It’s official; there are twice as many vegetarians in the UK than there are in the whole of America. According to a report by market analysts Mintel, five to six per cent of the UK population is vegetarian, compared to 2.3 per cent of Americans. The ‘hippy’ image of vegetarian and vegan living is a thing of the past and the market for meat-free foods is predicted to grow by approximately 22% by 2011. With this rise, the number of animals being slaughtered in the UK for meat has decreased. An annual drop in slaughter demonstrates that 20 million fewer chickens were killed in Britain, two million fewer turkeys and 70,000 fewer pigs, representing the lowest number of animals killed since Defra records started in 1973.
Viva! campaigns manager Justin Kerswell says,
“Britain is at the front of the ethical vegetarian revolution! More and more people are discovering that one of the most effective things they can do to improve the world around them is to simply change what they put on their dinner plates. Around a billion animals are killed for meat each year in the UK. It’s an amazing fact that, by going veggie, the average Brit can, in their lifetime, save around 11,047 animals!”
As we are becoming more aware about ethical issues our dietary habits are changing. Not only is a vegetarian or vegan diet a great option for our health, but it benefits the planet. A recent report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, stated that the livestock sector creates more greenhouse gas emissions than transport (as measured in CO2 equivalent). Going veggie or vegan couldn’t be easier in the twenty-first century, with so many options available and less of a stigma attached to such lifestyles.
Viva’s annual Go Veggie Month is taking place this September (1-30), for events in your area check out the Viva! website.
Seeing as there are a lot more people in the US than the UK the fact that only 2.3% of the American population is vegetarian still means that there are more veggies in the US than there are in the UK... there aren't twice as many vegetarians in the UK.
Way to go UK!