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From the makers of award-winning films Cowspiracy and What The Health, SLAY uncovers the dark side of the fashion industry: the animal skin trade. This never-before-seen documentary exposes unethical practices in the trillion-dollar fashion industry and showcases practical solutions. It’s streaming free on WaterBear.
Vegan fashion keeps getting more and more stylish. This sustainable vegan dress shoe from Italy is made from corn, bamboo, and recycled rubber. The upper is partly derived from corn; the lining is derived from bamboo; the sole is 40% recycled rubber. And the packaging is recycled too. Learn more about these vegan shoes at solarimilano.com. The company is launching new models and colors, and they want to know what would you like to see in their shoe line.
Helping farmers transition from animal agriculture to plant-based farming
WATCH: The New Vegan TV Ad That’s Expected To Outrage Meat-Eaters
Plant Based News exclusively introduces a new vegan TV ad, funded by Miami Burger in partnership with Vegan Friendly. Source: plantbasednews.org
Animal Welfare Victories
Animal protection organizations have been working tirelessly for decades to end the cruel and hideous practice of extracting bile from bears for use in Traditional Chinese Medicine. South Korea has announced it will forbid bear bile farming, beginning in January 2026. Bears are not medicine. They are sentient beings and belong in the wild. Source: Animals Asia 1.26.22
Animal welfare: The Budget Committee of the Italian Senate voted on an amendment that will close Italy’s remaining 10 mink fur farms in the next six months and permanently ban fur farming nationwide. The vote occurred after discussions with Humane Society International/Europe (HSI Europe). Source: VegNews 12.21.21
Iceland, one of the only countries that still hunts whales commercially, announced that it plans to end whaling in 2024 as demand for whale meat plummets. Source: Al-Jazeera 2.4.22
Animal welfare: Lawmakers in France have approved new animal rights legislation making it illegal to purchase, breed, or sell wild animals for traveling circuses. Enforcement begins in 2024. MSN News 11.18.21
Animal welfare: British Columbia, Canada, will phase out mink farming, with an absolute closure of all operations and pelt sales by 2025. The decision follows data from the BC Centre for Disease Control, which identified the potential for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to mutate in mink and be passed back to people, along with additional concerns that mutations could have an impact on vaccine effectiveness. The nine mink factory farms in British Columbia currently house around 318,000 mink. Source: CBC News 11.5.21
Factory farming: UK’s Jeremy Coller Foundation has launched a new interactive database called CALF to help transform factory farming by collating worldwide legislation. CALF will bring together legislation and policies relating to all aspects of industrial animal agriculture, including animal welfare, antibiotics overuse, sustainability, and international trade. Source: The Jeremy Coller Foundation hopes that the increased coherence provided by the database will make it easier to transform the food system to plant-based. Vegconomist 10.14.21
Animal welfare: The purpose of World Animal Day is to raise the status of animals in order to improve animal welfare standards around the globe.
Animal testing: Mexico has just become the first country in North America to ban animal testing for cosmetics. 9.7.21 Source: The Optimist Daily
Animal testing: Victory for the animals! Alabama’s Auburn University has ended its deadly dog labs. 8.3.21
Animal testing: Animal testing for cosmetics has been banned in the UK since 1998. This move made the country a leader in the fight against animal cruelty, and its continued commitment to the ban showed dedication to acknowledging animal rights. Following in the UK’s footsteps, subsequent bans were introduced across the whole of the EU in 2004 and 2009. Since then, they have been used as the gold standard around the world and set the precedent for cosmetics testing. In turn, this has allowed cosmetics products and ingredients to be used safely without subjecting animals to cruel and unnecessary tests. However, this month the UK government announced that it was considering reintroducing animal testing for ingredients used exclusively in cosmetics. Recent innovations in the scientific field have made using animals to test the safety of products unnecessary. So why is this archaic method still being used? MONEY! Animals such as rabbits and mice are much more economically viable test subjects than newer alternatives. Learn the truth about animal testing. 8.15.21
Economy
Saying no to dairy
Nearly half (49 percent) of the Gen Z demographic is “ashamed” of ordering dairy milk in public, according to new research carried out by United Kingdom-based Arla, a dairy cooperative that includes 12,000 farmers across Europe. Source: VegNews 5.5.22
Is the wine you drink vegan?
There are several parts of the winemaking process that utilize animal products, meaning a vast number of wines — red, white, and rosé — aren’t vegan. Because of this, many large retailers have separate tabs to make things easier for vegan shoppers, which reflects the plethora of more plant-based products now available on the market. The Vegan Society explains it is becoming increasingly common for supermarkets to label their wines vegan. What you need to know about the wine you are buying. Source: plantbasednews.org.
Taking chickens out of the food system
Food: Veganuary co-founder Matthew Glover has raised $14.3 million (to date) to fund the mission of taking chickens out of the food system. Glover’s United Kingdom-based vegan chicken brand VFC recently raised a seed investment of $10.3 million led by Veg Capital, a fund that donates all of its profits to animal charities. Source: VegNews 1.19.22
Food: Eating fat from plants instead of meat drops stroke risk by 12 percent, according to a new study. Source: VegNews 11.11.21
Food: One-third of the British population lauds a #vegan diet. This is great news! Source: The Observer 12.25.21
Conferences: The popular media organization TED just held its first in-person climate conference. The event’s menu was fully vegan, a move that was applauded by animal protection and climate activist groups. Bravo! Source: Plant Based News 10.19.21
Food: Plant Based World Expo North America (PBW), a plant-based event designed exclusively for a B2B audience, returns to New York on December 9-10, 2021 at the Javits Center, with more than 3,000 attendees expected to take part in plant-based networking and tasting opportunities. Source: Vegconomist 10.14.21
Meat: Meat consumption in the UK has dropped by 17 percent over the past decade, according to new data. And, estimations are that it’s because more people are becoming concerned about the environment. Meat production is one of the largest contributors to global warming and environmental degradation. Source: Plant Based News 10.11.21
Beef industry: The beef industry is becoming increasingly desperate to clutch onto its market position amid the plant-based protein boom. But Faunalytics, a research company specializing in animal advocacy, has examined the industry’s marketing tactics and claims the industry is nervous about the growth of alternative proteins. Source: Plant Based News 10.11.21
Food: A growing preference for sustainable, healthier foods is growing the vegan movement. The explosive plant-based food market is set to skyrocket to $162 Billion within the next decade. Source: Plant-Based News 8.11.21
Food: California’s Alpha Foods company began a bold campaign yesterday to capitalize on the increase in poultry prices and bring attention to plant-based chicken. The company’s ‘Chickenflation’ Campaign intends to crash poultry on the US Stock Market. It’s a good strategy to raise awareness about veganism and help convince more people to stop eating animals. 8.1.21
Health
Meat: A report commissioned by the UK government urges people to reduce their meat consumption by 30% over the next ten years. 8.6.21 bit.ly/3ixzaiq
Veganism: Vegan Olympic skateboarders talk about why they eat vegan to win. https://bit.ly/3y0AM9z
Vegan politics
Factory farms in Idaho now must monitor and report their water discharges. This victory paves the way for forcing the Environmental Protection Act to finally regulate factory farms everywhere, as required under the Clean Water Act. Source: Food & Water Watch 9.16.21
Fur: An initiative aiming to ban the manufacture and sale of new fur products in Boulder, Colorado, has gathered enough signatures to make the ballot in November. If approved, the Fur Free Boulder campaign, formally called the Humane Clothing Act, will make it unlawful to “manufacture, sell, display for sale, distribute or trade for monetary or nonmonetary consideration any fur or fur product” in Boulder.
COP26: Actor and activist Alan Cumming has demanded plant-based foods be served at the COP26 – an environment-focused political event to be held in Glasgow this November. He compared serving meat at the conference to handing out beer at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in the letter he penned to cabinet minister and COP26 president Alok Sharma. He wrote the letter as part of a campaign by PETA to point out that the meat and dairy industries are a leading cause of the climate crisis the Glasgow-based event is seeking to overcome.
CAFOs: The Farm System Reform Act introduced by Sen. Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. Khanna (D-Calif.) would force major changes on the animal agriculture industry. If passed, the new bill would place a moratorium on all concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). An estimated 95% of cattle in the U.S. spend at least some time in feedlots. 7.14.21
Climate: Activists are urging António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, to walk his talk about the climate crisis and adopt a plant-based diet. Help the cause and sign the Plead for Planet petition. Source: Plant Based News
Vegan breakthroughs
Vegan violin: A set of vegan violins, created by an Irish master violin-maker during the Covid-19 pandemic, have become the first in the world to be registered with The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark. Padraig O’Dubhlaoidh managed to create a violin that is entirely free of animal products. It has long been a common practice to use hides, horsehair, hooves, horns, bones, and serosa, the outermost layer of the intestines of cattle, to create instruments. The bespoke instruments are the culmination of 40-years’ experience in Padraig’s violin making, restoration and conservation. Source: The Vegan Society 1.13.22
Food: Prawn farming has a huge environmental impact, producing more carbon emissions than beef and destroying vitally important mangrove habitats. But British company Native Snacks has set out to change that with the world’s first vegan prawn cracker. 10.12.21
Food: The plant-based food industry is projected to be 100 times larger by 2050, according to Credit Suisse. Source: Vegconomist
Photo: Jeanette McDermott, Soulard Market, St. Louis, Missouri
Medicine: Medical research is shifting away from vivisection towards animal-free research methods that are not only more humane but are far superior. More than 90% of drugs that appear to be safe and effective in animals fail in human trials. “We want to build the next generation of scientists and create academic curriculums that are integrated into programs so that the next generation of medical students are trained in human-based testing methods and not in animal testing.” – Dr. Aysha Akhtar, President and CEO of the Center for Contemporary Sciences.
Fashion
Fur: Luxury Italian fashion group Moncler has announced that it will stop using fur in its products starting in 2024. They also cited their “commitment to responsible business practices” and collaboration with the Italian animal rights organization LAV “as a representative of the Fur Free Alliance.” Source CBS News 1.24.22
Fashion Protest: Swedish brand Oatly—known best for its vegan oat milk—is getting into sustainable fashion with the launch of its first line of upcycled denim jackets. The one-of-a-kind vintage jackets are painted by 10 female artists. Eighty-five percent of textiles end up in landfills. Oatly’s limited-edition jackets are part of the brand “ReRuns” clothing experiment designed to tackle waste. Source: VegNews 10.21.21
Popular fashion brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger have partnered with vegan mushroom leather company Ecovative to bring plastic- and animal-free materials to the fashion world. Source:VegNews 12.7.21
Fur: Fur is no longer in fashion, literally and figuratively, as media empire ELLE bans the cruel animal material from its pages across 45 editions, a move that reaches 175 million readers worldwide, including its properties in China—the world’s largest fur-producing country. This is huge. The impact of ELLE going fur-free will likely touch every sector of the fashion industry because fashion brands and retailers that want to advertise in the publication will have to avoid animal fur in all photoshoots. Source: VegNews 12.2.21
Fur: There is no defense for the cruel industry of fur farming. Ireland is joining the growing number of countries that have, or are considering, banning the cruel practice.
Fur: Oscar de la Renta has announced it will be fur free by the end of October. 8.3.21
Fur: From Prada to Adidas, more than 1,500 brands have pledged to never use fur and joined the Fur Free Retailer program organized by the animal-rights coalition Fur Free Alliance. Now, that’s progress! 7.28.21 https://www.furfreealliance.com/fur-farming/
Fur: More good news on the fur front! Canadian luxury outerwear company Mackage has announced that it is phasing out fur this year. Since March, several brands announced plans to stop using animals for fashion, including Kering-owned brands Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga, Canada Goose, and Moose Knuckles. 7.21
Balloons: Releasing balloons is now illegal in Victoria. The law was introduced on July 1, 2021, under section 115 of the Environment Protection Act 2017. Wildlife are seriously harmed and killed by balloons and their attachments. They become entangled in and ingest balloon litter. In 2019 a study found that seabirds are up to 32 times more likely to die when they swallow balloons than any form of hard plastic. Balloons floating in the water can look like squid or jellyfish. Marine mammals, sea birds and turtles often mistake them for food. In Victoria, seals and other animals have been known to become entangled in balloon ribbons which can cause lasting damage.
CAFOs: Beginning in 2022, France will ban the killing of male chicks by crushing or gassing, a practice denounced as barbaric by animal welfare groups, and will push for a similar measure at European level. Each year, 50 million male chicks are culled in this way. Only females, future egg-laying hens, are kept alive. Breeders in France will instead need to equip themselves with machines to detect the sex of chicks before they hatch. 7.18.21
Angora: Luxury Italian fashion house Valentino bans angora after talks with PETA. Valentino has pledged to ditch angora wool from all future collections. The company also recently committed to a fur-free policy coming into effect next year. 7.15.21
Animal testing: A ‘first-of-its kind’ toxicology test that could potentially save countless animals from suffering in experiments has been approved. Skin allergy tests will go animal-free following the approval. Since the testing strategy has been approved by OECD (The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), all 38 member countries – including the UK, the US, and European Union member states – must accept the new approach for legally required chemical toxicity tests. 7.9.21
Animal skins: Luxury fashion company Puig will no longer sell items made from the skins of snakes, crocodiles, and other exotic animals. The commitment means that Puig owned companies—which include Carolina Herrera, Paco Rabanne, Jean Paul Gaultier, Nina Ricci, and Dries Van Noten—will all ditch the cruelly obtained fabrics. The company has already begun taking steps to no longer use exotic skins. 7.7.21
Animal welfare: Boiling lobsters, crabs, and other crustaceans alive will be banned under plans being drawn up by the UK government. Ministers are planning to strengthen the welfare rights of crustaceans and mollusks in the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, which is currently making its way through the House of Lords. 7.8.21 Photo: Pexels
Animal welfare: New undercover investigation shows the cruelty of three “certified” fur farms in Finland, two of which are touted as having “the highest level of animal welfare. Foxes are isolated in bare wire cages suffering from deformed feet, overgrown claws, diseased eyes, and morbid obesity in order to increase the volume of fur that can be taken from them. 11.29.21
Fur: On June 9th, 2021, Israel became the first nation to ban the trade of fur in the fashion industry, with exceptions made for Jewish religious practices. Activist angle: The new law appears to be largely symbolic. Source: Times of Israel. Photo: Hasidic men wearing fur shtreimels reading from the Book of Esther on the Purim holiday. (Illustrative photo: Dror Garti/Flash90)
Vegan business trends
3D-printed vegetable-based steaks produced by an Israeli startup are starting to make their way into top-tier restaurant dishes across Europe. More than 30 restaurants in London, Berlin and Amsterdam – including the Marco Pierre White chain – have started offering Redefine Meat Ltd.’s printed products, which are made with plant-based “ink” that recreates the look and texture of a steak. Source Archyworldys. 11.22.21
Fashion: There’s a fashion revolution going on within the textile industry. Plant-based fibers from agricultural waste represent a highly promising innovation that could set the next fashion revolution in motion. Dresses are being made from bananas, bras from sugar cane, skirts from rice stalks … and much more. 8.5.21
Activism: Game changers at Blue Horizon are on a joint mission to change plates from meat to plants. The company is looking for innovative disruptors at different stages of their development to partner with. 10.16.21
Angel investors: Entrepreneurs in the animal-free economy who need an angel investor could find one within the US Vegan Diversity Fund. It invests in early-stage companies whose products accelerate the transition away from the use of animals across four key pillars. 8.6.21 bit.ly/3AlYGNx
Chocolate: Get ready! Oat-milk vegan chocolate Santa is coming to a stocking near you this Christmas. Source: LIVEKINDLY 10.16.21
Chocolate: On August 1, the iconic soap maker Dr. Bronner’s launched its new line of vegan chocolate bars — in six flavors. The company says it ensures a sustainable and cruelty-free supply chain. Dr. Bronner’s works with more than 800 farmers in Ghana to supply them with their ethically sourced soap ingredients, and they discovered that these farms also grow cocoa. Dr. Bronner’s knows these farms uphold fair-trade and regenerative organic practices, so they extended their partnerships to include cocoa. 8.1.22
Clothing: Footwear brand Crocs has announced it will be 100% vegan by the end of 2021 as part of its plan to become net-zero by 2030. 7.26.21
Vegan meat: A UK company is looking for someone to eat vegan meat for two months for a competitive salary. The company is calling it “The world’s first Vegan Meat Sommelier.” The person who lands the position has to eat at least 20 vegan meat products each day. Kinda crazy. Whoever accepts the mission is going to be obese by the time the experiment is over. The person also has to make videos of the taste sampling experience. #THISMEATSOMMELIER
Cultured meat: COMING SOON … seafood without the sea! US aquaculture startup Wildtype will soon serve slaughter-free, sushi-grade salmon that is lab-grown at its pilot facility in San Francisco. The facility is capable of producing 200,000 pounds of lab-grown fish per year without destroying the ocean or raising fish for slaughter. Currently, Singapore is the only place in the world where cultured meat can be sold. World governments are being encouraged to follow rapidly in Singapore’s footsteps to support the global effort of fighting the climate crisis from the impact of animal agriculture.
Alternative protein: In May 2022, the world’s leading trade fair for animal meats – IFFA – will include alternative proteins for the first time after 70 years of being fully dedicated to animal butchery. With the new sub-title, ‘Technology for Meat and Alternative Proteins’, IFFA will spotlight the rapid growth of meat alternatives and the manufacturing processes behind them. Source: Vegconomist Photo: IFFA: Frankfurt, Germany
Local economy: Independent grocers are the heart of community and now account for 33% of overall U.S. grocery sales. Activist angle: Get to know your indie grocer and ask for vegan options. Source: New Hope Network
Sales growth: Plant-based food sales have grown 43 percent in the past two years- 9x faster than total food sales. Use this information to strengthen vegan advocacy actions and make demands. Source: Plant-based Foods Association
Vegan innovations
Hypnosis: A Swedish company is offering the world’s first hypnosis program to get off meat. The free guided hypnotherapy sessions that take participants on a journey of discovery to stop eating meat. It’s too early to tell if it actually works, but let’s hope time will tell that it does. Source: The Raging Pig Company
Clothing: Walmart has launched a line of vegan bras that are made from sugar cane. Sugar and Spice, and everything nice, right? 8.13.21
Plastic: Scientists at Cambridge University are developing a possible substitute for single-use plastics: vegan spider silk. The researchers created a polymer film by mimicking the properties of spider silk, one of the strongest materials in nature. The new material is as strong as many common plastics in use today and could replace plastic in many household products. Source: New Food Magazine Photo: Pixabay
Don’t-miss events
Vegan fabrics: Vegan Interior Design Week wants to lead the world’s ethical interior design movement. A free 5-day virtual conference runs from November 1-5 as a creative approach to ending animal exploitation. Kudos! 8.27.21
Rancher transition: Rowdy Girl Sanctuary’s Rancher Advocacy Program (RAP) includes a series of RAP summits that examine humane farming and animal compassion and explore how farming can evolve beyond animal agriculture. The next RAP Summit on July 24, 2021, brings people together across diverse public sectors to build ideas, examine business models, and find solutions that can help ranchers and farmers create a better future for themselves while being compassionate to animals and the environment.
Animal rights: PETA’s virtual animal rights conference July 10-11, 2021, prepares activists to make landmark changes for animals. Perks: a library of downloadable videos, activist materials, and animal-friendly products.
Book releases
Book: Aline Durr explains how to 100% #Veganize your home bit.ly/3ztO2nS
Cook Book release: Musician and influencer Moby has written a new vegan cookbook, The Little Pine Cookbook. All proceeds go to Mercy for Animals. Check out the tats on Moby! He is one serious dude when it comes to letting the world know he advocates for animal rights. Go Vegan!
Book release: Meatsplaining cuts through the spin to expose the meat industry’s massive PR machine. It is the first book to give an apt name to the animal agriculture industry’s relentless campaign of disinformation and denialism. The animal agriculture industry, like other profit-driven industries, aggressively seeks to shield itself from public scrutiny and uses a distinct set of rhetorical strategies to deflect criticism. In Meatsplaining, academic and activist contributors investigate the many forms of denialism perpetuated by the animal agriculture industry. What strategies does the industry use to avoid questions about animal welfare, the environment and public health, and what narratives, myths, and fantasies does it promote to sustain its image in the public imagination. Meatsplaining is part of the Sustainable Gastronomy exhibition at Alfred Nobel House and Museum in Karlskoga, Sweden until October 21, 2021. By Jason Hannan, Ph.D
Book release: Near Kirkcudbright in southwest Scotland, there is a place where farm animals live out their last days with dignity and respect and in comfort and peace. Alexis Fleming shows us in her book No Life Too Small that there is another way for animals in life and in death.
Book release: Billionaire investor Jim Mellon has a vision that within the next couple of decades world agriculture will be radically transformed by the advent of cultivated meat technology.. His latest book Moo’s Law helps readers understand the investment landscape in cultivated and plant-based proteins and materials. This book grounds the reader in why such an advancement is absolutely necessary and informs them of the investments they could make to become part of the New Agricultural Revolution themselves.
Studies, Reports and White Papers
An Oxford study published in October found that red meat consumption in the UK dropped by 17% in the past decade. Researchers say it needs to decrease by 89% in the next 10 years to keep within planetary boundaries. 10.8.21
Meat industry: This is the shocking true story of a century of factory farming, price-fixing, anti-trust failures, and how the Big 4 meat conglomerates formed. Source: LIVEKINDLY 10.16.21
Pandemic: COVID-19 and Animal Exploitation COVID-19 is just the latest in a long line of diseases linked to animal exploitation that have caused many of the world’s major outbreaks since the 1900s, including SARS, bird flu, swine flu, HIV and Ebola. Delve deeper into the histories of each disease and the undeniable conclusion that abolishing animal use can at least slow or mitigate the risk of future emergence of deadly diseases with the potential to wipe out life on an unimaginable scale. The links between animal use and almost every major outbreak of the last 120 years. The proven case for abolishing animal exploitation to save countless human and non-human lives. Peer-reviewed research publications and news articles to inform your own advocacy.
Scientific Report: The first known scientific report of its kind outlines the negative effects of dairy on health and athletic performance.
White paper: Crustacean Compassion has published a report detailing the legal, ethical and public interest case for the protection of crabs, lobsters and other decapods.
PDF: Science has revealed that fish are intelligent and emotional beings. They feel pain, yet they are rarely protected by animal welfare regulations.
Podcasts, video, and undercover
BBC Panorama undercovers animal abuses on dairy farms during its investigation into the dairy industry to find out whether animal welfare is compromised in the drive to keep milk prices low. Available to watch only in the UK due to licensing restrictions. Source: Panorama 2.14.22
Vegan movement: Black vegan movement pioneer Brenda Sanders is launching Food & Justice, a weekly web video series and podcast to encourage strategic collaboration across all sectors of the global food justice movement. Source: Vegan Magazine 9.7.21
Lifestyle & Entertainment
Writing journals: Could you be writing in a non-vegan journal? Vegan Life looks at the hidden animal abuse behind many notebooks. But beware. When looking for a vegan notebook or journal, choose wisely. Some synthetic materials are not environmentally friendly. They contain a lot of plastic and use excessive chemicals, water, and energy to fabricate.
New show “Peeled” to debut as America’s first all-vegan culinary competition show the summer of 2022. In a world where cruelty is the main entree, vKind Studios is serving up a NEW kind of culinary challenge. In each episode of Peeled, contestants face off to be named hottest vegan chef, or get peeled into the compost! Peeled is bringing serious vegan heat into the kitchen. Source: VKind
Plant-based chefs: Two plant-based chefs descended into the fiery pits of the culinary inferno that is Hell’s Kitchen on May 31 when Season 20 premiered. Chefs Emily Hersh and Josie Clemens—a vegetarian and a vegan chef, respectively—will compete on the show against 16 other chefs in the season, titled “Young Guns.” The oldest chef out of 18 competitors is 24-years-old. The final episode in the Young Guns season is June 28. Source: LiveKindly Photo: Michael Becker/Fox; Brian Bowen Smith/Fox
Artistic expression can reach the depthso our souls in a way that words cannot. Through their art, artists expose us to feelings and struggles and remind us of the power we hold to change the world. Artists featured in Vegan Storyteller’s Gallery Of Vegan Artivists respond to veganism’s impact on people, animals, and the environment.
Visit the Vegan Storyteller Gallery of Vegan ARTivists
