|
Historically known for its cheese and foie gras consumption,
France
is embracing more plant-based fare as revealed by the 24 percent soar in
vegan and vegetarian product sales in 2018.
Researchers at Xerfi, the firm that reported the rising sales,
predict the trend will continue. They expect an annual growth of 17 percent in sales
of plant-based products between 2019 and 2021. Their report credits not only flexitarians
but major retailers, such as Carrefour, which launched new vegan items by major
food companies Nestlé and Danone.
The Xerfi report concludes:
The multiplication of food scandals, the questioning of the supposed benefits of milk and meat, or the increased sensitivity to animal welfare have in fact pushed the French to turn away from meat products in favour of vegetable proteins.
But the move away from animal products
isn’t unique to France; it’s a global trend. A recent survey by comparethemarket.com and Gresham College professor Carolyn Roberts
reveals that the number of vegan U.K. residents has spiked over the past two
years. The data shows that around 3.5 million now identify as vegan, a
whopping 7 percent of the total U.K.
population.
Similarly, Australia is seeing an increase
in plant-based diets. According
to the Food Revolution Network, between 2014 and 2016, the number of food
products launched in Australia carrying a vegan claim rose by 92 percent.
Germany
is also one of the fastest-growing places for veganism, in large part because
of the country’s interest in animal welfare and environmental protection. A
2016 study based on 2008–2011 data estimated that 4.3 percent of Germans between 18 and 79 identified as
vegetarian.
Stateside, the research firm GlobalData reports that there were six
times as many vegans in America in 2017 than in 2014, and Allied Market Research predicts
that the meat substitute
market will grow 8.4 percent from 2015, potentially reaching $5.2 billion globally by 2020.
This shift to
eating plants goes a long way toward reducing suffering. Globally, billions of
animals are raised and killed for food each year. The cruel conditions these
animals face is nothing short of horrifying. Sadly, many of the abuses are
considered standard practice at factory farms.
All of us can make a difference
by choosing healthy and humane vegan foods instead of animal products. And with
2019
hailed as “the year of the vegan,”
there’s never been a better time to try plant-based eating. Visit ChooseVeg.com
today for free recipes, tips, and everything
else you need to get started.