Now might be the time to go vegan, according to a recent article by media publication Quartz. The news website has stated that financial reasons may be persuasion enough to adopt a plant-based lifestyle, given the increasing cost of meat.
Quartz revealed: “It’s become more expensive to eat meat and dairy- so now may be the time to go vegan, if only for economic reasons”.
The growing popularity of veganism is reaching countries all over the world. The amount of people ditching meat in Germany has almost doubled, while China is seeing one of the most rapidly expanding vegan markets internationally. Additionally, pant-based people in Australia are at an “all-time high”, as numbers in the US and the UK also flourish.
Most commonly, the public are straying from meat and dairy due to animal welfare and health purposes. The environment also plays a large role- nearly half of young people are concerned about the sustainability of meat and its impact on our planet.
However, there may be another reason to give up animal products. Quartz pointed out data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, noting that the global food price index had seen a “surge” in 2017. Apparently, the growing cost of animal products are to blame; Quartz identified the “sharp rises in dairy and meat prices” as the driving factor behind the 8% increase.
As if the raised meat and dairy prices weren’t enough, late last year the Guardian reported that the introduction of a meat tax is “inevitable”. Sin taxes have previously been placed on products that have been proven as detrimental to the public’s health, such as tobacco. Now, the increasing awareness surrounding the health risks of meat consumption may lead to the taxes being implemented.
Contrastingly, outlets such as Whole Foods have vowed to lower the price of vegan products, to stay true to their vision of making natural, organic food accessible to everyone.
Image Credit: Quartz | Shutterstock
