During the most recent years, the number of Brits switching to veganism has skyrocketed by over 40% in 2020 alone. Additionally to this, the diet that ‘saw the most new recruits’ was veganism. Its findings showed that approximately 1.1 million people followed a plant-based diet at the beginning of 2020. However, it should be noted that while many people intend to change their diets, not everyone sticks with it.
A fairly sizeable proportion of the UK population are actively reducing their consumption of animal-based products. This shift in appetites towards more plant-based diets is one of the standout emerging food trends in the UK today and one with the potential to impact our food system in significant ways.
Some see the plant-based movement not only as a challenge to the traditional diet enjoyed in the UK, but also as an existential threat to the rural economies built around livestock throughout the country. At the same time, whilst the evidence in support of plant-based diets is indeed growing, there is a risk that scientific research presents idealised solutions that would require an unrealistic upheaval of the food system.
A plant based future is not necessarily a meat-free future. However, the UK food system, and our wider policy climate, is going to have to adapt to support the transition in a way that promotes public health, environmental sustainability, economic growth, and social justice.
According to Policy Lab Report, Plant-based diets are on the rise in the UK, with approximately a quarter of the population now adopting meat-free or meat-reduced diets. Approximately 60% of vegans and 40% of vegetarians have adopted their meat-free diets within the past five years alone. The Vegan Society estimates the number of vegans to have grown from 150,000 in 2014 to 600,000 in 2019, with a record 400,000 non-vegans signing up to Veganuary in 2020. However, the trend is largely driven by meat-eaters and flexitarian's who are trying to reduce, but not entirely eliminate, meat.
UK food and agricultural systems will need to adapt to the continuing trend towards more plant-based diets. The UK food system spans multiple industries, employing one in eight of the national workforce. Given this size and complexity, a whole system approach must be taken to understand the real impacts of trends and narrow down the most effective solutions.
A comparison diagram displayed in 2019 showed that a less healthy meal consisting of a beef burger and a fizzy drink only cost £2.48 and as a side by side comparison to this, a bowl of a healthier meal i.e. a salad and a fruit was approximately costing £7.68. This in theory goes to show the overall imbalance of the pricing system when it comes to healthier foods such as a vegan diet and a less healthy alternative. This also gets people to question many more things such as, do we prefer a less healthy diet because it is significantly displayed as being much cheaper?
Additionally to this, if things would be switched and healthier food was to be much cheaper in comparison to fast food, would we be much more drawn to healthier food because of the difference in the price mark?
Whilst there is still a lot of studies to be made and measured in regards to veganism, its positives and negatives as well as its pricing and accessibility, we know for a fact that the idea of eating healthier food is becoming more and more sought after, we now need to adapt to this and ensure that its availability becomes more frequent and much more accessible in order to benefit our environment as well as our health and many other factors surrounding this.
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