By Amy Buxton
2 Minutes Read
A new report has found that a number of Australasian citizens want more vegan options in restaurants and supermarkets.
The Vegan Society and The Christchurch Vegan Society surveyed 1,000 plant-based shoppers in Australia and New Zealand to gain insight into their current and future purchasing habits.
Of those asked, 55 percent wanted to see more vegan food and drink options added to restaurant menus. Meanwhile, 52.7 percent were keen to see more products on supermarket shelves.
The report concludes that most consumers looking for more vegan options are motivated by environmental concerns, personal health concerns, and animal welfare.
Both Australia and New Zealand have significant meat production and consumption rates.
Australia is one of the largest consumers of meat, registering approximately 110 kilograms per person, per year. Conversely, New Zealand comes in at around 73.6 kilograms per capita, amid claims that meat consumption has peaked and that a plant-based uprising is threatening animal agriculture.
Survey respondents revealed that times are changing, with 41.8 percent claiming to purchase vegan food in supermarkets either “every time” (15.6 percent) or “often” (26.2 percent). As an indicator that this could increase, 18.8 percent stated that they “sometimes” do, but expressed a desire to make these purchases more frequent.
Only 8.3 percent said that they “rarely” buy plant-based products and just 4.1 percent stated that they “never” do. Results are similar across Australia and New Zealand. The latter has reported that 1.5 million people have actively reduced their meat intake.
A post shared by Christchurch Vegan Society (@christchurchvegansociety)
Within the global agricultural sector, up to 80 percent of emissions come from the farming of animals. Combined, Australia and New Zealand represent vast animal agriculture numbers. The former claims more than 4.9 billion lives annually for its food system.
The Ecologist claims that shifting attitudes around meat consumption are due to increased concern for the planet. Though both countries have been shown to be slow to respond to the climate crisis.
New Zealand, in particular, came under fire for its protests against plant-based diet recommendations being included in the latest IPCC report. This is despite agriculture making up almost half (49 percent) of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
New Zealand and Australia both have growing vegan meat sectors, with multiple domestic brands looking to replace traditional animal protein on supermarket shelves. Australia’s plant-based meat sector grew by AU$40 million in one year. Meanwhile, New Zealand is branching out into alternative dairy, as well as meat, to address growing vegan demand.
Our independent team of journalists and experts are committed to making an impact through a wide range of content—and you can help by supporting our work today.
Amy enjoys reporting on vegan news and sustainability initiatives. She has a degree in English literature and language and is raising a next-gen vegan daughter.
More by Amy Buxton
Tagged
In short:- If you act with maturity and consideration for other users, you should have no problems. Please read our Comment policy before commenting.
There are growing cases of diabetes across the world and we must know the solution to curb the disease in the initial stages itself. A healthy diet can crucially manage diabetes and avoid its bad effects in the long term. Researchers have come up with a conclusion that a plant-based diet including seeds, vegetables, fruits and nuts can remarkably reduce type one and type two diabetes. The main practice should be on eating natural products instead of surviving on animal meat or dairy products. In this article we would be sharing a complete introduction to plant-based diets for diabetes and how far is it beneficial. Make sure you pay attention to the key points, else becoming healthy and fighting the disease would be more difficult.
More info: Diabetes With Natural Plant Based Diet
See Previous Post
See Next Post
Get our weekly editor’s newsletter & special offers delivered right to your inbox! (We promise not to send you any spam)