted in this article and it turns out she is a lot more pro-plant milk than the journalist who wrote the piece. Her website features oat milk, soya yoghurt and coconut milk in a range of largely plant-based recipes. ‘Vegans are missing out’ articles make a regular appearance. We’re missing out on protein, calcium, iron, vitamin B12, iodine and more recently, as we get down to really scraping the bottom of the barrel, a littleknown but suddenly really important nutrient called choline. The Mail Online reckoned: “Trendy vegan diets could LOWER IQ due to lack of a nutrient that is critical to brain health, leading nutritionist warns”. The nutritionist in question was Emma Derbyshire, author of the study in the BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health journal. She is also a member of the Meat Advisory Panel, which receives funding from the meat industry and whose purpose is to promote meat eating. There is no evidence that vegans are missing out – choline is found in plenty of plant
48
life
foods, including cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts, as well as baked beans, mushrooms, quinoa and peanuts. If red meat is so beneficial, why do people live longer when they eat less of it? Then there’s the pro-fat lobby who’ve published a number of studies challenging the idea that meat and/or saturated fat is bad for our health. Most have had corrections or declarations of a conflict of interest added after publication and one of the worst was a series of papers published last year. Despite admitting that their findings were “weak and based on low certainty evidence”, they happily recommended “no need to reduce red or processed meat consumption for good health”.
All kinds of disparaging and inaccurate comments about plant milks were thrown about, claiming them to be nutritionally inferior, packed with sugar and – wait for it – responsible for deforestation! It was universally slammed by health experts. Walter Willett is Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and lead author of the EAT-Lancet Commission, which advocates a plant-based diet for both environmental sustainability and health. He said: “This report has layers of flaws and is the most egregious abuse of evidence that I have ever seen.” (See Lifescience p38.) We are in the midst of a public health crisis – with more people suffering from obesity, diabetes and heart disease than ever before while one in two people will get cancer. Trying to encourage, coerce or scare people into eating meat, dairy, fish and eggs is dishonest and irresponsible. Millions of people in the UK eat a poor diet, get ill and die! Now that really is a story – and accurate.
life
Viva!’s media blitz for the animals BY TONY WARDLE, EDITOR
BBC Sounds John Darvall did a 20 minute long interview with Viva!’s veterinary consultant Dr Alice Brough. His long, romantic intro about livestock farmers having a deep understanding of their animals was quickly, politely and unobtrusively corrected by Alice, who speaks with the authority of someone who has spent four years working on intensive pig units – confident, considered and knowledgeable.
Not One Rotten Apple – a Rotten System Red Tractor exposed – again – and shamed We’re often accused of using one shocking case of animal abuse to condemn a whole system. Our Hogwood documentary (see page 19) shows animals being sickeningly abused on many farms that supply major UK brands with eggs, chickens, pigs, dairy and turkeys. Cruelty is endemic in animal farming – and as if any further proof was needed, our wonderful investigators revealed the horrors inside a major turkey farm just before Christmas (see page 12). This Gloucestershire farm supplies more than 33,000 turkeys a year to one of the UK’s largest poultry processors and hidden cameras revealed workers ruthlessly killing birds with an inhumane neckcrushing device that violates all and any guidance on humane killing. And, of course, the farm was approved by Red Tractor – until a media blitz followed and they tut tutted about the farm ignoring their regulations and suspended it from their ‘assurance’ scheme. Funny, isn’t it, that they boast of their almost constant inspections but it takes Viva! to carry out a real investigation.
Christmas Turkey Ad Gobbles up Social Media The old order is changing and print titles are constantly shedding readers as younger people look elsewhere for their information – in particular social media. And so we used our investigation to create the first ever vegan ad to expose turkey farming. It played out every day in the run-up to Christmas and became a huge success. It was a powerful ad that followed the format of many popular recipe videos, starting with a typical happy Christmas dinner scene and the title The Secret Behind the Perfect Xmas Turkey. It moved on to show undercover footage alongside the captions ‘always handle your turkey with love and care’, ‘always wash off excess faeces and filth’ and ‘always remove unwanted bits like beaks, feathers and eyes’. YouTube has strict guidelines on showing cruelty but by careful selection we were able to get all our footage approved! To an old print and TV journalist like me,
the following is something of a mystery but I know it’s good – very good. The average percentage of people who watch YouTube ads all the way through (view-through-rate; VTR) is 15 per cent but our turkey ad managed a whopping 20.24 per cent. Viewed over 105,411 unique times on YouTube, with more than 520,000 impressions, we concluded 2019 on a real high.
BBC News, the Sun, Daily Star, Telegraph and the Times all covered the story – reaching more than 4.8 million readers. On top of all that, campaigns manager, Lex Rigby, carried out 14 back-to-back radio interviews, reaching audiences across Britain and appeared on BBC TV’s News Points West.
Ecologist Embraces Veganism Siobhan Dolan is Viva!’s PR manager and has a little boy (Paddy) approaching two years old. In a long article for the magazine – A Vegan Parent’s Journey – she offered advice, confidence and reassurance to any new vegan mum, finishing off her piece with these mots justes: “Veganism can offer a compassionate lifestyle choice for children and countless health benefits, too, setting your baby up for a long and healthy life.”
viva.org.uk 49
Lex Rigby and the whales Photo © Melissa Romao
Another staff member who took to print recently was campaigns manager Lex Rigby. We all want to do something to save the whales but she really has. For seven years she was navigator and deck manager of a Sea Shepherd vessel and told Vegan Life magazine her incredible experiences afloat trying to save these glorious species from the harpoon. It’s the first time she’s opened about this battle to save the whales.
World Vegan Day’s Mass Coverage You may remember our report on the Vegan Now launch in Brighton in the last issue of Viva!life that produced over 100 news reports across Britain. It was quickly followed by World Vegan Day with almost the same success. Our campaign urging people to try a vegan diet for 24 hours was supported by James May (late of BBC’s Top Gear, now fronting The Grand Tour) and the ubiquitous Fearne Cotton. It produced 90 news stories, including the Metro, Independent Ireland and Yahoo News, with almost every regional paper running it. And if that wasn’t enough, Juliet Gellatley did back-to-back interviews with 19 radio stations across the UK leading up to the day. And as further backup, with our wonderful supporters, we organised more than 35 high street information stalls. Our online campaign, GoVegan24, had an estimated 423,000 viewers plus a combined total of 6.53million celebrity followers.
James May got involved by creating a YouTube video, and posting on Instagram and Twitter. The video, in which he cooks vegan hotdogs, has since been viewed more than 338,000 times. Fearne Cotton had only recently become vegan and for our #GoVegan24 campaign, posted a video to her 2.9 million followers on Instagram, encouraging people to get involved.
Juliet Does Ireland Founder Juliet Gellatley did a long, live debate on Ireland’s biggest radio programme – RTE’s Today with Sean O’Rourke. Opposing her was Eddie Punch, General Secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association. Of course the industry is trying to defend itself by plucking figures out of the air – “animal agriculture causes only five per cent of global warming gases” – but is too easily shot down with science. Juliet knows her stuff but Mr Punch seriously lacked punch. We continue to get media coverage for our Who won? Well, Juliet later went festivals and street action campaigns and our on to do An audience with Juliet health researchers continue to write articles for Gellatley at Dublin’s Festival of other vegan publications every month. I can no Politics. Its organiser emailed her, longer, however, do my usual thing of reporting saying: “You were highly articulate on general stories about veganism as page after and professional – the industry have page now comes in on the cuttings service. And done themselves a lot of damage. that is change indeed. We look forward to your talk.”
Other Media
50
life
I’m a Celeb backs down Viva! campaigner Tayana Simons wrote an opinion piece in the Metro about the disgusting ‘bush tucker trials’ on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity Get me Out of Here, in which participants are required to eat live insects in order to earn points and win food treats. It must have struck a real cord with the media because almost every title picked up on Tayana’s disgust and ran stories on the practice. She did an interview on BBC Radio West Midlands. The show’s producers were clearly rattled by the mass of negative attention and almost immediately threw their hands up and guaranteed to stop abusing insects in this way. They will still use them as props for other obscene challenges but it was a great success.
Remember the days of luscious chewy toffee and sweet gooey caramel? They are two of the things that have had to be consigned to memory for vegans – at least they were! BY TONY WARDLE
Lesley and Corin Jeavons are two old friends of Viva!. Back in the Brighton days, Lesley was our director’s PA and Corin did our photography. Anyway, it struck them one day that while the gorgeous taste of toffee had been a part of their growing up, their son Aiden had no idea what they were talking about when they went all dreamy about ‘when I was a kid’. Corin decided to try and resurrect the toffee taste for Aiden and the starting point was recipes in his mum’s big old cookery book and with these he got going in his and Lesley’s tiny kitchen. “The first try wasn’t that great,” admits Corin. “I used soya milk and it just wasn’t creamy enough as there was no vegan equivalent to the traditional sweetened condensed milk. I knew I had to find it.” And so Corin kept on trying, every batch becoming a bit creamier, the colour exactly right, chewiness spot on but… not quite there. The search for the magic ingredient continued – they tried condensed coconut milk, ‘something overpowering from the US’ as well as powders and creamers. And then he suddenly becomes a little vague – did he discover the holy grail or not? Of course he did or he and Lesley wouldn’t have the perfect toffee they now do – but they sure weren’t gonna tell me and surrender their secret. The process of becoming commercial sweetie manufacturers in a very small basement flat in Brighton was now underway. One caramel bar was covered in chocolate and son Aiden reckoned that adding roast peanuts would be a good idea – and so a you-know-what taste-alike was born! Friends loved the products and Corin was now entirely toffee-centric and fashion photography was the last thing on his mind. “I’d spent 20 years trying to make skinny models look skinnier and had had enough so just
walked away, I wanted to do my toffee thing. Now I’m certainly not making people skinnier! Some people try to say our toffee is good for you – it isn’t, it’s fat and sugar but it tastes wonderful – it’s a treat and everyone needs a treat!” The first real toe in the water came in 2016 at Vegfest when neatly wrapped, perfectly shaped toffees and toffee bars went on sale, bearing the company name – Good Heavens It’s Jeavons. It was the ecstatic feedback from punters that cheered Corin and Lesley to the heights and determined their next move – full-time commercial toffee makers. Oh, but only if it was that easy. “How do you scale up from saucepans on the hob to confectionery boilers, mixer, wrappers and enrobers,” says Lesley with such feeling that you can feel the struggle. “We wanted bigger but not too big and that’s hardly on offer as there are few artisan confectionary makers in the UK.” They needed 50kg of one particular ingredient – the smallest delivery available was a lorry load! Their search took them to Italy to successfully source some of the smallscale machinery – and now, in a pristinely clean, small industrial unit in Newhaven, Jeavons toffees (and chocolates) are now coming off the (very small) production line. There are still bits of kit they need but can’t afford and Corin admits that to get to the next, bigger, stage a bit of help wouldn’t go amiss. They may be permanently knackered but their success has been extraordinary. What they’re hoping for now is to reach not just shops but service and railway stations – reaching people grabbing a treat on the go. I do so hope they get there with their unique, creamy, original toffee recipe.
YOU CAN BUY SOME JEAVONS PRODUCTS AT VIVASHOP.ORG.UK OR GO TO JEAVONSTOFFEE.COM viva.org.uk 51
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.
Get Your Search On! 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.
EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS For exclusive deals on amazing vegan places to eat, stay & shop, become a Viva! supporter by visiting viva.org.uk/join
Create a free account today!
Head on Down to myvegantown.org.uk To be featured on MyVeganTown, please contact business@Viva.org.uk 52
life
s ł a e r T r Easte
water th u o m r u o y ke a m d n a rt To warm your hea
From the Viva! Shop
Get the best vegan Easter treats from the Viva! Shop. Profit from every purchase made goes towards funding our campaigns. So, eating chocolate helps save animals! BOOJA BOOJA HAZELNUT CRUNCH TRUFFLE EASTER EGG (SMALL) A gorgeous wrapped egg packed full of melt-in-your-mouth truffles. This is the perfect Easter gift for chocolate connoisseurs – indeed anyone who enjoys a little stylish pleasure. Award-winning truffles with sweet, roasted Italian hazelnuts, made from coconut oil and 55 per cent cocoa – so not bitter. The exquisite egg shells are hand painted by artists in Kashmir and come in six different designs! We choose the design for you depending upon availability in our shop. We also have the Almond & Sea Salt Caramel Truffle Easter Egg (small) both for £10.50.
MOO FREE SEA SALT & CARAMEL EGG Moo Free’s luxurious egg is back in our shop this year! Savour this mouthwatering Easter egg, which combines multi-award winning ‘milk’ chocolate with flakes of organic sea salt and delectable vegan caramel. We are hard pressed to not scoff the lot – but for you, we’ll try to keep some available! £5.99.
MUMMY MEAGZ VEGAN CHUCKIE EGG New to Viva! is the Mummy Meagz Chuckie Egg. A creamy chocolate treat that when cracked, reveals a sweet, creamy, gooey ‘yolk’. Free from dairy and palm oil, this vegan treat is what we’ve all been waiting for! Online at Viva! now £1.29.
Not a fan of chocolate? See overleaf for other Easter gifts for you to give to someone – or simply to treat yourself
viva.org.uk 53
Viva!’s clothing is ethically sourced and printed, it’s Fairtrade and mostly organic. For full sizing information, visit vivashop.org.uk or call us for advice on 0117 944 1000 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
FLUFFY EASTER CHICK, BUNNY OR LAMB Explore the gorgeous farm and woodland animal toys we’ve chosen for you from Living Nature, the world’s most realistic soft toy brand. These exclusive plush, cuddly animals are beautifully crafted and detailed – and children love them. Attention to detail ensures these soft toys look as realistic as possible. Most have a swing tag with facts about the animal’s behaviour and habitat! Fluffy Chicks are available in both white and yellow, £7. Plush Rabbit, £9. Plush Lamb is available in white or black and white, £9.
ADOPT A RESCUED ANIMAL Adam was brought to the sanctuary from a field where seven carcasses of ewes and lambs were found – ill, and worth nothing financially, they had been abandoned to die of neglect. Adam was found standing by his dead mother and sibling, terrified, cold and hungry. A passerby took him to the Farm Animal Sanctuary, since when he has gained strength and is now leader of the lambs. He is a lovely, friendly boy and nothing fazes him. Join our adoption scheme and adopt Adam – or one of our other gorgeous rescues – for just £25 a year. You’ll receive a letter about your new friend, a personalized A5 certificate and a colour photograph in a cool magnetic frame. You will also receive an update after six months.
BE KIND TO ALL KIND Our classic slogan but with a brand new design! We have this wonderful series of four designs, featuring our most campaigned-for animals – sheep, chickens, pigs and cows. Each design comes in a choice of black or accent colour. This unisex t-shirt is soft, combed, climate neutral and organic cotton. Available in sizes S,M,L £16.99.
See more Easter-themed goodies and our wide range of the best and most delicious chocolates, sweets and ethically made clothing at vivashop.org.uk, or call 0117 944 1000 (9am-5pm) to place an order 54
life
p U d n a Sfortanimals… National change starts with local actions BY LAURA LISA HELLWIG
Veganism is going through the roof. New products are launching almost daily, big chains and global brands are tumbling over each other to announce their new ranges. Plant-based eating is no longer niche but is rapidly becoming mainstream – and it all saves animals! From the responses we get, we know that Viva!’s continual exposés of dismal factory farms and farming is driving the vegan revolution ever forward but the job isn’t yet done. Too many British people still need to be reminded of what happens behind the closed doors of factory farms, how animal agriculture is destroying our planet and that going vegan is a brilliant start to tackling the whole range of degenerative diseases that are destroying our health. And it is for these reasons that Viva!’s street actions are so important. Every year, our campaigns team and invaluable volunteers travel across the country to educate the public, drawing them in with eye-catching costumes and delicious vegan food samples. Together we have reached thousands of people and this year, we want to reach even more! That’s why we need your help! With our perfect stall packs, you can organise your very own Viva! info stall in your local town. You could even make it a regular event! We’ve got the right stall pack for everyone. You can join in with our ground-breaking Vegan Now! campaign, educating the public about how animal agriculture is destroying our planet. Or you can help
Marie Young organises weekly events in Leeds
raise awareness of the heart-breaking conditions in Britain’s factory farms. We have all the relevant leaflets, posters and props you could ever need. Your event can be as small (just a table and a few leaflets) or as big as you want – think plant-based food samples for the public to try, posters and props. Viva! has 25 years’ experience in organising every kind of outreach event so we can answer all your questions – from simple logistics to how to approach the public. Email us at campaigns@viva.org.uk to find out more. And if you want to join in with our actions, sign up to Viva!’s street action network at viva.org.uk/streetaction and find out where our next events are happening.
Our supporters with their Vegan Now! stall in Newport, Isle of Wight Heather encourages the people of Derby to go vegan
Plymouth Vegans: the public loves to try vegan food samples viva.org.uk 55
Ribizli
Restaurant review
Cafe Ribizli (redcurrants in Hungarian) lies in the heart of the old market town of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, in the shade of a lovely copper beech tree. It is simple and understated while the food is delicious and top quality. Almond, cashew and oat milks are home-made and 95 per cent of their ingredients are from local organic suppliers. Owners Timea and Malcolm draw their inspiration from Timea’s Hungarian upbringing in her grandmother’s home – a virtually self-sufficient environment of natural abundance, with home grown almonds, herbs, fruits and vegetables. They cater for most dietary needs. On offer are hot bowls (which can also be cold) – the Inca bowl containing quinoa, red pepper, sweet corn, coriander, lime, black beans, mango, sweet potatoes and squash. There are Middle-Eastern flavours of spices, barberry seeds, almonds and everything is gluten free except the sourdough bread. There are gorgeous mildly, spicy soups of carrot and ginger or creamy cauliflower – alternatively try pineapple sauce with lime and coriander served with bread and smashed avocado. Takeaways are being planned, offering cold-pressed juices in returnable glass bottles for a small deposit. Also soups and salads in glass jars plus dessert pots – raw food cakes and chia puddings. Cold-pressed green juice
Our sincexre thanks
l September 28, Sheffield Vegan Festival. Hanfia and Julie, raising £117.75. l September 28, Brighton Vegan Festival. Lisa Varndell, raising £185. l October 26, Isle of Wight Vegan Lifestyle Festival. Debbie Hollis, raising £294.55. l November 2, Shoreham Vegan Festival. Lisa Varndell, raising £177.82. l November 3, Cirencester Vegan Festival. Patsy Adamo, raising £78.85.
comprise pineapple and apple with spinach, fennel and cucumber – perfect for a hot summer day (we wish). A variety of almost every imaginable tea or coffee is available and then there are the sweets, which use organic coconut sugar and top grade maple syrup and include Anzac cookies, Italian cake and brownies with a thick, rich chocolate ganache filling. And now, once a month, you can book for their pop-up, six course dinner – sheer delight! 53 St. Marys Street, Wallingford OX10 0ER, ribizli.co.uk, 07548 061305
… to all these people who have raised money for our campaigns by volunteering to run stalls at vegan events l December 8, Dorchester Christmas Vegan Market. Willow and Beth, raising £220. l December 8, Wildlife in Need Fair, Dorset. Rhiannon and Shaun volunteered. £148 raised. l December 8, Animal Aid Christmas Vegan Festival. Claire and Kinga volunteered. £339 raised. l December 8, Gloucester Vegan Festival. Patsy Adamo, raising £212.20. l December 14, Essex Chrsitmas Vegan Festival. Judy Williams, raising £255.30. l January 18, Nantwich Vegan Festival. Francesca and Callum, raising £239.26.
UPCOMING FESTIVALS
l April 4, Bath Vegan Festival. 2 volunteers needed l April 5, Dorchester Easter Vegan Market. 2 volunteers needed l April 18, Leicester Vegan Festival. 1 volunteer needed l April 25, Horsham Vegan Festival. 1 volunteer needed l April 26, Rugby Vegan Festival. 2 volunteers needed l May 9, Portsmouth Vegan Festival. 2 volunteers needed l September 19, Plymouth Vegan Festival. Volunteers found!
Please think about volunteering – it’s fun and rewarding! Please email merchandise@viva.org.uk and we’ll send you some info! 56
life
V-Biz
The latest businesses to join our Supporters’ Discount Scheme or to carry a Viva! Vegan Symbol. Join Viva! to get these great discounts at viva.org.uk/join To claim your discounts at shops, take along your Supporters’ card
Viva! Supporter’s Discount Here viva.org.uk
DAN & MÉZ Dan & Méz are a premium watch label with eco-friendly vegan straps. The company has strong values when it comes to ethics and sustainability. Currently, Pinatex is used for their watch straps – a faux leather based on recycled pineapple leaves. And they’re working on other faux leather innovations – based on mushrooms, grapes/wine, cork, kombucha (yes kombucha) and wood. danandmez.com DISCOUNT: 10% OFF ALL WATCHES WITH CODE “MYVEGANTOWN”
Black Cat Ink Black Cat Ink proudly say they provide professional, affordable (and friendly!) editing and proofreading expertise to help you create first class written communications. They polish and enhance all types of text – from magazines, websites and marketing material to books, Fish don’t make omega 3, algae dissertations and reports. does – and not many people know They work for a range of clients – charities to self-publishing that! Nothing Fishy sustainably authors – and have 10 year’s experience in editing and proof cultivates algae and bottles it up in reading and have special knowledge of the charity and non-plastic packaging. It has the education sectors. And there are discounts for same benefits as fish oil, students! Entry level members of the Society for but without the Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP). mercury, PCBs and Viva! is ocean dead zones. proud to work with blackcatink.co.uk 10% DISCOUNT 100 per cent vegan like-minded people to and sustainable. promote a cruelty-free lifestyle and bring you the nothingfishy.co latest info on vegan DISCOUNT: £2 products and services – OFF USING Veenofs is a global supplier of ethicallyplus amazing VIVA2 sourced vegan fashion, which includes discounts clothing, shoes and accessories. They supply t-shirts, hoodies and skinny jeans to flats, boots and cute heels. They also boast a huge selection of watches in many different colours, styles and Acorn, is the first vegan restaurant in the country to be finishes, all of which, of course, are recognised by Michelin! Expect fine dining with dishes ethically sourced and vegan, too! of beautiful and delicious plant-based food. An intimate, Veenofs now offers new flexible split-level restaurant nestled in one of Bath’s most payment options. You can use Klarna’s historic buildings. Owner and head chef Richard pay overtime option, giving customers Buckley has given Viva! immeasurable support over the the ability to spread their payments in years, including running cookery demos instalments over time, or take for us. He is now even offering advantage of Klarna’s pay later option, our supporters 10 per cent off which means you can pay for your at his restaurant! order 14 or 30 days after shipping. acornrestaurant.co.uk So, no need to wait until payday to 10% DISCOUNT splash out on those shoes! veenofs.com 10% DISCOUNT
Nothing Fishy
Veenofs
Acorn Restaurant
Want to partner with Viva! to offer your vegan products and services to new audiences? See viva.org.uk/resources/businesses or email business@viva.org.uk viva.org.uk 57
Registered Charity No. 1122303
/DeanFarmTrust /deanfarmtrust.org.uk @dean_farm_trust E. info@deanfarmtrust.org.uk
Come and meet our sanctuary residents at our Spring 2020 events
Tickets and information at www.deanfarmtrust.org.uk/events-visits www.deanfarmtrust.org.uk
Please help promote compassionate living
Classifieds HOLIDAYS | ENGLAND
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 20word lineage advert.
“I’m a Vegan male who likes walking, cycling, camping, gardening, nature, holidays and much more. I have an interest in protecting animals, wildlife and the environment and enjoying living food and an organic lifestyle. I would like to hear from a female who shares any of my interests, aged up to about 45 years. Photo not required initially please reply with contact details (not an email address).” To get in contact please write or phone to: Box 62, Viva! Classifieds, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol, BS2 8QH / 0117 944 1000.
Plant-Based Weight Loss Clinic
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
www.taxreturnonlineservices.co.uk Financial Accounts Preparation • Self Assessment Tax Returns Rental Accounts • Business Tax Advice 5% donation to VIVA!
karen@taxreturnonlineservices.co.uk
Medical doctor, expert in fast and effective weight loss, nutrition and anti-ageing foods. Personalised diet plans and full body composition analysis. North London clinic or telephone consultations also available. Please contact Dr Robinson 07930 375822, magdarobinson@hotmail.com utopiatherapyhub.com/weight-loss
Get noticed! To book space at a great rate, see viva.org.uk/advertise-vivalife, email emily@viva.org.uk or call 0117 944 1000 58
life
You might check the menu for a vegan option. Maybe you only buy cruelty-free cosmetics. But have you checked the ingredients in your energy supply? Millions of British homes are powered by electricity and gas made from animals or their by-products. They can come from factory farming, which means animal slurry and even body parts. Join Ecotricity, the world’s only officially vegan energy company and make sure you’re not supporting the animal industry with your energy bills.
VIVA WILL Receive a £60 Donation when you switch YOUR ELECTRICITY AND GAS
0808 123 0 123 (quote VIVA)
No animals were harmed in the making of this advert
ecotricity.co.uk/VIVA