No rise in veganism despite spate of animal activist action

In the last few months, rural news outlets across the country have been full of stories about animal activists illegally trespassing on farms to protest and disrupt modern agricultural practices. But, according to research from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), this swell in protest activity is not matched by a rise in vegan or vegetarian eating habits.

MLA’s consumer insights research has revealed that the number of metropolitan people who identify as vegan or vegetarian has remained stable over the past three years at 7 per cent of the population.

“The key message is there’s no huge groundswell of people turning away from eating meat,” says MLA’s domestic marketing manager Graeme Yardy. “Veganism has a lot of celebrity influence. It’s not a fad, and people are free to choose what they eat, but it has to be viewed with the perspective of the evidence of what is happening at the broader level.

“At the heart of the issue is there’s so much media attention on veganism, alternative diets and activism. There’s an ability of small interest groups to have a huge voice compared to what Australians in general are doing with their lives.”

The research from MLA also revealed that 93 per cent of consumers see meat producers as responsible custodians of the land, with a strong show of community support for farmers affected by the illegal activist activity. Additionally, 15 per cent of meat eaters have identified as vegetarian in the past, showing a decent rate of return from vegetarian eating habits to meat consumption.