World Vegan day: Is the rise of the flexitarian leading to a vegan revolution?
While today may be World Vegan Day, there are still precious few people in the UK who choose to live off all-plant diets.
Figures from Yougov this year show that just one per cent of Britons identify as vegan and 73 per cent identify as meat eaters.
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However, the stats also uncovered a revealing trend – the rise of the flexitarian.
Ah yes, the flexitarian – that fellow at the barbecue slyly inserting his environmental and animal rights concerns into a conversation with the auspiciously progressive girl across the table.
The choice to eat less meat, but still savagely gnaw on a kebab at the end of a long night out in Bethnal Green.
The appeal is obvious.
Yougov found that 14 per cent of people now identify as a flexitarian, which the polling company describes as: “A mixed diet, mainly vegetarian and eat meat occasionally.”
The number of these dietary hybrids rises to 19 per cent in the capital – shock horror – along with the 4 per cent of vegan and 6 per cent vegetarian Londoners.
Could this be a sign of a growing willingness and intention for people to move away from meat-based diets and embrace a vegan lifestyle?
The Vegan Society certainly thinks so.
The group put out a statement today to celebrate World Vegan Day, and the 75th anniversary of Donald Watson starting modern veganism, saying it was “not only a fad”.
The group said: “The number of vegans will continue to rise exponentially as more people are exposed to ethical, environmental and health messages.”
However, despite the growing number of vegans, vegetarians and bet hedging flexitarians, the YouGov data suggests the Vegan Society shouldn’t get too ahead of itself.
Less than half, 42 per cent, of flexitarians said a completely meatless diet is healthier than their current diet, while most said they are happy with their current situation.
“Flexitarians are occasionally dubbed ‘semi-vegetarians’, indicating that there is a perception of this dietary choice as a half-way house on the way to giving up meat completely,” the report read.
“The data indicates that this is not necessarily the case. Rather, flexitarians simply want to reduce the amount of meat they consume.”
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Despite the setback, there can be do doubt about the increasing acceptability of vegans – at least in London.
Nonetheless it won’t be time for the Smithfield market traders to pack up shop any time soon.