Plant protein training builds bridges, opens doors

NOT LONG AGO, THE prospect of a program sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) coming to a university campus in this country would garner apprehension, to say the least. And for good reason.

The HSUS, selfdescribed as “the nation’s most effective animal protection organization,” has a history of questionable activities.

A zealous countergroup, HumaneWatch, accuses HSUS of all kinds of misconduct – liberation events, fundraising scams and dishonest advertising, among them – and is dedicated solely to exposing it.

“The Humane Society of the United States is run by PETA-like extremists who want to shut down farms, circuses, zoos, aquariums, and other institutions that use animals,” says HumaneWatch.

So it was with a measure of caution that I approached an invitation by HSUS’s Canadian branch to sample plant protein dishes prepared under the supervision of the society’s executive

chef, Wanda White, by 17 University of Guelph chefs last week in Creelman Dining Hall.

While the students were off enjoying Reading Week and Creelman was available, the chefs were in the kitchen, participating in a two-day “plantbased culinary training program” sponsored by the HSUS called Forward Food.

It’s no surprise that chefs at Guelph, or anywhere for that matter, are learning to prepare new plant-based options. Such offerings are increasing in demand across the industry as a whole. Population dynamics are changing and vegetarian meals are becoming more popular and mainstream.

But HSUS’s leadership position in vegetarian meal preparation is a new wrinkle – to me, at least, although the Forward Food program has been offered in North America for several years. And it shows how HSUS is taking a much milder, conciliatory approach than in the past to win converts to plant-based meals. Here’s how it works. Executive chef White, a transplanted Tennessean who now lives in Texas, travels the continent, lining up opportunities to teach chefs in institutions such as colleges and universities, school districts, hospitals and health-care centres and corporate cafeterias how to prepare meals without meat.

There’s no recruitment, no fundraising, no incendiary talk about using animals for food.

Her program is funded by the HSUS farm animal protection campaign. But, she says, she doesn’t hold animal agriculture in contempt. In conversation, she’s softspoken and even-keeled. She purposefully avoids the terms vegetarian or vegan.

“We don’t advocate to take anyone’s meat away, we’re just offering something different,” she says.

I’m not sure I totally buy that. On its website, HSUS says it’s committed to “working to reduce the suffering of animals raised for meat, eggs and milk.” That implies suffering is intrinsic in farm animal production, which it is not. With guidance from animal welfare researchers, including those that are part of the University of Guelph’s nation-leading animal welfare research program, farmers have adopted new and more animal-friendly production standards. And more are coming all the time.

In any event, if indeed HSUS is trying to build bridges instead of tear them down, it’s off to a good start. Last week’s appearance by chef White was collegial, helpful and non-threatening. University of Guelph executive chef Vijay Nair and his team already offer balanced menus that include numerous plantbased proteins. No one is complaining – students and others continue to rank the university first in the country for university food services.

But there’s always room for improvement, for more options like those the chefs learned to prepare through the Forward Food program.

And maybe there’s room for a new relationship between animal rights groups and agriculture. I’m skeptical, but hopeful, and anxious to see where this all leads.