The latest news and updates in the vegan and plant-based world – Week 1 of November 2022

Here’s what’s been happening for the vegan and plant-based advocacies around the world in the first week of November 2022. All features have been sourced from vegnews.complantbasednews.orgtotallyveganbuzz.com, and vegansociety.com. Visit their sites for the full stories, and to be updated on more news that’ll help bring us to an even better world, and make us connected even more to our environment.

World’s best vegan-friendly resorts list includes Philippine healing farm

Photo credit: The Farm at San Benito FB page

On November 1, plantbasednews.org revealed its list of the five best vegan-friendly resorts in the world. The Farm at San Benito in Lipa, Batangas province, makes it to that list.

Excerpts from the story:

The Farm At San Benito, Philippines — This unique 48-acre resort, set in the lush jungle of Lipa, Batangas in the Philippines, specializes in healing. It’s actually considered to be a medical wellness resort. It focuses on five pillars: Diagnose, cleanse, nourish, repair, and sustain. With unique programs that occupants can sign up for, including plant-based detox programs, postnatal programs, and even programs for holistic cancer care, The Farm really strives to provide an extensive range of health-centered care. The Farm also offers wellness cuisine courses in which you can learn to prepare plant-based meals with professional chefs and a raw food culinary retreat. If you decide to stay at The Farm At San Benito, you can experience its healing plant-based foods and practices.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji — This was one of the world’s first resorts to fall under the category of eco-luxury hotels. Every aspect of the resort’s operations and management practices are based on prioritization of the environment. The resort creates a unique opportunity for travelers to experience the natural wonders that Fiji has to offer, all while supporting the region’s efforts to preserve its beauty for generations to come. There are several exciting off-site activities available, from exploring the nearby botanical gardens to snorkeling with the resort’s resident marine biologist. As far as dining options go, the plant-based menu is extensive and delicious, so you don’t have to repeat a lot of the same meals during your stay (unless of course, you try something so delectable that you can’t help but go back for more). For a one-of-a-kind romantic experience, you can even choose to have a secluded vegan picnic on the resort’s gorgeous private island.

Stanford Inn By The Sea, Mendocino, California — This is a sprawling historic farm resort built on a coastal hillside overlooking Mendocino Bay in Northern California. Included in every stay is an individually prepared organic breakfast that you can choose from a 100% plant-based menu. After, you can explore the wellness center, take a trip up Big River in a redwood outrigger canoe, or book a romantic massage in the forest for two. You can come back to dine at Raven’s Restaurant. With menus inspired by its onsite certified-organic gardens, the restaurant has received national acclaim for its gourmet plant-based cuisine, including praise from Oprah Magazine.

Koukoumi Hotel in Mykonos, Greece, and Palmaïa, The House of AïA, Riviera Maya, Mexico — Koukoumi Hotel currently remains the first and only fully plant-based hotel in Greece. Mykonos is a small island off the coast of Greece, well known for its cosmopolitan nightlife, narrow marble-lined streets, and crystal-clear blue seascapes. The Koukoumi Wellness Spa has a number of services for detox and stress release, with packages that can alleviate you from the worries and distractions of the outside world for the entire day. Only premium certified organic cosmetics that are 100% vegan and cruelty-free are used on the hotel premises. The hotel restaurant is completely plant-based. Palmaïa is Mexico’s premiere, award-winning, progressive wellness and spa resort. The house of AïA chefs prepare exquisite daily menus that showcase the immense diversity of flavors that can be achieved with delicious and wholesome plants, exposing those who are not plant-based to a culinary experience they didn’t even know was possible. The available holistic healing programs are unmatched by any other resort on Earth, with personal mind and body guides who have built comprehensive personal growth journeys based on an array of ancient rituals and practices.” (plantbasednews.org)

Read the full story here: https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/travel/best-vegan-friendly-resorts-hotels/

Paul McCartney urges followers to watch environment documentary

Photo credit: Plant Based News YouTube Channel

On November 1, plantbasednews.org featured legendary singer Paul McCartney as he called on his nearly 5 million Twitter followers to watch the environmental documentary “Eating Our Way To Extinction.”

Excerpts from the story:

“The 80-year-old Beatles star said that he had recently seen the film, and encouraged others to ‘give it a look.’ He said, ‘It explains that what we eat is so important. And if we are careful about what we eat, it’s probably the best thing for solving the ecological crisis that we are now in. We want to fix it, so we don’t want to eat our way to extinction. Give the film a watch, I think you’ll enjoy it.’

“‘Eating Our Way To Extinction,’ which is available to watch for free on the Plant Based News YouTube channel, looks at the environmental cost of animal agriculture. It’s narrated by actor Kate Winslet, known for her roles in movies like 1997’s ‘Titanic,’ as well as ‘The Reader’ and ‘Revolutionary Road,’ both released in 2008.Actor and environmentalist Leonardo Dicaprio, Winslet’s ‘Titanic’ co-star and friend, described it as ‘the film future generations will be wishing everyone watched today.’

“Animal agriculture is responsible for at least 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This figure has been disputed, however, with some estimates putting this figure much higher. Livestock farming is also a leading cause of deforestation, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion.

“McCartney has become a well-established voice in the environmental movement. A long-time vegetarian, he regularly supports both ecological and animal rights campaigns. In November last year, he urged world leaders to join the Plant Based Treaty, an initiative aiming to encourage individuals and governments to transition away from meat toward a more planet-friendly food system.” (Polly Foreman, plantbasednews.org)

Read the full story here: https://plantbasednews.org/news/celebrities/paul-mccartney-eating-way-extinction-film/

Vegan Society research finds younger people feeling more guilty about eating meat

Photo credit: Pavel Danilyuk

On November 1, The Vegan Society revealed new research showing 71% of people in the United Kingdom have experienced guilt about eating meat “some” (49%) or “all” (22%) of the time. And, even out of those not limiting their consumption of meat and animal products at all, 45% said they felt guilty about it “some” or “all” of the time.

Excerpts from the story:

“To mark World Vegan Month this November, the charity has launched its new campaign ‘Be AnimalKind’ which aims to help people explore their relationship with all animals and think about why they love some animals but use others for food or clothing.  

“As part of the campaign, 2,000 non-vegans, including meat-eaters, those reducing their consumption of animal products, vegetarians and pescatarians, were asked questions to help understand the connection consumers make between farmed animals and their food. 

“The results revealed a generational gap. For those aged 18 to 30, 80% said they had felt guilty about eating meat. For those aged 50-65, the figure was only 59%. Interestingly, when asked, older respondents were more likely to say they were ‘very much’ animal lovers (68%) compared to younger respondents (61%). The results revealed the United Kingdom is still a ‘nation of animal lovers’: overall 65% of the panel said they were ‘very much’ animal lovers, while 31% responded ‘somewhat’. Just 3.3% of panelists said they had no interest in animals. 

“Out of non-vegetarian respondents (1,837 people), just 31% said they did not feel guilty for eating meat. Some also said they had felt guilty about consuming fish—with half of these respondents selecting ‘some’ (39%) or ‘all’ of the time (10%). Ten percent of all respondents (2,000) said they felt guilty ‘all the time’ about consuming dairy milk, while 29% selected ‘some of the time’. 61% said they ‘don’t feel guilty’. Eating eggs had the lowest level of associated guilt, with just 8% of the total panel admitting to feeling guilty ‘all the time’ and 31% feeling guilty ‘some of the time’. This reflects how well cruelty is hidden in the dairy and egg industries, as many consumers do not know that they are inextricably linked to the meat industry. All animals in food systems have their lives cut cruelly short.” (vegansociety.com

Read the full story here: https://www.vegansociety.com/news/news/younger-people-feel-more-guilty-about-eating-meat

New documentary tackles reasons people refuse to stop eating meat

Photo credit: I Could Never Go Vegan YouTube Channel

On November 1, totallyveganbuzz.com featured the upcoming new documentary “I Could Never Go Vegan”, and its exploration of the various common arguments against veganism, why such issues exist, and whether these are justified.

Excerpts from the story:

“The new feature documentary is touted as the next ‘Game Changers’ meets ‘Cowspiracy.’ Produced by brothers Thomas and James Pickering, the film sets out to investigate the leading reasons why people refuse to stop eating animals. It also aims to tackle these reasons head-on and ask the world whether any of them are justified.

‘“I’ve never eaten meat. But it seems every other day a new argument pops up against veganism,’ Pickering told Totally Vegan Buzz. ‘Certain reasons started to pop up more frequently. Cheese. Bacon. Canines. The food’s terrible. It doesn’t help the planet. Humane slaughter. The list goes on. This led me on a path to find out why so many people had opposing views to the movement, and why these arguments exist in the first place. In the film, we ask whether there’s any justification to them, or is there something else at play here?’

“The documentary features interviews with high profile athletes, health professionals, scientists, slaughterhouse workers, farmers, and food professionals. It explores themes including the health impact of a meat-focused diet versus a vegan diet, the environmental impact of animal agriculture, whether it’s possible to be an athlete and eat a plant-based diet—and insight from slaughterhouse workers into both the treatment of animals killed for meat, and the impact this has on those employed to slaughter them.

“The film is slated for release in the last week of December.” (Mohsina Dodhiya, totallyveganbuzz.com)

Read the full story here: https://www.totallyveganbuzz.com/celebrity/documentary-investigates-reasons-people-refuse-to-stop-eating-animals/

New UN reports warn time ‘running out’ to address climate crisis

Photo credit: Pixabay

On November 2, plantbasednews.org reported that major new United Nations reports have found that we are edging closer to “irreversible” climate breakdown.

Excerpts from the story:

“Professor Johan Rockström, one of the world’s leading climate scientists, has warned that collective action among countries is needed to address it. ‘It’s a really bleak moment, said Rockström, who is the director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. ‘Not only because of the reports showing that emissions are still rising, so we’re not delivering on either the Paris or Glasgow climate agreements, but we also have so much scientific evidence that we are very, very close to irreversible changes—we’re coming closer to tipping points.’

“All three of the United Nations’ key agencies have produced reports in the last two days. The reports showed that emissions are still rising, despite the fact that they need to fall by half by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting warming to 1.5C.

“According to the UN’s Environmental Agency, there is ‘no credible pathway to 1.5C in place.’ It adds that a ‘rapid transformation of societies’ is the only way to limit the worst impacts of the crisis. Even if current pledges are actioned by 2030, these would lead to a global heating of about 2.5C. According to the UN’s climate agency, this would lead to catastrophic climate breakdown.

“According to another UN report, farming is a ‘primary driver’ of biodiversity loss. Researchers called for ‘urgent reform’ of our food systems to promote “plant-heavy” diets. (Polly Foreman, plantbasednews.org)

Read the full story here: https://plantbasednews.org/news/environment/running-out-address-climate-crisis-un-reports/

Study finds meat industry still destroying the Amazon for soy

Photo credit: Mark Stebnicki

On November 2, vegnews.com revealed a new report finds that found zero-deforestation pledges have done little to reduce deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, where soybeans are grown to feed cows, pigs, and other animals in agriculture.

Excerpts from the story:

“In the last two decades, many companies have made pledges to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains. Have these pledges been effective? New research published in the scientific journal Environmental Research Letters shows that when it comes to sourcing soy from the Amazon region, zero-deforestation pledges (ZDP)—made in support of Brazil’s Soy Moratorium, which banned sourcing soybeans produced on deforested land after 2006—have been mostly ineffective.

“Conducted by researchers from the University of Cambridge, Boston University, ETH Zurich, and New York University, the research found that ZDP pledges were made by at least 94 companies through 2021, and the majority of these were not effectively implemented. From 2006 to 2015, researchers found that these pledges reduced tree clearance in the Brazilian Amazon by only 1.6%—or approximately 2,300 square km—an area smaller than Rhode Island, the smallest US state. After fossil fuels, deforestation is the second largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Those who argue against going vegan sometimes point to soy as a source of deforestation—and they are correct, but only partially. That is because the majority of soybeans (more than 77%) are grown for feed for animals such as cows, pigs, chickens, and fish who are raised for meat or exploited for dairy and eggs.

“During the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow last year, more than 100 countries—representing 85% of the world’s forests—signed the Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, a commitment to stop and reverse deforestation by 2030. The COP27 conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt—which runs from November 6 to 18—will feature a Food Systems Pavilion co-hosted by 9 organizations, including US-based nonprofit Good Food Institute (GFI). With food system discussions on the table for the first time at a COP event, these organizations will urge global governments to explore meat alternatives—both from plant-based and cell-based sources—as food solutions to the climate crisis.” (Anna Starostinetskaya, vegnews.com)

Read the full story here: https://vegnews.com/2022/11/meat-industry-still-destroying-amazon-soy-study

HappyCow lists 10 of the world’s best cities for vegans

Photo credit: HappyCow.net

On November 4, vegnews.com featured vegan resource site HappyCow’s list of the world’s top 10 vegan-friendly cities—compiled using its 23 years of data.

Excerpts from the story:

“Over the past 23 years, vegan resource and review tool HappyCow has gathered a lot of intel on the best and most abundant plant-based options. This year’s Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Cities in the World offers a unique, data-backed look at locales doing plant-based the best.

“Using its proprietary data gathered from more than 180 countries, HappyCow determined which cities ranked best based on many factors, including the number of fully vegan restaurants within a 10-km radius from each city center. In that radius, HappyCow considered the number of fully vegan businesses and all restaurants (including vegan, vegetarian, and veg-friendly). It also looked at the density of vegan businesses per capita and compared the growth of vegan businesses since its last annual report.

“To determine the vegan-friendliness of a city, HappyCow also included qualitative analysis from its employees, city ambassadors, and the ‘Cowmunity’ at large. 

“The 10th spot goes to Barcelona, which has seen a 74% growth in veganism. Ninth is occupied by Warsaw, the Polish capital where HappyCow says veganism is consistently more popular than vegetarianism. Eighth goes to Amsterdam, a city that has experienced a 78% growth in vegan businesses over the past three years. Thailand’s Bangkok comes in at seventh with its 130 fully vegan businesses. Sixth is firmly occupied by Los Angeles, where the number of vegan restaurants has doubled in the last six years. Fifth goes to Singapore, a hub for all-things vegan food tech with 800 vegan-friendly establishments. Australia’s Melbourne secures fourth with a total of 1,000 listings. New York City sits in third, with the concentration of 170 vegan restaurants within 6.2 miles of the city center. Second is Berlin, where the city hit a milestone this year with 100 vegan restaurants within 10km of the city center. London takes the number one spot, as the first city to ever surpass 200 fully vegan restaurants, and this year has now more than 400 vegan businesses.” (Anna Starostinetskaya, vegnews.com)

Read the full story here: https://vegnews.com/2022/11/vegan-food-happy-cow-top-10-cities

Thailand to open 1st vegan cheese factory

Photo credit: Polina Tankilevitch

On November 7, plantbasednews.org reported that plant-based dairy manufacturer Swees had announced that it would be opening Thailand’s first industrial-scale vegan cheese production plant in early 2023.

Excerpts from the story:

“The two-year-old startup currently operates out of Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand. It is embarking on an ambitious growth plan designed to increase the availability of its animal-free cheeses to both catering and retail customers. Alongside domestic customers, Swees hopes to grow its presence in the wider Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. CEO Nicolas Frauenfelder says this area is following in Europe’s footsteps and seeing a surge in plant-based food interest.

“Using locally sourced soybeans in place of dairy, Swees aims to appeal to health-conscious consumers, not just vegans. As such, it negates palm oil, trans fats, sugar, and GMO (genetically modified organism) ingredients in its nondairy range.

“It also maintains focus on a key demographic: Lactose-intolerant consumers. It is thought that around 90% of Asians encounter some degree of lactose intolerance. Despite this, the demand for conventional dairy products is increasing. Asia is now identified as the world’s biggest dairy consumer, with China and India driving the trend. However, as consumers begin to prioritize health in a post-pandemic world, and as plant-based dairy alternatives become more freely available, the APAC vegan cheese market specifically is anticipated to grow at an annual rate of 15.17%.

“Alongside accounting for consumer health concerns, Swees positions itself as an environmental alternative to conventional dairy. The dairy sector is linked to a host of environmental consequences, including deforestation, soil degradation, and water pollution from manure and fertilizer runoff. Emissions are also a major concern—dairy cheese production is said to be responsible for around 4% of total greenhouse gas emissions. One cow can belch upwards of 220 pounds of methane each year, and there are an estimated 270 million dairy cows currently being reared by the dairy industry.” (Amy Buxton, plantbasednews.org)

Read the full story here: https://plantbasednews.org/news/economics/thailand-vegan-cheese-factory-swees/