Plaza posted the ad on her Instagram page in April 2023. It saw the White Lotus actor claim to have invented a new milk made from trees. The supposedly humorous commercial appeared to be a dig at plant-based milks. At the end of the clip, Aubrey proclaimed that “only real milk is real.”

Many of her followers expressed disappointment in the ad. It came at a time when there is growing awareness of the ethical, environmental, and health costs of dairy milk. Plaza turned off the comments on the post after the backlash.

USDA funds helped create the ad. It comes from the Got Milk? campaign, where high profile celebrities are paid to promote fluid dairy milk.

Did the wood milk advert violate federal law?

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has filed a complaint with the USDA’s inspector general, accusing the ad of violating two federal laws. The committee is a nonprofit animal rights and health group that promotes preventative medicine.

PCRM cited a law that prohibits USDA-backed adverts from disparaging other agricultural products. In addition, commercials should also not influence government action or policy. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration is currently calling for the public to offer opinions on guidelines for plant-based milk labels.

According to the complaint, the Wood Milk ad was created to drum up “backlash” against dairy-free alternatives. “This conduct unabashedly violates the legal guardrails that exist to prevent USDA from promoting one commodity to the detriment of others,” the complaint reads.

Plant Based News contacted the USDA for comment. A spokesperson said that they do not comment on ongoing litigation.

The post Aubrey Plaza’s ‘Wood Milk’ Advert Accused Of Violating Federal Law appeared first on Plant Based News.

Marketers love to showcase “innovative” and “groundbreaking” new solutions to marketing. The reason why I admire La Vie is that it isn’t doing that. It’s being humble in the face of decades upon decades of consumer research. It isn’t trying to reinvent the marketing wheel; it’s following a proven method.

I’ve written before on the topic of product innovation within the vegan space. La Vie makes unbelievably good vegan bacon. But whilst the product is fantastic, its marketing strategy is equally brilliant.

You see, what’s great about entering the retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector is that we know the recipe for success. It’s one that has already been concocted. It’s been recreated thousands upon thousands of times, with little variation by many brands before. The main ingredient for that recipe is summed up in one word: availability.

Physical availability

First up, that’s about physical availability. This is all about distribution. Your products need to be in as many locations as possible. They need to be physically accessible and available to buy. Food shopping habits are very baked in. Major studies on habit formation have shown it typically takes life-altering events such as becoming parents or moving house to change when and where you shop. Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit highlights just how difficult it can be to alter a customer’s shopping habits.

In short, no matter how groundbreaking your product, people will not upend their supermarket shopping habits and go out of their way to regularly purchase it. You need to bring it to them – be in as many convenient locations as possible, so that you can slot into consumers’ existing habits.

For scale-up brands undergoing growth, as much work should go into securing listings with major retailers and distributors as you put into the product, the brand, the manufacturing. The more listings you have, the more people will see your product, and the more customers you will have simply by being physically accessible.

Often small brands avoid big retailers and distributors. They fear being dictated to when it comes to aspects of their product like manufacturing, pricing and more. But whilst I love small independent specialist retailers, unfortunately your brand will not grow by being reliant on them alone.

So back to La Vie – how has it achieved physical availability? Not only is it now in most major supermarkets, it’s only gone and got itself into Burger King – one of the biggest fast food chains in the UK, making their bacon very easy to get hold of.

Mental availability

The second part to growing a brand is mental availability. Again, consumers will not break their shopping habits – they are unlikely to make a special trip to the supermarket just to buy your product more than once. So instead, a brand needs to resonate with a consumer when they’re in a purchasing situation i.e. are wandering around the aisles on their weekly supermarket shop. Few supermarket shoppers will be actively seeking your product. If you’re lucky, their gaze will pass over your product for half a second before they move on.

How you capture them in that half a second is about being “mentally available.” Your brand – distinctive assets, logo, color schemes etc. – will fire off a few mental connections in their brains. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll do a double-take, and grab your product from the shelf.

There are no secrets or shortcuts to mental availability – it’s all about advertising. We’re not talking hyper-targeted granular digital ads or super-engaging TikTok campaigns… but good old-fashioned mass market, above-the-line advertising. TV, out-of-home, newspapers, digital ad campaigns – it’s about getting in front of as many eyeballs as possible.

This scares many small brands, and rightly so. It’s expensive. But it works. And there’s a certain hubris that comes with assuming your brand will buck the trend – that you’ll be the one to build huge retail interest off the back of more “affordable” marketing channels like organic social media.

To put it bluntly, there’s a reason why Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, Coca Cola, L’Oréal, and Unilever collectively spend more than $42 billion annually on advertising, and are also five of the biggest FMCG brands in the world. Advertising works.

La Vie has understood this perfectly. It has invested heavily into above-the-line advertising campaigns, including huge out-of-home advertising investments.

Earlier this year, La Vie took out seemingly every bus stop shelter ad in the UK. That little bit of brand recognition, teamed with the bold color schemes, fun assets, and the promise of tasty and innovative plant-based bacon sparks something in people’s minds when they are browsing the plant-based aisle in their supermarket, priming them to purchasing and trying the product. La Vie are bringing home the bacon.

A marketing masterclass

This combination blends physical availability and mental availability perfectly. It’s simply making life convenient for the consumer. They will find La Vie wherever they shop, and through mass market advertising it’ll become a curiosity to them, sparking interest and hopefully an intention to buy. This approach is among the single most well-documented routes in marketing strategy, and it’s practically a guaranteed success when combined with a fantastic product offering, which La Vie certainly has.

We live in a world where marketeers will continue to pitch you the latest shortcuts and “little-known secrets” to market traction – social media stunts, AI-generated content, influencers, NFTs, the metaverse. All of this is hypothetical; it’s unproven and risky at best, a complete waste of resources at worst.

As someone who has spent over a decade in marketing and strategy, I’d advise any brand owners to be wary of the marketing snake oil. Put your faith in the tried and true. Physical and mental availability will always be a near guaranteed route to FMCG and retail success.

La Vie will be a household name within the next few years, and a great active case study for marketeers working in the plant-based space. This is how it’s done.

The post Why La Vie Is A Marketing Masterclass For Vegan Businesses appeared first on Plant Based News.

The campaign sees Plaza sardonically claiming to have invented a new plant-based milk made from wood. However, as the advert progresses, she makes it clear that the drink is neither real, nor milk. 

“Is Wood Milk real?” she asks before answering her own question. “Absolutely not, only real milk is real,” seemingly poking fun at the range of plant milks that are now freely available worldwide. To drive the message home, the advert ends with the words “Is your milk real?” on the screen.

The satire-filled campaign was created by the Milk Processor Education Programme (MilkPEP), a marketing firm paid by Big Dairy. The same company came up with the original “Got Milk?” strapline in the 1990s and is now trying to revive the fading popularity of animal dairy with younger consumers.

In a strange twist, MilkPEP has expanded the wood milk “gag” to include social media accounts for the spoof company. Plus, a real website and merchandise such as t-shirts have been created. In the footer, a statement reiterates that the product is fake and that “only dairy milk is real milk.”

It also confirms that the whole thing has been paid for by “America’s Milk Companies.”

Despite affording Plaza the opportunity to play into her recognizable sarcastic trope, the wood milk campaign has sparked criticism. Indeed, the backlash is being leveled not only by Plaza’s own fanbase but also plant-based activists.

Plaza’s milk promotion proves unpopular

Plaza reportedly turned the comments off on a sponsored Instagram post after legions of fans questioned her participation in the pro-dairy commercial. However, followers then left negative comments on unrelated posts where the comments sections are still active.

On other platforms, some are accusing her of being a “dairy propagandist” and generally confirming that milk’s popularity is waning. 

Joining Plaza’s fans in condemning the commercial are plant-based eaters and activists. Animal rights organization PETA has left no doubt about its stance on the campaign, calling Plaza’s involvement “disappointing.” 

Earthling Ed on Big Dairy’s hypocrisy

Vegan activist Ed Winters (AKA Earthling Ed) took to his YouTube channel to dissect the commercial. In it, he condemns Plaza for being complicit in environmental hypocrisy.

In a scathing video entitled Aubrey Plaza destroys veganism (sarcastically), Winter addresses what he calls the “bewildering shambles” that is a pro-dairy advert being released during Earth Week. He qualifies this by explaining that animal agriculture is a major driver of the climate crisis. 

He goes on to unravel deeper hypocrisy within the campaign that centers around Big Dairy’s pledge to plant 10,000 trees, not cut them down to make milk. 

Explaining that the dairy sector is a major deforestation motivator, Winters likens the act of planting 10,000 trees to somebody setting a house on fire and then offering the owner a watering can to try to extinguish the flames.

Alt-dairy ads cause controversy too

MilkPEP is not alone in being questioned about the decision to press go on a dairy-related campaign. 

Earlier this year, Switch4Good unveiled a series of billboards designed to parody Got Milk’s original imagery of celebrities with cow milk mustaches. In the place of popular media figures stood notorious serial killers sporting milk mustaches above the words “9 out of 10 serial killers grew up drinking milk.”

Some observers were quick to condemn the ads as disrespectful to victims’ families and harmful to the plant-based cause.

The post ‘Is Your Milk Real?’ – Aubrey Plaza Under Fire For Anti-Vegan Dairy Ad appeared first on Plant Based News.

The campaign aims to educate consumers about the shortened lifespans of animals reared for meat, compared to how long they would live in nature.

Billboards and print ads are already in place throughout the US, with social media posts offering global access to the striking imagery. NotCo will also distribute ads in other countries where it operates, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and its home country of Chile.

In each AI-generated picture, a mature cow, chicken, or pig is shown on a black background. The accompanying text reveals how long the individual could live, if not slaughtered for human consumption. The images challenge people to view older non-human animals as normal, rather than unusual due to our meat-centric food system.

“This campaign reminds us that AI can help humans have a better relationship with animals and nature,” Jean Zamprogno and Fernando Pellizzaro, the founders of AKQA Bloom, said in a statement. “We believe that seeing an old farm animal shouldn’t be a surprise, and AI can be the accelerator for a plant-based revolution in the food industry.”

The truth about animal slaughter ages

All three species of farmed animals depicted in NotCo’s AI adverts are killed considerably before their natural life expectancies.

Cows can live happily and healthily for almost 50 years. However, they rarely live longer than one-and-a-half years when reared for meat. Dairy cows live longer, up to around one-tenth of their natural lifespan, if they continue to produce enough milk.

Similarly, pigs and chickens can enjoy life for around 20 and 10 years respectively (though 20-year-old chickens have been reported). However, non-breeding pigs are routinely slaughtered at under one year old. Most shockingly, chickens only last a matter of weeks in the food system.

“These AI-generated images give us a clear picture of what these animals should actually look like in nature. We hope this sparks a larger conversation about how we can all do our part to create a better future together – for ourselves, our planet, and the animals,” Fernando Machado, global CMO for NotCo said in a statement.

NotCo’s AI plant-based revolution

NotCo is no stranger to AI, having built its entire food production system around it. 

Using patented AI technology, called “Giuseppe,” NotCo analyzes animal-based foods to then recreate them with plant-based ingredients. It does so to mimic the taste, texture, and smell of animal products while reducing their environmental impact. As an example, NotCo’s chicken is said to produce 74 percent less CO2 than regular chicken. It also requires around 92 percent less water.

Using – often unexpected – combinations of plant-based ingredients, it has launched numerous meat substitutes such as burgers and chicken products. These are stocked alongside NotCo milk and other dairy alternatives in more than 10,000 US stores.

The post New AI Billboards Address Why You Aren’t Used To Seeing Senior Farm Animals appeared first on Plant Based News.

Known in the video as “Doris,” the cow is part of a 200-strong dairy herd on a farm in the Isle of Wight, UK. There, the farm sells milk to local stores, including Co-op.

A farmhand named John Brodie recently posted a video of him trying to coax the cow to get up on a cold morning. The clip has now amassed almost two million views on TikTok.

The viral video of ‘Doris’

The video starts with the caption: “POV (which stands for ‘point of view’): You don’t like early mornings.”

Brodie introduces it by saying: “This is what a stubborn dairy cow looks like.” He then goes on to say: “Everyone’s out. Everyone’s getting ready for milking. Except for Doris. Doris is actually pretending to be asleep. Doris, come on. See your ears moving. Come on, I can see your eye.”

At this point in the video, the cow, who is lying on the floor, lifts her head up to look at the farmhand.

The farmhand then appears to put on a babyish voice, and asks the cow what she’s got “all over her face.”

He finishes by saying: “Right, come on. Time to earn your crust.”

‘Positive exposure’ for dairy

The video has proved a social media hit, with many making jokes about how they “relate” to “Doris.” Some also expressed sympathy for her apparent unwillingness to get up early.

In an interview with CNN, Brodie said the media attention was “a really good thing.” He explained: “I think any positive exposure for the dairy industry, particularly at the moment, is probably a good thing.”

Indeed, more people are becoming aware of the darker side of the dairy industry in recent times, thanks in part to exposés and documentaries. This reality could explain why the cow was unwilling – or possibly unable – to get up. 

While that particular farm’s situation is unclear, the video doesn’t represent the dairy industry as a whole. For example, it’s unlikely that a typical farmed cow would be given a name. The idea that dairy farmers are humanizing their cows and referring to them by cute monikers like “Doris” offers a wholesome portrayal of the sector that does not align with standard industry processes.

The reality of milk production

Cows used for their milk suffer immensely. They have been selectively bred to produce significantly more milk than they naturally would, meaning “modern” cows often develop a painful udder condition called mastitis.

Further, almost a third of dairy cows suffer from lameness. This is often brought on as a result of being forced to stand on hard surfaces for long periods of time. It also arises due to disease, injury, or ineffective hoof trimming.

When a cow’s milk dries up and her body finally wears out, she is sent to the slaughterhouse for meat.

Cows in the dairy industry experience more than physical trauma, too. They are forcibly made pregnant via artificial insemination, and each time, farmers remove their babies from them so that humans can consume their milk. Cows form powerful bonds with their calves, and often bellow and cry out for days after they’re gone. Meanwhile, their calves can suffer the effects of early maternal deprivation.

The post Dairy Cow Who ‘Faked Sleep’ To Avoid Being Milked Goes Viral appeared first on Plant Based News.

Spurred on by a competition launched by farmstock organization Harrison & Hetherington to find farming’s best vlogger, young agriculture professionals are looking to paint a prettier picture of the dairy industry on the global video-sharing platform.

The winner of the “Young Farming Vlogger” contest was announced on March 11. The top prize of £50 and a Carrs Billington gift bag went to 11-year-old Seth from Penrith.

Dairy’s ‘bad press’

Young dairy farmers uploading TikToks of day-to-day activities is seen as a way to dispel apparent “misconceptions” surrounding the industry.

“I think there’s a lot of misconceptions out there about farming,” commented Lizzie McLaughlin, Farming Weekly’s community editor and one of the Harrison & Hetherington competition judges.

“Social media is becoming more popular among young farmers because it’s accessible. Also, it gives that one-to-one interaction where you can really get up close with the farming community, where you can see the good and the bad – it’s authentic.”

A growing number of farmers are concerned about dairy’s image, as reported by the Telegraph. In part, due to content uploaded by vegan creators.

To date, the “vegan” hashtag has amassed more than 30 billion views on TikTok. Many videos under the hashtag focus on the cruelty associated with dairy production, such as mother-calf separation and the forcible impregnation of female cows. This prompted one farmer to say that dairy has a “bad press.”

‘Ashamed to buy dairy’

In 2022, Arla Foods, the UK’s largest dairy manufacturer, offered insight into why interest in dairy is declining. This, as plant-based alternatives enjoy a surge in sales. The company claimed, in its “don’t cancel the cow” campaign, that young consumers are increasingly “ashamed” to buy dairy. It said that this is due to welfare, health, or environmental concerns.

The organizer of the Harrison & Hetherington competition, Caitlin Riddle, has high hopes for the contest. She is optimistic that farmers joining TikTok will counter the slew of animal welfare videos. Alongside this, she hopes that they will answer questions about the environmental impact of dairy.

“There’s this belief that dairy cows are just abused and that their calves are removed from them, it’s portrayed in a really negative way,” she told the Telegraph.

She went on to say that when working on farms, she had seen cows “quickly forget their calves” after separation.

Vegans against dairy

Many vegan TikTok creators claim that it’s dairy farmers who are misrepresenting their industry. This, by uploading videos of them feeding cows and driving tractors, but not addressing artificial insemination or the routine killing of just-born male (and therefore unprofitable) calves.

Animal rights advocacy group the Humane League estimates that around 60,000 male calves are shot and killed at birth each year in the UK.

A cursory TikTok search by Plant Based News did not reveal any UK dairy farmers who address calf separation. Calf culling and the cramped, often unsanitary conditions that dairy cows are contained in were also demonstrably lacking.

The post Dairy Farmers Take To TikTok To Dispel Vegan ‘Propaganda’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

These commercials have looked at everything from the ethical, environmental, and health costs of animal agriculture. Many are hard to watch, but animal organizations see them as a vital tool to bring veganism to the masses.

Vegan ads often feature controversial material. In June 2022, a commercial from nonprofit Vegan Friendly UK was taken off air after viewers complained of being “distressed” by its graphic animal cruelty content.

A PETA ad released in 2023 asked viewers if they were a “bad parent” by feeding their kids meat. The clip stemmed from the fact that animal agriculture is a primary driver of the climate crisis, and featured a child living in a post-apocalyptic world.

Here are Plant Based News‘ picks of the best-ever vegan TV adverts.

Check out Plant Based News’ YouTube channel for more videos like this.

The post WATCH: The Best Vegan TV Adverts appeared first on Plant Based News.

The broadcaster reportedly feared that its theme of natural destruction would cause “right-wing backlash.” Specifically, from Conservative Party ministers, some of the UK press, and the farming and hunting industries.

But the decision was met with backlash of a different kind, as reported by the Guardian on Friday (March 10).

Concerned program-makers and BBC staff raised the alarm that the so-called politically independent broadcaster had bowed to pressure from right-wing lobbying groups when it decided to release the final Wild Isles episode separately from the others.

“Senior sources” at the BBC informed the Guardian that the decision was an effort to avoid confrontation.

One unnamed source commented that “lobbying groups” such as the animal farming industries are “desperately hanging on to their dinosaurian ways.” And, that they would “kick off” had the show presented a “political” message.

BBC accused of censorship

Laura Howard, the producer of the docuseries, confirmed that the program would address farming’s negative effect on wildlife. But, that it would also spotlight those doing good in the sector.

Caroline Lucas, Brighton Pavilion’s Green Party MP, condemned the BBC for its alleged decision.

In a statement, Lucas said: “For the BBC to censor one of the nation’s most informed and trusted voices on the nature and climate emergencies is nothing short of an unforgivable dereliction of its duty to public service broadcasting.”

“BBC bosses must not be cowed by antagonistic, culture war-stoking government ministers, putting populist and petty political games above delivering serious action to protect and restore our natural world. This episode simply must be televised,” she added.

The BBC, David Attenborough, and ‘Wild Isles’

The Wild Isles series is a five-part docuseries narrated by Attenborough. The first episode aired on Sunday, March 12.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) co-produced the program, which was filmed over three years. The BBC says the project aims to “underscore the challenges affecting nature within the British Isles.” In addition, “alert audiences to the species vanishing on their doorstep.”

Right-wing backlash

Despite reportedly looking to appease right-wing political and media figures, the Wild Isles docuseries has failed to go unscathed.

The Telegraph called out the BBC for accepting money from both the WWF and the RSPB to produce the series. The publication claims both charities have been “criticized for their political lobbying.” And as such, the content will be skewed to the left.

Wild Isles producer Howard dismissed this point. “I think the facts speak for themselves,” she told the Guardian.

“You know, we’ve worked really closely with the RSPB in particular who are able to fact-check all of our scripts and provide us with detailed scientific data and information about the loss of wildlife in this country.

“And it is undeniable, we are incredibly nature-depleted. And I don’t think that that is political, I think it’s just facts.”

What has the BBC said about the accusations?

The BBC has denied holding back a sixth episode. It states that the chapter in question was always destined to be an iPlayer-only installment.

In a statement, it said the accusation was “totally inaccurate.”

“There is no ‘sixth episode’,” the broadcaster said about the Attenborough project. “Wild Isles is – and always was – a five-part series and does not shy away from environmental content. We have acquired a separate film for iPlayer from the RSPB and WWF and Silverback Films about people working to preserve and restore the biodiversity of the British Isles.”

Farming’s impact on the environment

Our agricultural system is hugely costly to the environment. It’s a leading cause of deforestation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. It is also a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions. 

The UK government has a demonstrable history of failing to create effective climate strategies.

Moreover, it hasn’t addressed the impact of farming directly. Instead, it has allowed an increasing number of industrial “mega-farms” to be built across the country. There are now thought to be at least 1,000 large-scale farming locations in the UK, coming at great environmental cost. 

Wild Isles is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The next episode, called Woodlands, will air on March 19 at 7pm.

The post BBC Denies Pulling David Attenborough Documentary Over Right-Wing Backlash appeared first on Plant Based News.

Featuring some of the more extreme and humorous responses to its products, VFC places them next to images of its food, with the commenter credited. In response to the question “would you rather eat VFC or…,” for example, “Wayne from Facebook” responded that he’d rather “stick a wasp up his bum.”

Other billboards read messages like “I’d rather eat dog poo covered in breadcrumbs” and “I’d rather eat my dog” (credited to Mark from Facebook and Aaron from Facebook respectively).

The ads are being displayed on billboards up and down the country, as well as 2,200 tube cars on the London Underground.

“We receive rude comments all the time from our haters telling us all the things they would rather do than eat Vegan Fried Chick*n, but of course most of them haven’t even tried it!” Alison Reilly, head of marketing at VFC said in a statement.

“The levels of outrage around the concept of vegan meat alternatives is astounding… and slightly bemusing. But, on the other hand, the material was just too good to ignore. The contrast between their extreme language and the delicious food they’re referring to made for a perfect campaign to showcase taste. No preaching, just putting it to the public and letting them decide ‘what they would rather’.”

All hail the ‘Cluckwits’

Calling its trolls “Cluckwits,” this is not the first time VFC has sought to use haters to its advantage. 

In March 2022 the activist-led food company launched its “humane troll slaying” campaign. This saw the marketing team turn real conversations with negative social media users into telephone box posters and London Underground billboards.

“Over the last year or so, our Cluckwits have consistently entertained us, but until now, for the good of humanity, we have kept them safely kettled online,” the vegan chicken producer said at the time. 

“And then one day, the devil got into us, and we started to wonder what would happen if we released them into the wild. And so we did.”

Improving vegan chicken

VFC’s latest troll-led campaign comes shortly after the brand released its new vegan chicken recipe. 

Said to replicate the taste and texture of real chicken more than previous incarnations, the new development was used in its first kids’ product, called “Stompers.”

The post Vegan Meat Brand Displays Its Own Troll Comments On 2,200 Tube Cars In London appeared first on Plant Based News.

One of the most recent came from Bloomberg. The global news agency just published a feature titled: “Fake Meat Was Supposed to Save the World. It Became Just Another Fad.”

As well as a particularly unappetizing main photo of a frozen vegan burger, the article contained cherry-picked statistics. And, what Impossible Foods called “one-sided anecdotes and editorialized framing.”

We’re getting tired of the fake information being shared about this industry, and it’s time to set the record straight.

Overgeneralization of industry and consumers

First, let’s talk about the consumers of plant-based meat. The Bloomberg piece implies that they are only bought by vegetarians and vegans, a false assertion that has been repeated ad-nauseum in the meat industry with no conclusive evidence. 

An independent 2022 study showed that 86 percent of plant-based meat buyers also buy meat. And, that only 2.79 percent of plant-based meat buyers are vegan or vegetarian. The idea that plant-based meat alternatives are some sort of uber-niche particularity serving a small proportion of the population is careless and inaccurate — and one that is being perpetuated in recent media articles with no basis. 

The stock price drop of Beyond Meat is repeatedly mentioned in the article, yet no context of the broader ecosystem around meat is given. One stock price doesn’t dictate a multi-billion-dollar industry. 

Yes, Beyond is down 76 percent. But last month, the stock of Tyson Foods, the largest meat company in the US, hit a three-year low – largely related to the avian flu crisis, which is the biggest global outbreak of all time. Not only did turkey prices rise by almost 50 percent for Thanksgiving, but egg prices have drastically increased as well. In fact, food costs are up across the board and hurting every industry. 

If you’re going to make the assertion that plant-based proteins are a fad based on stock performance, you should take Big Meat’s poor performance into consideration as well. And, let’s be honest, if we’re talking about the long game, the markets won’t take too kindly to stocks affected by the never-ending pandemics, droughts, and inevitable meat shortages to come.

Health fear-mongering

Some articles briefly mention the Center for Consumer Freedom’s (CCF) campaigns to discourage people from eating plant-based meat. But this is a far more significant issue than the article implies.

CCF is a lobbying group largely funded by meat conglomerates and tobacco companies. It has run a ruthless multi-year campaign against plant-based meat, including commissioning countless paid studies to substantiate its false claims. Is it a coincidence that, only months after Beyond Meat had the largest IPO in two decades, CCF commissioned a $5 million dollar Super Bowl ad to claim that plant-based meat was unhealthy? 

A plant-based burger is not a protein shake, but let’s be clear: the number one selling meat product in America is a chicken nugget (in fact, one in three Americans consumes chicken nuggets on a regular basis). While a Beyond Burger may not be a healthier alternative to a lentil patty, nobody is eating lentil patties. Americans eat “ultra processed” food every day – most of which are meat or dairy products. In fact, four of the top five selling meat products in America are ultra-processed meats. Let’s be honest about the ‘provenance’ of our foods.

Further, numerous independent studies have scientifically confirmed that plant-based meats are healthier than animal meats. 

Ignoring climate crisis facts

There’s a massive elephant in the meat-based room: the climate crisis. As this piece was published, Bill Gates and other global leaders gathered in Davos to discuss how to mitigate the climate crisis – with meat alternatives being a key solution. 

And they are not alone. The Dutch government recently shut down multiple livestock farms upon realizing there is no way for the EU to meet projected climate goals without producing less meat. Animal agriculture is responsible for 57 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. If we’re going to address the climate crisis, meat alternatives (which produce drastically lower carbon emissions) need to be part of the conversation.  

Furthermore, plant-based meats represent the most realistic and effective form of climate investment. A recent study concluded that investing in plant-based meats is four times more effective than green buildings. And, a staggering 11 times more effective than electric vehicles.

Taking on a century-old industry

I’ll admit, the words of Beyond and Impossible were ambitious. The founders claimed they would “replace meat” entirely within 10 years, for example. That statement was an impossibly tall order — how could one company dethrone a century-old $1.4 trillion dollar industry in only a decade? 

But big vision idealization isn’t unique to these companies. Many founders at many companies spouted similar rhetoric at early stages – pretty much every founder does. Ambitious goals and world-changing hyperboles attract investors, which every company needs to survive. 

The plant-based industry is not about money or short-term trends, as the Bloomberg article seems eager to have readers believe. It’s about changing the foundation of food to make our world habitable, less vulnerable to inflation and pandemics, and reducing critical amounts of greenhouse gasses. 

As leaders in the business world focused on predicting the future economy, I leave you with one simple question: if you were to invest in the meat we will eat in a hundred years time, who would you put your money on?

The post Fake Meat Or Fake News? Why Vegan Food Isn’t ‘Just Another Fad’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

Bloomberg recently published a story about Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat. It was titled: “Fake Meat Was Supposed to Save the World. It Became Just Another Fad.”

The article, which also described vegan meat as a “flop,” contained what Impossible Foods called “one-sided anecdotes and editorialized framing.”

“The story works hard to create a misperception that plant-based meat, once celebrated for its significant environmental potential, has nowhere to go but down,” Impossible Foods said in a statement. “The reporting is scarce of any data to support its position.”

Impossible pointed out that the article referenced a 14 percent drop in refrigerated sales of plant-based meat. It did not, however, mention that frozen sales are up across the category. 

The rise of plant-based meat

Impossible Foods highlighted that the plant-based meat sector is worth $7 billion globally.

It discussed the rise of plant-based meat in supermarkets and restaurants, and stated that it receives record sales every year. 

“It’s not just vegans and vegetarians buying our products, either,” it added. “More than 90 percent of individuals purchasing Impossible say they also eat meat — a clear indication that our product is attracting meat eaters and flexitarians.”

Impossible Foods fights back

In response to the Bloomberg piece, Impossible Foods has taken out a full page ad in the New York Times. Impossible confirmed that it was to “draw attention to some of the widespread criticisms people had about the story.” The advert used comments from Reddit to illustrate this. 

The advert reads: “When stories in the media are hating on plant-based meat, we throw burgers on the grill & leave the rest to Reddit.”

The Reddit comments included were blasting the Bloomberg article. One reads: “Uh, it’s an option in many very large restaurant chains as a meat alternative. That’s huge. No idea where this article is coming from.”

The post Impossible Foods Hits Back At Bloomberg For Anti Vegan Meat Article appeared first on Plant Based News.

Despite the fact that livestock farming is one of the most environmentally destructive industries, it is often completely left out of the conversation. Its impact was barely mentioned at COP27 this year, with the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference even serving beef to guests. 

With a runtime of 33 minutes, Vegan 2022 deep-dives into this hidden industry, exploring the “elephant in the room” of the climate crisis. 

“This year’s film will focus on the missing link to hit net zero,” said PBN founder Klaus Mitchell. “It will look at how we need to shift away from animal agriculture, or at the very least start talking about it, because at the moment the conversation is just around fossil fuels. 

“While there’s no doubt fossil fuels are important, livestock farming is also a necessary part of the solution. It really is the missing link.”

The short film features clips from author and social psychologist Dr Melanie Joy and IPCC expert Dr Peter Carter, as well as climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Animal agriculture is responsible for at least 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This figure has been disputed by many, however, with some experts arguing it’s much higher. It is also a leading cause of deforestation, having been responsible for around 91 percent of Amazon destruction. 

On top of this, our global food system has been identified as a “primary driver” of biodiversity loss. A 2021 UN report found that a shift to a “plant-heavy” diet was essential to combat this. 

Plant Based News films

Each December, PBN releases a short film that looks at what’s happened in the plant-based and vegan movement that year. They celebrate the increasing awareness of ethical consumerism, plant-based business, animal rights, environmentalism, the health of our planet, public health, personal health, and more. 

The films include the biggest voices in the plant-based space, showcasing the developments and challenges that the movement has seen. 

“Despite the fact that veganism has become even more normalized this year, the movement has also come under increased pressure from the media and meat industry, who are trying to push back,” said Mitchell. “This year’s film will provide a birds eye view of all the developments, good and bad, in an entertaining feature-length format.”

Vegan 2022 is produced in partnership with Wicked Kitchen, a chef-driven, plant-based brand that is crafting delicious food for meat-eaters and vegans alike. Sold in the UK, US, Finland, and Thailand – Wicked Kitchen is on a mission to “unleash the mighty flavor of plants.”

Vegan 2022 is available to watch on the Plant Based News YouTube channel now.

The post PBN’s Annual Film ‘Vegan 2022’ Is Out Now – Here’s How To Watch It appeared first on Plant Based News.

The “Ollerton 11,” as they became known, was made up of Matilda and her 10 piglets. They attracted national media attention in June 2021 after a heavily pregnant Matilda escaped from a Nottinghamshire farm and gave birth in the woods.

Capturing the hearts of the UK public, Matilda’s freedom was negotiated by nearby rescue teams at Surge Sanctuary and Brinsley Animal Rescue. She is now living out her days in peace with her children at the former.

When Pigs Escape comes from director Jusep Moreno. It offers an honest look at the lives of Matilda and her piglets, while gently asking viewers to reconsider their relationships with and treatment of animals.

Often shot from their eye-level, it attempts to move past simple anthropomorphism of the animals (as seen in Hollywood films such as Babe) to offer real insight into their interactions. It also demonstrates how sociable, intelligent, and maternal pigs are. 

Meeting Matilda the pig

When Matilda’s story broke, Moreno was volunteering at Brinsley Animal Rescue. He had been planning to film a documentary about a year in the life of an animal rescue center. However, Matilda changed everything.

Moreno says that he respected Matilda’s boundaries by never trying to film covertly. He also stayed alert for signs that she didn’t want him to be too close, though none came.

The making of a vegan filmmaker

Originally from Catalonia in Spain, Moreno has been vegan for around six years. He transitioned away from meat-eating after becoming disillusioned with Spanish traditions, including bull running. 

With a background in photography, the leap to filmmaking wasn’t too great, but the motivation to do so was. Moreno recalls being frustrated that his animal photography was only ever judged superficially, with his subjects being deemed cute. While he agreed, he wanted to tell their stories and draw attention to environmental concerns that threatened them. Hence the move to film.

Where to watch When Pigs Escape

When Pigs Escape was screened at 16 selected cinemas on November 19. The film has now won four awards, from the Impact DOCS Awards, IndieFEST Film Awards, S.O.F.A Film Festival, and A Show For A Change.

Those in the UK can stream When Pigs Escape here, or purchase a DVD of the movie here. Filmmakers are also encouraging the public to request the documentary on Netflix.

The post It’s Rare That Farmed Pigs Get ‘Happily Ever Afters’ – But This Family Of 11 Did appeared first on Plant Based News.

The pro-vegan commercial will be shown at cinemas across England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland in the coming weeks. This includes Vue, Odeon, and Cineworld, the largest cinema chains in the UK.

The two-minute animation follows the life of a baby turkey called Toby, who escapes from a slaughterhouse truck after being pushed to freedom by his doomed mother. 

Working with creative agency Dream Farm, PETA says that it wanted to make viewers question the status quo. To do this it shone a light on the “nine to 11 million turkeys slaughtered for Christmas dinners in the UK every year.”

Toby the turkey’s story

Having been thrown from the slaughterhouse truck, a visibly scared Toby is picked up by human hands, his fate unknown. However, he is adopted by a family who love and cherish him. 

The days go by and Toby grows, until Christmas arrives. This is when he sees an advert for the same turkey farm he came from. Making the connection that he might be on the chopping block, and remembering his last image of his mother, Toby panics. He starts to run around the room before being caught by one of the family.

Given PETA’s propensity for provocative (and sometimes graphic) campaigns, viewers would be forgiven for assuming that the worst is about to happen. Instead, PETA shows Toby eating a vegan Christmas dinner alongside his plant-based family. This was followed a poignant message:

“Peace begins at home. Have a vegan Christmas,” the advert concludes.

An ‘out-of-touch tradition’

According to PETA, the slaughter and consumption of around 11 million birds each Christmas is an outdated enterprise, propped up by a desire to uphold tradition. 

The animal rights organization claims there is a contradiction at the heart of the holidays, with humans speaking of peace and goodwill to others while creating demand for mass animal killings.

“Killing animals is at odds with the festive message of love, hope, and joy,” it says. 

“Peace starts on your plate. The easy choice to skip eating animals spares them unfathomable suffering, and you can still have all the classic Christmas foods you love – just without the cruelty.”

This suffering includes being reared in cramped and disease-ridden poultry sheds until around the age of 12 to 26 weeks old. The birds are then killed for meat. Turkeys are usually hung upside down on a conveyor and dragged through electrified water before having their throats slit. Due to ineffective stunning, many are still conscious when they bleed out.

Conversely, in nature, turkeys are social animals who enjoy close relationships with their families. They can live for up to 10 years and are deemed highly intelligent, as well as playful. They also have unique personalities. Rescue birds have frequently been seen enjoying hugs and strokes from their carers, with whom they have bonded.

The post UK’s Largest Cinema Chains To Screen PETA’s First Vegan Christmas Advert appeared first on Plant Based News.

The film – named Where Does KFC Chicken Come From? – took home the gong for “Best Short Animal Advocacy Film” at the International Vegan Film Festival (IVFF) earlier this month. 

Matthew Glover, the owner of the brand, made the film in response to a video released by KFC called Behind The Bucket. The fast food restaurant teamed up with Joe.co.uk and social media influencer Niko Omilana to create a film that appeared to show chickens living in reasonable conditions on a meat farm.

But when Glover visited the same farm, which is in Lincolnshire, he found dead chickens on the floor and sick and injured birds. He also discovered plastic-wrapped bales and perches that the birds could not access.

“Being able to make these films and raise awareness of the terrible suffering these gentle creatures have to endure is enough of a reward for me,” Glover told Plant Based News (PBN). “I am only doing what I believe is right. The only way for people to stop participating in these cruel industries is if they see the truth. That is what motivates me to continue this work everyday.”

He added that he’s “humbled and honored” to receive the award, and expressed hope it will help it reach a wider audience of people. “The truth is our greatest weapon in this fight for change,” he continued.

Filmmaker Chris Shoebridge said: “telling powerful stories and creating beautiful images that reveal difficult truths and celebrate solutions is the very best way I can contribute to animal protection and a kinder world. When a film like this one receives an award it’s a huge honour, but what really motivates me is using storytelling to inspire change.”

Shoebridge added that the KFC investigation “underscores the significance of film as a medium for this kind of activism.”

“Powerful companies spend tens of millions of dollars hiding the truth from consumers through marketing, frivolous lawsuits, lobbying for ag gag legislation, or setting up their own ‘assurance schemes’. Yet just a few nights of investigative work, costing only a few thousand pounds, was featured in national newspapers, received more than 15 million views across social media, and showed people all over the world what really happens on chicken farms.”

Chicken farming in the UK

The UK often claims to have “world-leading” animal welfare, but numerous investigations have called this into question. 

So-called “broiler chickens” (those raised for meat) are almost always raised in horrific conditions. Around 95 percent of them are factory farmed, and some are now being housed in barns with up to a million other birds. 

Most have been selectively bred to be ready for slaughter at around 35 days old. They have been dubbed “frankenchickens,” and many suffer from mobility, heart, and respiratory problems because of their size. If a human baby grew at the rate they did, the baby would be the size of an adult tiger at eight weeks old. 

You can watch Where Does KFC Chicken Come From? on the Plant Based News YouTube channel

The post This Vegan Meat Brand Just Won A Film Award For Exposing KFC appeared first on Plant Based News.

The Land of Ahimsa looks closely at the meaning of the word. Ahimsa dates back roughly 4,000 years, and is inspired by the notion that all living beings share a spiritual energy. And therefore, to harm another is to harm oneself. 

Ahimsa is a central part of the Dhārmic religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. But India has become disconnected from its meaning, according to vegan activist and filmmaker Dolly Vyas-Ahuja. Instead, the South Asian country has seen a rise in the mistreatment of and violence towards animals. This is especially true of those in the food system. 

“Once I found out about the cruelty of dairy and animal agriculture, I started to see the world through their lens. Their baby being taken away was my baby. And their milk being stolen was my milk being stolen. Their anxiety, fear and pain became a part of me,” says Dolly Vyas-Ahuja, granddaughter of freedom fighter Chhaganlal Joshi. “I had to take action and share my truth with the rest of India.” 

Watch ‘The Land Of Ahimsa’ below

‘A call to action’

Teaming up with director Aryeman Ramsay, son of the late Bollywood film producer Keshu Ramsay, The Land of Ahimsa sees Dolly Vyas-Ahuja journeying across India and the US. There, she speaks to physicians, environmentalists, philanthropists, and experts in nutrition, spirituality, and advocacy about the importance of ahimsa and its role in modern-day India. 

The country’s growing health crisis, for example, has strong ties to the population’s rising consumption of various animal products. (India is known as the diabetes capital of the world.) Dr. Neal Barnard, who appears in the film, states that more and more vegetarians are suffering from diabetes. He says this is due to increased consumption of dairy and oils. Meanwhile, the planet as a whole is seeing the effects of climate breakdown, largely driven by unsustainable animal farming practices.

The Land of Ahimsa is a call to action. And, a demonstration of how reconnecting to the meaning of ahimsa brings us closer to a non-violent world. And as such, ease the suffering of all living beings.

In a joint statement, PBN co-founders Klaus Mitchell and Robbie Lockie said: “It’s an honor to be hosting The Land of Ahimsa on the Plant Based News YouTube channel. This documentary dives deep into some hard-hitting topics that are so often overlooked. This could not have come at a more important time.

“Digital media is a gift. It can help connect audiences to these issues, spark dialogue, and instill change in a world that needs it more than ever.” 

‘The Land of Ahimsa’ cast

The documentary features author and Advaita teacher Acharya Prashant, politician Maneka Gandhi, and Philip Wollen (former vice president of Citibank). Keegan Kuhn (Cowspiracy, What the Health), Dr. Neal Barnard (founder of the Physicians Committee of Responsible Medicine), and Jane Velez-Mitchell (founder of UnChainedTV) also appear in the film. Additionally, authors Dr. Rupa Shah and Dr. Will Tuttle, and Abhishek Sinha (founder of plant-based meat brand GoodDot). Radiologist Dr. Munish Chawla, physician Dr. Bandana Chawla, Darshana Muzumdar (founder of Ahimsa Land Foundation), Dr. Nandita Shah (founder of SHARAN), optometrist Dr. Deepak Kotecha, mountaineer Kuntal Joisher (thought to be the first vegan to climb Mount Everest), Arvind Animal Activist, Dr. Sulekh Jain (founder of the Jain Academic Foundation of North America), and many more.

The Land of Ahimsa is produced by Dolly Vyas-Ahuja and Mayur Ahuja. It is executive produced by Dr. Sailesh Rao (Cowspiracy, What the Health) and actor Jerome Flynn (Game of Thrones, Ripper Street).

The Land of Ahimsa is available to watch for free on the Plant Based News YouTube channel.

The post WATCH: Documentary Deep-Dives Into India’s Complicated History With Food And Peace appeared first on Plant Based News.