DON’T BE SHEEPISH ABOUT TASTING A VEGAN DISH
Cape Town leads SA’s burgeoning trend towards a healthy, ethical dietary lifestyle
AS THE world marks World Food Day today, it is interesting to note that South Africa is one of 25 countries where there has been a sharp increase in veganism, with Cape Town the most prominent.
Dr Lize Barclay, lecturer in Future Studies and Systems Thinking at the University of Stellenbosch Business School, said the increase was related to the increase in environmental concerns, especially among millennials.
“The Economist declared 2019 the Year of the Vegan, and South Africans represented the fifth-highest enrolment in the Veganuary challenge, where people commit to the vegan lifestyle for January. That means no consumption of animal products, such as meat, dairy, eggs, honey and milk. Ethical vegans do not support the use of animal products, such as leather, wool and beeswax.
“Media forums are used to facilitate growth in veganism, with exposés of the condition of animals involved, as well as documentaries such as
Cowspiracy often having immediate conversion rates,” she said.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimated that livestock production contributed 14.5% to global greenhouses gas emissions. It said that, furthermore, water scarcity was becoming a major concern, and it took about 15 500 litres of water to produce 1kg of beef. Animal agriculture also used a third of arable land, and was one of the leading causes of water pollution and rainforest fires for land clearance.
“South Africa is a country with an agricultural economy very heavily dependent on the production of animal-based products, with numerous industries related thereto. With an increase in veganism, the global demand for animal-based products will decrease,” Barclay said.
“It is not only direct animal products that will be affected, but many other consumables, such as sweets and wine, which use some kind of animal product in their manufacture. The wine industry already took note and is producing vegan wine ranges.”
Barclay said a unique challenge in South Africa of converting to veganism was the deep relationship people had with animal products.
“This ranges from the slaughtering of sacrificial animals for religious and cultural festivals to the “braai culture” that remains the mainstay of many social events. Navigating the ethics of animal rights and the environment, on one hand and the right to religions and cultural expression, on the other hand, will be complicated.
“This will potentially lead to debate and possibly unresolved conflicts, as we have seen with Cape Town’s Clifton Beach sheep slaughter incident in December last year. However, there are influencers who state that veganism is a return to true African traditional roots.” Barclay said the implication of a notable move towards a vegan lifestyle was a great opportunity for new restaurants, recipe books and the development of alternatives to meat.
“Most supermarkets have taken note of the trends and have introduced various plant-based and vegan alternatives.
“New faux meat companies, such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, have gained support from investors and consumers, even though these products are not entirely considered to be vegan.”
She said the most ridicule and questions vegans had to endure were often based on ignorance.
“Therefore, don’t be sheepish – try a vegan dish on Meat-Free Mondays, a vegan restaurant, or enrol in Veganuary. It might change your world, literally,” she said.