The Vegan Spring 2010

ISSN 0307−4811 01 Laser Proof

9 770307 481000

in this issue Thank you to all those who sent in photographs and descriptions of World Vegan Month activities, it is great to be able to include so many in this issue. It is also great to be able to announce the winners of the 2009 Vegan Society awards: congratulations to all of the winners!

In this issue we feature a Zero Carbon House, sociological reasons why there isn’t more opposition to nonhuman animal exploitation, the first in a series on vegans around the world, and a personal point of view from Gary Francione.

More good news: in a recent interview in The Times Lord Stern said: “Meat is a wasteful use of water and creates a lot of greenhouse gases. It puts enormous pressure on the world’s resources. A vegetarian diet is better.” Al Gore has also spoken of the environmental cost of farming animals, as have medical journal The Lancet and government ministers Andy Burnham and Hilary Benn. It is good that these issues are increasingly being discussed by policy makers, especially as eating food from animals significantly decreases the food available to feed the starving people of the world.

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HigHligHts

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HigHligHts/From tHe Ceo

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loCal News

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iNterNatioNal News

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Zero CarBoN HoUse

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VegaN soCietY awarDs

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wHY isN’t tHere more oppositioN to NoNHUmaN aNimal exploitatioN?

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VegetariaNism First? tHe persoNal View oF garY FraNCioNe

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message From tHe CHair oF CoUNCil

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VegaNs aroUND tHe worlD – eUrope, part i

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oUt aND aBoUt

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News aND iNFormatioN

24 reCipes

But of course for most vegans it is compassion for nonhuman animals that makes us go, and stay, vegan.

We think of the sheep who froze to death on the hills during the winter, the badgers to be sentenced to death by the Welsh Assembly because people want to farm cows, and the billions of animals who die every year simply because some people like to eat them.

The way I remain tolerant of non-vegans (the ones who know about the cruelties of the farming industry) is by thinking of all the things that I don’t do, but should. I know that I should write letters for Amnesty International, but I don’t. I know that I should buy organic locally grown vegetables that are in season, but I don’t always. And then I remember that I used to eat animals and steal their milk and eggs; and because I know that I don’t always do things that I should I become tolerant of others who aren’t vegan - though I still try to explain to them why they should be!

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grow VegaN

32 postBag 34 reViews/megaN 37 poem aND Hotel reView 38 YoUtH aND eDUCatioN 41

eVeNts

42 loCal CoNtaCts list 44 staFF aND CoUNCil listiNgs 45 ClassiFieDs 47 NUtritioN gUiDeliNes

Happy New Year.

48 CrossworDs

Rosamund Raha Editor

The Vegan Society

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Donald Watson House

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21 Hylton Street

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Birmingham

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Local rate 0845 45 88244 l Tel. 0121 523 1730 l Fax. 0121 523 1749 l e-mail: info@vegansociety.com l www.vegansociety.com Editor Rosamund Raha Design www.doughnutdesign.co.uk Front cover photo John Christophers Printed on Recycled paper

© The Vegan Society Registered Charity no. 279228 Company Registration no. 1468880 The views expressed in The Vegan do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or of the Vegan Society Council.

Nothing printed should be construed to be Vegan Society policy unless so stated. The Society accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine. The acceptance of advertisements (including inserts) does not imply endorsement.

The inclusion of product information should not be construed as constituting official Vegan Society approval for the product, its intended use, or its manufacturer/distributor. Contributions intended for publication are welcomed, but unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a SAE. Contributions will usually be edited.

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VegaN soCietY wiNter 2009 HigHligHts CABI GLOBAL SUMMIT ON FOOD SECURITY Our Chief Executive, Nigel Winter, attended the CABI global summit on food security in London on 20 October (http://www.cabi.org). About 200 people from around the world attended and there were useful presentations by Professor Bob Watson, Chief Scientific Advisor to Defra and Professor John Beddington, Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government.

PROSTATE MATTERS Roger Bacon who edits Prostate Matters (the newsletter of the Prostate Support Federation) asked for Dr Philip Bickley’s prostate cancer article which appeared in the Winter Vegan magazine so that he could reproduce it in his newsletter. He will give us full credit and include our website.

It appeared in January’s Prostate Matters.

WINDSOR CASTLE GOES VEGAN Vegan Society Chair of Council, George Rodger, wrote to The Duke of Edinburgh in November to thank him for laying on a vegan banquet for the “the Celebration of Faiths and the Environment” lunch which he hosted at Windsor Castle in November. Many VIPs attended including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Grand Mufti of Egypt and Archbishop Valentine Mokiwa, President of the All Africa Conference of Churches. The lunch was organised by the secular Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) and The UN Development Programme. http://www.arcworld.org/downloads/ARC-Windsor-pressrelease-food1.pdf

VEGAN SOCIETY WEBSITE Our new website (www.vegansociety.com) is going from strength to strength and since its launch we have received very many more enquiries than previously.

We are gradually putting new material onto the site including feature articles from back issues of The Vegan magazine which can be found here: http://www.vegansociety.com/About-TheSociety/Publications/The-Vegan-magazine/FeatureArticles/Feature-articles.aspx

EDUCATION Rob Jackson, our Education Officer, presented a seminar to a group of teachers at the Design and Technology show at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). Rob has been using online social networking sites to stimulate interest in The Vegan Society and our activities: www.facebook.com/thevegansociety www.myspace.com/thevegansociety twitter.com/thevegansociety If you have marketing experience or have worked with or in schools please contact Rob to offer assistance in raising awareness of our services: youth@vegansociety.com

VEGAN ADVOCACY n Information Officer, Verity Hunt-Sheppard presented the joint VPSG/Vegan Society awards at a prison service training centre in Rugby. n Vegan Society group contact Nitin Mehta continued to ­ press the Department of Health regarding animal ingredients in medicines.

TRADEMARK WHY VEGAN LEAFLET We have had our Why Vegan leaflet redesigned. We are keeping the original design for students and young people but the new design is more suitable for giving out more generally.

For free copies please contact info@vegansociety.com

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The Vegan Society has applied for trademark registration in India, which may take until December 2010 to be granted but should lead to some great new products and revenue. The trademark has recently been registered in Australia and Canada, helping to brand veganism on a global scale.

PUBLISHED ACADEMIC WORK Vegan Society Trustees Dr Matthew Cole and Dr Karen Morgan got an article and interview about their academic work on veganism published in the German magazine: Tierbefreiung. The article’s title is: Understanding the exploitation of nonhuman animals: why isn’t there more opposition? The article refers to the following paper written

by Vegan Society Trustee Dr Matthew Cole and Vegan Society member Dr Kate Stewart which appeared in a USA peer reviewed journal and looks at how children are encouraged to care about fictional animals, while their attention is diverted from the real animals used to produce food: Stewart, K. & Cole, M. The conceptual separation of food and animals in childhood. Food, Culture and Society 2009; 12(4): 457-476.

VEGAN SOCIETY VEGAN PLEDGE Our Vegan Pledge offers new vegans or those curious about veganism the opportunity to receive the support of a mentor.

Pledges can last for a week, two weeks or a month. About 200 people from the UK and overseas took the Vegan Pledge in 2009 and we have received back almost seventy postpledge questionnaires and the good news is that most people who returned their post-pledge questionnaire plan to stay vegan.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor please contact info@vegansociety.com

From tHe CHieF exeCUtiVe Nigel Winter

Advisors to the Government are increasingly recommending a strategy to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and decrease meat and dairy consumption. In October 2008 the Council of Food Policy Advisors was established to provide advice on a wide range of food policy issues. The Council has identified the following three priorities: a) Defining the low impact (sustainable) healthy diet. b) Government to exemplify best practice in health and sustainability through public food procurement. c) A strategy for increasing consumption and domestic production of fruit and vegetables. http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/food/policy/council/reports.htm The Government is currently developing a vision for sustainable and secure food in the UK and the Sustainable Development Commission was asked to provide advice on sustainable diets. The Commission has concluded that the changes likely to have the most significant and immediate impact on making our diets more sustainable, in which health, environmental, economic and social impacts are more likely to complement each other are:

n Reducing consumption of meat and dairy products n Reducing consumption of food and drink of low nutritional value (i.e. fatty and sugary foods) n Reducing food waste.

They recommend that Defra should undertake research on the social implications of dietary change including the acceptability of different diets, especially in relation to reducing meat and dairy consumption. http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=1033 The social costs of poor nutrition are estimated at £6 billion per annum in NHS costs alone. The Vegan Society is actively engaging with policy makers to explain how the vegan diet can meet nutritional requirements, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to global food security. The forward-thinking food producers are talking to us to find out how they can benefit from producing vegan foods. You can all lobby your local MP or talk to your local restaurant or food retailer to explain the benefits of vegan food. We need your help to raise awareness.

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The Vegan Society is now 65 but shows no sign of retiring, there being still so much work to be done. The Society consists of its members, every one of us, and we can all do something to spread the vegan word. Very often we don’t realize at the time that we’re having an effect. For instance 12 years ago, at the very first meeting of the group I’d set up following a house move, one of the ladies said she ate fish about once a month because she felt her body was telling her she needed it. I mentioned that my body had never told me I needed to eat fish. The lady didn’t come to the next meeting but at the following one she said that she’d been thinking about what I’d said and that if my body didn’t need fish then neither did hers, and thus she went from not even being vegetarian to being vegan.

One of our Local Contacts related recently that at a dance class she’d met a vegetarian lady about 15 years younger than her who couldn’t believe she was 65 and vowed to try to become vegan if it did that much good for you.

Another Contact told me that five years after becoming vegetarian she received a go vegan leaflet through the post, and on reading it she made the decision to become vegan immediately. She never found out who had sent the leaflet.

She did the same, anonymously, to a lady she knew who had been vegetarian for some time. When she bumped into the lady’s husband a good six months later he complained that his wife had become vegan and he wasn’t too happy about it: since receiving a leaflet in the post she had become a total pain.

However the story doesn’t end there because a year later the husband became vegan too!

Another Local Contact says that a couple of lads at a bus-stop pointed out that she didn’t remember them but that she used to give them vegan leaflets. One had done a project at school

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at the time and got A+ for it and had been vegan for a couple of years. The other was vegetarian and said our LC had shown them a film and “it was disgusting – they should never be allowed to do that!” That had been six years or more previously and yet he still seemed moved by it.

Yet another Contact says that sometimes giving people printed information enables them to make a decision on their own and works better than being preachy. I’m sure he’s right, yet we may never know that we’ve changed someone’s life (and saved the lives of countless animals) simply by giving someone a leaflet or making a chance remark.

All of you can help the cause in this way: you don’t have to be a Local Contact or even a member of a Group. All our leaflets and booklets can be read and downloaded free from the website and copies can be obtained from the Information Department: info@vegansociety.com or 0121 253 1730, but if you want to know more about becoming a Local Contact please contact me using the details below.

Details of Local Contacts approved since the November magazine came out are shaded in the list on p. 42-44. Varda in Edinburgh and Clair in Brighton were already listed as Group Contacts and David is an old hand, having returned to Cornwall after working abroad for several years. Jake has taken over the Blackpool group and Jenifer has set up a vegan group in Tunbridge Wells, not to compete with but to complement and cooperate with the other groups in Kent.

Oops, I almost forgot to wish you all a Very Happy and Very Vegan New Year!

Patricia Tricker, National Contacts’ Coordinator

As the Society’s work continues to expand while the number of hours in the day does not, we need to develop ever more efficient systems to deal with routine aspects of the workload and nowhere is this more urgent than in the international sphere. Rather than the International Coordinator simply dealing with anything “foreign” that happens to come along, staff are now involved not just in providing an initial response to queries but in building up searchable archives at the office to avoid duplication of effort so that changes in personnel will not mean valuable information and experience being lost.

Once these systems are fully in place, the International Coordinator will be free to concentrate on outreach, or even to get hit by a truck without nearly two decades of knowledge going under the wheels as well.

The Internet has had a lot to do with the huge increase in international contacts and can also help to provide solutions for the current overload. Now that the new website is up and running, feature articles from past issues of The Vegan are being uploaded so that the effort and research that went into them can be shared with organisations and individuals around the world, saving time and money currently spent posting copies of the magazine or emailing electronic versions of particular articles.

Our reputation for honesty and accuracy leads to numerous requests, often for the same articles, so putting them on our own website obviously makes sense.

Putting all this information on the website will increase the number of overseas inquiries still further, of course – just as putting the Vegan Pledge on the website has brought an ever greater number of overseas pledgers, often from countries with no active vegan group of their own and where the concept of vegetarianism let alone veganism is virtually unknown. These brave souls are especially keen to have a mentor to provide moral support and answer queries, but the number is now too great for one individual to keep in touch with them all. So where I know of a group or even an individual from the same part of the world

or the same language group I’m asking if they would be willing to take on part of the task – subject, of course, to Vegan Society policy on nutrition, animal experiments and other issues being understood and accepted. A previous pledger who is now a committed vegan may even offer to help newcomers. One is one and all alone, but two vegans in the same country are the beginning of a movement and I look forward to announcing the first former pledger to have set up a national society.

It will also be great to have translations of Vegan Society leaflets and booklets available to download from the website, just as the English language versions currently are. When a group of Togolese students contacted me after attending the recent West African congress inquiring after reliable information in French to pass on to their colleagues, I was able to tell them that Eating the Earth was already translated and Plant Based Nutrition is almost ready. Meanwhile, as a surprise for our friend Susianto in Indonesia – founder of the Indonesian Vegan Society and organiser of the upcoming World Congress – a bright young postgrad studying nutrition at Kings College London has translated the whole of the nutrition booklet into Indonesian. All we need now is someone to do the same in Chinese. I continue to wrestle with my conscience about the cost of actually attending the congress – not just how much could be done for veganism in the developing world with a donation the size of the air fare, but the fact that the emissions would wipe out the benefit of four years on a vegan diet compared with an omnivorous one.

Whether it’s summer or winter where you are right now, my warmest good wishes for the new year.

Vanessa Clarke International Coordinator

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Zero Carbon

House Trisan Parker in consultation with John Christophers

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“zero carbon” or “carbon neutral” building uses a variety of methods to avoid increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

The second is to use the energy of the sun in various ways. The third is to reduce to a minimum the amount of energy used in building the property.

The first principle is to make everything in the house as energy-efficient as possible so that no energy is wasted.

A unique zero carbon project in Birmingham hopes to demonstrate that “green does not have to be dull”,

in the words of John Christophers who designed the house. The house is attracting wide interest and more than 600 people visited at its recent launch.

As well as proving that sustainable design can co-exist with traditional architectural values, the project – redevelopment of a two-bedroomed Victorian house in Balsall Heath into a four-bedroomed property with a studio loft space – had three additional key aims: n To meet the standard of ‘zero carbon’ or Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH), which covers a range of sustainability measures including energy use, carbon emissions and water. This requires generation of renewable energy to meet the home’s energy needs. The house needs to produce at least as much energy as it consumes over the course of the year (in summer spare energy produced from solar panels is sold to the National Grid to offset electricity used from the grid at other times).

n To reuse an existing 1840s house and bring it up to zero carbon standard. This is a crucial aspect, as many of the UK’s exemplar sustainable houses have been newbuild, though the environmental benefits of reusing existing buildings are well documented. n To use very low energy ecological building materials.

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The home’s zero carbon status was achieved through a series of carbon reducing, energy-efficient and sustainability measures, including highly insulated walls and roofs (in both new and existing elements of the property).

Mechanical ventilation was also installed, with 93% efficiency in heat recovery, and the building has less than 3% thermal bridging, an 850 litre thermal store and photovoltaic panels.

Additionally, the house has been fitted with a biomass stove (to supply any ‘top-up’ heating, expected to be required for five to six weeks per year at most), a 350 litre rainwater harvesting system (using part of the existing cellar) and ‘rammed’ clay floors, constructed partially from soil excavated from the site. The construction process utilised many reclaimed materials, including 200-year-old Canadian honeydew maple, which was used for the stairs and other architectural features.

Although the project has successfully demonstrated that traditional architecture and eco-values can exist together, an additional problem is the increased difficulty of designing-in these features from an architectural viewpoint.

However, John has overcome this too: “I think it is a mindset thing. Yes, there are huge technical challenges to get to zero carbon levels, and there is not yet widespread knowledge, but, for example, if you accept that you will probably need thicker external wall constructions to achieve very good uvalues, the point is to use those thicknesses architecturally. So, we have had great fun carving our windows and other openings through the walls and using the splayed angles to frame views, form window seats, modulate daylight, etc.” [The u-value is a measure of the overall ability of a wall/roof/floor to prevent heat loss].

Location was also a factor; developing a zero carbon house in an inner-city urban area demonstrates that sustainable housing can be achieved in any location, without requiring extensive space or a rural setting.

There is an additional environmental advantage as the carbon footprint here will be less than, for instance, an ecohouse in a remote, rural location where public transport is much less available.

Here, it is practical to reach many places on foot, bicycle or bus.

Birmingham, explains that although this particular project has been designed as a ‘one-off’ , there are many principles and methods that can be replicated on a wider scale for any homeowners wishing to undertake an energy-efficient retrofit of their property.

Blending in with the local environment and existing architectural character was another design consideration. As a result, the front of the house is largely untouched, with only a roof light and a window within the existing door surround added. Additionally, the roofmounted solar panels are dark grey to match the colour of existing slate roofs in the area.

The fact that the house is a retrofit project sends a positive message to architects, construction professionals and homeowners, demonstrating that the costs and logistics of a new-build property (not to mention the significant environmental impact) need not be considerations when looking at the sustainability of their home. John, who works at Associated Architects in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHz aqqjs0g

There will be another open day on Saturday 28 March 12.30-4.30. Further information is available at: http://zerocarbonhousebirmingham.org.uk

The project owes a great deal to: Contractor: Bill Cave and Dell Brown at Speller Metcalfe Windows: Enersign from Green Building Store www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk Solar systems: Green Shop Solar www.greenshopsolar.co.uk 4

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n Roof insulation: Warmcel insulation is blown in dry under pressure through a tube. Manufactured from 100% recycled waste newspaper, it has extremely low embodied energy, requiring far less energy to produce than any other mainstream insulation material. It contains no added formaldehyde and is free from CFCs, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other toxic substances. n Water from the bath goes to a barrel in the garden, to be used for watering the garden: low-tech grey water recycling with no pumps, filters etc to go wrong. Low flow taps are used throughout to help save water.

MAIN FEATURES OF THE HOUSE: n A draught lobby to retain all its inner warmth when you come through the front door. The inner door is made from “Mykon”, a lightweight double skin material that filters and reflects light into the house and is also excellent insulation. n Double air seals around all edges of all doors. n Natural lime mortar is used without cement (which is responsible for 5% of global C02 emissions). n Hemp ropes are used for handrails.

These are more renewable and less energy intensive than stainless steel. n Kitchen work surfaces are by Bottle Alley Glass, 100% recovered from household and commercial waste.

Glass is unique as it can be recycled indefinitely without loss of quality.

Recycling saves 315kg of CO2 per tonne of glass melted. n Compressed earth blocks: Sumatec hydraulically compressed earth blocks are used as the main load-bearing construction for the three-storey building. These unfired clay blocks use waste clay, which is too earthy to make into bricks, and they have very low embodied energy. The blocks store heat very well and can also help to moderate or control internal humidity, absorbing moisture when it is too humid and giving it out again when it is too dry.

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n Rainwater harvesting: collecting and using rainwater from the roof for flushing the loos, for the washing machine, and a special tap in the kitchen (for scrubbing carrots!) will reduce the water consumption by about 50%. It will also reduce the amount of rainwater discharged into the drainage system. The water is filtered and stored in a specially made tank in the old cellar, using equipment from Rainharvesting Systems. n All the windows are triple glazed.

The thermal store upstairs (5x average UK domestic size) takes hot water from the solar panels and (a little) from the log-burning stove, and stores it for several days. This is used both for hot water and to provide extra solar heat through towel rails in the bathrooms. n Walls are finished with Glaster, a traditional lime plaster using ground up recycled glass in place of sand. n Airtightness: this includes using a special permeable membrane in the walls (it is permeable to stop condensation). Research shows that limiting warm air leakage, even through concrete walls, is an essential element of radically reducing heating needs. n Heavy construction throughout: stores heat and cool to keep the house warm in winter and cool in the summer. This works like a night storage heater and is known as “high thermal mass” construction. Lightweight (timber) construction can overheat dramatically in hot summers.

n Dual flush toilet uses 2/4 litres (rather than up to 10 litres in some UK WCs). This is important as there is a large hidden energy cost in cleaning, purifying and pumping water to our homes. This also preserves the rainwater from the roof for other uses. n South-west facing glass, tripleglazed, allows useful solar gains in winter when the sun angle is low.

In the summer the higher angle of the sun, and the leaves on the old ash tree, will shade the glass enough to prevent overheating. Above the windows there are insulating blinds.

The Code for Sustainable Homes This UK Government code sets standards for energy and water use, and assesses nine areas of sustainability: Carbon dioxide emissions and energy use Water use (including rainwater) Materials (including their “embedded energy”) Surface water run-off (should be minimised) Waste (including facilities to make recycling easy) Pollution (including pollution from insulating materials) Health and well-being (including good use of daylight) Management (including the construction process) Ecology (including preserving wildlife) A Level 6 home is highly sustainable, and over the course of a year net carbon emissions are zero. From 2016 all new homes should be built to this standard.

Each year Vegan Society members nominate their favourite vegan companies, products and people. The winners of the 2009 Vegan Society Awards are:

Best Fairly Traded Product Co-op Fairtrade Wines Vegan Achievement Award Benjamin Zephaniah Best Cruelty Free Non-Food Product Faith in Nature Best Vegan Catering* Demuths Restaurant, Bath Best Food Product Fry’s

Best Drink Co-op Wine

Best Retailer Co-op

Best Vegan Environmentally Friendly Product Faith in Nature Best Vegan Project or Campaign Vegan Organic Network

Best Vegan Accommodation Brambles, Isle of Wight

Best Vegan Hospital or Care Home Catering Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge

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Best Vegan Friendly School/College/University Bishop Otter, Chichester

Vegan Raspberry Award Quorn

*Having won three years in a row, Veggies stepped down from being considered for the ‘Best Vegan Catering’ category this year.

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wHY isN’t tHere more oppositioN to NoNHUmaN aNimal exploitatioN? Dr Matthew Cole & Dr Karen Morgan matthew.cole@vegatopia.org karen.morgan@vegatopia.org

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key element of our work as sociologists is to try to understand how the exploitation of other animals continues without more opposition. We don’t believe that human beings are intrinsically uncaring about the sufferings of others. Instead we believe that exploitation is made possible by two interconnected processes: concealing and objectifying.

WE ARE RESPONSIBLE Objectifying and hiding other animals is a result of the ways that humans treat, think, talk about and represent them – it is really nothing to do with the animals themselves. To take rabbits as an example, we know that they are killed for their flesh, exterminated as ‘vermin’, vivisected, confined as ‘pets’, etc.

CONCEALING ANIMALS The suffering and death of farmed animals is literally concealed from the eyes of most people for most of the time. At the same time farmed animals are hidden by the language used to (mis)represent their experiences. The books and toys most of us were given in childhood encouraged us to believe that farmed animals are contented and willingly ‘giving’ their milk, eggs or even flesh to us. In these ways, the real lives of farmed animals are made invisible.

This invisibility makes it much harder to recognize exploitation, and if people do not recognize there is a moral issue at stake, it is not surprising that they are not motivated towards veganism.

OBJECTIFYING ANIMALS To objectify an animal (human or otherwise) is to treat them as a means to an end, as a piece of laboratory equipment for a vivisector, or as a ‘meat machine’ for a factory farmer.

Denying that other animals suffer as a direct result of the choice not to be vegan is made easier by the lack of contact that most people have with farmed or vivisected animals. Even everyday language objectifies other animals and denies their capacity for intelligence or emotion, for instance in expressions like ‘bird-brained’ or ‘bullheaded’. These false beliefs about other animals enable people to objectify other animals even when they are in close contact with them.

“Denying that other animals suffer as a direct result of the choice not to be vegan is made easier by the lack of contact that most people have with farmed or vivisected animals.”

There is nothing in the ‘nature’ of being a rabbit that destines them to any of these fates. This point is obvious to vegans, but the excuse that it is the fate of an animal to be exploited is one of the most common ways that nonvegans justify their choices to themselves, and to us. We hear this in trite ‘jokes’ about animals being ‘meant’ to be eaten because they are ‘made of meat’, and so on.

CONNECTIONS WITH HUMAN OPPRESSIONS We know that many humans are also treated like objects, with their exploitation and suffering being hidden. The same processes of hiding and objectification are involved in the oppression of humans on the basis of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, class, disability, age and so on. These processes are often interconnected, as when oppressed humans are compared to oppressed nonhuman animals (for instance ‘vermin’) as a way to excuse their oppression.

Increasing levels of objectification tend to go hand-in-hand with decreasing visibility. Factory farms or sweat shops are hard to find and gain access to.

This suggests that we as a society are always well aware that it is morally wrong to exploit others. If we were not ashamed, why indeed don’t slaughterhouses have glass walls?

This level of shame gives us hope that by revealing what has been hidden, we can stimulate the compassion and anger that will motivate people to refuse to accept exploitation.

Revealing the reality of exploitation and challenging objectification therefore remain vitally important tactics for veganism.

FURTHER READING Stewart K. & Cole M. The conceptual separation of food and animals in childhood. Food, Culture and Society 2004; 12(4): 457-476 Cole M. & Morgan K. Ethical veganism and the challenge of interlocking oppressions: how do we create Vegatopia? Keynote speech presented at the 38th IVU World Vegetarian Congress, Dresden, Germany 30 July 2008. http://www.vegatopia.org/pdfs/IVU_Dr esden_Vegatopia.pdf

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Vegetarianism

First?

The Conventional Wisdom—and Why It’s Wrong Gary Francione www.abolitionistapproach.com

Photo: N. Romanenko

“Discussing veganism with people who are omnivores is too difficult. You have to start with vegetarianism.”

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very vegan has heard this notion expressed many, many times; indeed, it passes for conventional wisdom among those of us who take animal ethics seriously.

I would like to suggest that the conventional wisdom on this matter is wrong and that we should educate everyone, including and particularly omnivores, about veganism and should never promote vegetarianism as morally preferable to being an omnivore.

There is no morally significant distinction between flesh and other animal products. Animals used in dairy are generally kept alive longer than those used for meat, are treated every bit as badly if not worse, and end up in the same slaughterhouse. Moreover, the slaughter of animals for meat and the dairy industry are inextricably intertwined in that there would be no veal industry without the dairy industry and dairy cows are all slaughtered and consumed.

I have said many times that if I were forced to choose between eating a steak or drinking milk and I was to make the decision solely on the basis of suffering, I would choose the steak. To promote vegetarianism rather than veganism is similar to—and as nonsensical as—promoting eating the meat from spotted cows rather than the meat from cows without spots.

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“We should never present flesh as somehow morally distinguishable from dairy. To the extent it is morally wrong to eat flesh, it is as morally wrong—and possibly more morally wrong—to consume dairy.”

When we promote this artificial distinction, it is even more difficult for someone who gives up flesh to go vegan because she sees no reason to.

As often as I have heard animal advocates urge that we should promote vegetarianism rather than veganism, I have heard vegans say that they remained vegetarians for many years before going vegan because they believed that they were being “compassionate” and acting morally, and were discharging their moral obligations to animals by not eating flesh but eating dairy products.

We should never present flesh as somehow morally distinguishable from dairy. To the extent it is morally wrong to eat flesh, it is as morally wrong— and possibly more morally wrong—to consume dairy.

HOW DO WE RAISE THE ISSUE OF VEGANISM? Animal advocates often ask me: how do we raise the issue of veganism with omnivores without having them turn us off at the outset?

It’s easier than you think. As a general matter, it is almost always easier to have a discussion with someone if that person does not feel that you are judging her in a negative way and if you engage the thinking processes of the other person.

So it is always preferable to discuss the matter of veganism in a non-judgmental way. Remember that to most people, eating flesh or dairy and using animal products such as leather, wool, and silk, is as normal as breathing air or drinking water. A person who consumes dairy or uses animal products is not necessarily or usually what a recent and unpopular American president labeled an “evil doer.”

The most effective way to get someone to “get” veganism is to demonstrate how it fits with what she already believes.

You can do this in a number of ways.

Here’s an actual example of an exchange, lightly edited, that I had recently on a live chat program: “Do you agree with the notion that it is wrong to inflict unnecessary suffering or death on animals?”

“Yes, of course.”

We just pay someone else to do the dirty work.”

“But surely there’s a difference.”

“What is that difference? You don’t need to eat animal products. Indeed, many mainstream health care professionals agree that animal products are detrimental to human health. And animal agriculture is unquestionably an ecological nightmare. The best justification that we have for inflicting pain, suffering, and death on more than 56 billion animals annually, not counting fish, is that they taste good.”

“I never thought of it like that.”

We had another follow-up chat about the treatment of cows in the production of dairy. Three days later, the person involved in this exchange wrote to tell me that she had decided to become vegan.

Third, I encourage those who really are unwilling to go vegan immediately to follow the “Vegan 1-2-3” plan. This introduces veganism in three stages.

The person goes vegan for breakfast for some period of time (a few weeks, a month). She sees how easy it is and how delicious and satisfying a vegan breakfast is. She then goes vegan for lunch for some period of time, and then for dinner, and then she’s vegan.

Although I think that the Vegan 1-2-3 plan is preferable to eating “happy” meat or dairy, I never concede that eating animal products is ever morally right. I always want to be clear that veganism is the only position that makes sense if you take animal interests seriously. The other person is always clear that even if she is not ready to go vegan immediately, nothing short of veganism will discharge the important moral obligation involved.

CONCLUSION

“We could have an interesting discussion about the fine points of “necessity,” but would you agree that it is wrong to inflict suffering and death on animals for reasons of pleasure, amusement, or convenience?”

INCREMENTAL STEPS

“No brainer. Sure. I really objected when it was revealed that [American football player] Michael Vick was involved with fighting dogs. I think it’s barbaric to do that.”

First of all, I always emphasize that it is easy to go vegan. I very consciously reject the notion promoted by many animal advocates that veganism is difficult. It’s easy. I have been a vegan for 27 years now. It was more difficult when I started but it was not that difficult, even in 1982. In 2009, it’s a breeze. And if you want to eat healthily and avoid prepared foods, it’s even easier.

“Why?” “It’s obvious. It’s wrong to make animals suffer and die for our amusement.”

“Do you eat meat or cheese or drink milk?”

“Yes, I do not eat much beef because I know it’s bad for you but I eat pork, chicken, and fish. And I love cheese and ice cream.”

“What is the difference between what you’re doing and what Michael Vick did?”

“What? I don’t understand.”

“Well, Michael Vick imposed suffering and death on animals because he enjoyed the results. Those of us who eat meat and dairy impose suffering and death on animals because we enjoy the results.

I am often asked what to say to a person who expresses agreement with the moral theory of veganism but says that she cannot go vegan right away.

Second, I never encourage anyone to eat cage-free eggs or “happy meat” or organic milk, etc. First of all, all of these animals are tortured. Although animals who are supposedly raised in “freerange” circumstances, or whose products are advertised as “organic,” are raised in conditions that may be slightly less brutal than the normal factory farm, they are all still tortured.

I will never portray these products as anything but what they are: gimmicks that are intended to make humans feel more comfortable about consuming nonhumans.

Donald Watson, who founded The Vegan Society in 1944 and who lived a healthy, active life until passing on in 2005, maintained that dairy products, such as milk, eggs, and cheese, were every bit as cruel and exploitive of sentient animal life as was slaughtering animals for their flesh: “The unquestionable cruelty associated with the production of dairy produce has made it clear that lactovegetarianism is but a half-way house between flesh-eating and a truly humane, civilised diet, and we think, therefore, that during our life on earth we should try to evolve sufficiently to make the ‘full journey.’” He also avoided wearing leather, wool or silk and used a fork, rather than a spade in his gardening to avoid killing worms.

Let us instill in others the reverence for life that Donald Watson had and that he passed on to us.

His latest book, The Animal Rights Debate: Abolition or Regulation?, which will present a debate between Professor Francione and Professor Robert Garner (University of Leicester), will be published by Columbia University Press later this year.

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FROM THE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL

S

ince the 2008 Annual General Meeting, we have never had a full Council of twelve trustees.

I find this a bit worrying.

The Vegan Society is a Registered Charity (number 279228) and is also a Limited Company (number 1468880), so Council members are both trustees of a Charity and Company Directors.

I’ll just call them trustees.

I won’t pretend that being on Vegan Society Council is the most exciting thing imaginable, but it does carry out a very important rôle, in partnership with the paid staff and volunteers who work in the Society’s office in Birmingham.

There’s a list of trustees, staff and volunteers on page 44 of this magazine.

In simple terms, Council decides policy, the staff and volunteers carry it out.

And a large part of the role is managing the charity: risk management, strategic planning, financial planning, health and safety policy etc.

The Council of Management, to give it its full title, is the governing body of The Vegan Society, the Board of Directors, but it is answerable to you, the members. The Vegan Society is your Society and all full members over the age of eighteen, with at least a year’s membership, are entitled to stand for election to Council.

You’ll see a notice inviting you to stand for Council in the summer issue of The Vegan, but you don’t need to wait until then.

All you need is two other members (full members, not supporters!) to propose you, and a nomination pack, which can be had by writing to the Chief Executive, who is also the Company Secretary. You then fill in the nomination pack with details of yourself and the signatures etc of your two proposers and return it before the end of July.

A third of the trustees (the longest serving) stand down every year, creating a number of vacancies.

The retiring trustees are allowed to stand for re-election. If there are more nominations than vacancies, a postal ballot is held, giving all members the chance to elect or re-elect trustees.

If there are fewer nominations than vacancies, or an equal number, the candidates are automatically elected.

“The Council of Management, to give it its full title, is the governing body of The Vegan Society, the Board of Directors, but it is answerable to you, the members.”

It helps if trustees have previous experience of committee work, such as in another charity, a business, a local council, a trade union, a political party, a student society, etc.

Ideally, trustees should have a variety of knowledge and skills, such as in the financial, legal, medical, scientific, business and political spheres. And it helps to have some just with a bit of common sense! And of course they must have a strong commitment to veganism.

Trustees do not get paid for being on Council. They are entitled to claim reasonable legitimate expenses, for the likes of travel to Council meetings, and overnight accommodation if they live a long way from Birmingham (like me), so at least they should not be out of pocket.

Council members decide themselves how many meetings to have, but it is usually between six and eight meetings a year. Meetings are normally at a weekend. Trustees also have to spend a fair bit of time on Society business between meetings.

Council appoints various trustees to particular functions: Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer. At present we also have Information Consultants, Health and Nutrition Spokespersons, Media Contacts, a National Contacts’ Coordinator and an International Coordinator, although these are not necessarily trustees.

If you think you have what it takes to become a trustee of The Vegan Society, but wish further information, please contact the office and ask for a nomination pack, without obligation.

If you have read this far, thank you.

The result of the election is announced at the Annual General Meeting, on 20th November.

George D Rodger Chair of Vegan Society Council of Management

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The Vegan Spring 2010:The Vegan Winter 2004 02/02/2010 10:16 Page 16

Vegans around the world

Europe, Part l Vanessa Clarke

T

his is not an exhaustive list of vegan resources. For this, see www.ivu.org, , www.worldanimalnet.org, www.happycow.net/europe and of course Google (also useful for translating non-English websites).

The aim here is to give readers a taste of how veganism has been developing in Europe and perhaps prompt further interest and research.

In addition to the UK and Eire, The Vegan Society has members in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Many also run groups or even national societies.

In countries without a national vegan society, I have included vegan organisations such as Animal Friends and/or national vegetarian societies.

Leaders known to be vegan are shown with an asterisk (Vegan Society members get two, Patrons and Life Members three).

Council (with several Vegan Society members.) Huge multilingual information resource, including historical information and thousands of recipes, all vegan. Catering at IVU events is always vegan.

INTERNATIONAL VEGETARIAN UNION

www.euroveg.eu Umbrella organisation for vegan/vegetarian societies in Europe, including Turkey and Asian Russia.

Hon. General Secretary: Shabari Monica Saha**

www.ivu.org Umbrella organisation for vegetarian/vegan societies worldwide.

Predominantly vegan International

Western Europe GERMANY Vegetarierbund Deutschland e.V., Blumenstraße 3, 30159 Hannover www.vebu.de President: Sebastian Zösch** Germany hosted the first IVU World Congress in Dresden in 1908, the centenary congress in Dresden in 2008 and the Third International Vegan Festival in 1987.

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EUROPEAN VEGETARIAN UNION

NETHERLANDS Nederlandse Vereniging voor Veganisme, Herenweg 59, 3513 CC Utrecht www.veganisme.org Cor Nouws** and the Dutch vegans organised the Fifth International Vegan Festival in 1990.

SWITZERLAND Schweizerische Vereinigung für Vegetarismus, Bahnhofstr. 52, 9315 Neukirch (Egnach) www.vegetarismus.ch President: Renato Pichler* Lots of vegan activity in this multilingual country and a new vegan hotel on Lake Constance, venue for the EVU Spring gathering.

FRANCE Association Végétarienne de France, 11 bis rue Gallier, 77390 Chaumes-en-Brie www.vegetarisme.fr President: André Méry* The French Vegan Society set up by Stéphane Hennion** and Jean-François Leménicier** has been dormant for quite a while, but there are hopes that it will rise from the ashes with so many new vegan groups and festivals springing up. Sunflower-accredited vegan accommodation in Paris: www.gentlegourmetbandb.com

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MALTA Vegetarian Society of Malta www.vegmalta.org Organisers of the all-vegan Mediterranean Vegfest in 1999.

Southern Europe PORTUGAL Centro Vegetariano, R. Josefina Fonseca 25, 3400-107 Oliveira do Hospital www.centrovegetariano.org Associação Vegetariana Portuguesa, Apdo 1085, 1050-001 Lisboa www.avp.org.pt

ITALY Progetto Vivere Vegan, via di Montisoni 37, Antella 50012 Bagno a Ripoli (Fl) www.viverevegan.org See also , www.veganitalia.com, www.veganlife.it At the 1997 EVU congress vegan medic Riccardo Trespidi conducted blood tests for a study by Verona University. The results demonstrated the importance of vitamin B12 for vegans.

SPAIN Asociación Vegana Española (AVE), Apdo Postal 478, 29740 Torre del Mar (Malaga) www.ivu.org/ave Founded by anti-bullfighting activist Francisco Martín*** who also set up Spain’s first animal rights group and organised the Seventh International Vegan Festival in 1993.

Unión Vegetariana Española (UVE), Apdo 348, 03800 Alcoy (Alicante) www.unionvegetariana.org Umbrella organisation for vegan/vegetarian groups, run by David Román*, IVU Deputy Webmaster, author of a book on veganism in Spain and translator of Vegan Society nutrition booklet.

Award-winning veggie/vegan restaurant/guesthouse in the Alpujarras mountains near Granada: www.ivu.org/atelier

BELGIUM Ethisch Vegetarisch Alternatief (EVA) vzw, St-Peersnieuwstraat 130, 9000 Gent www.vegetarisme.be President: Tobias Leenaert*, instigator of the weekly veggie day.

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tHe east miDlaNDs VegaN FestiVal

Animal Aid’s 17th annual Christmas fair took place on 6th December 2009 at Kensington Town Hall in London. For those who have not been before, this vibrant event is the perfect place to pick up all your Christmas shopping and meet up with friends too. With over 85 stalls there was a massive array of things to buy, including clothing, toiletries, homeware, toys, treats for companion animals, and of course food.

Whether it was the vegan cupcakes and trifles that tickled your fancy or the hot curries and raw food salad boxes, the selection was almost overwhelming. It wasn’t all shopping and eating, though - there were children’s activities, talks, a celebrity auction and the ever popular pressup competition. Congratulations to Animal Aid on another great event and see you again next year!

The sixth East Midlands Vegan Festival took place, as always, in Nottingham on the second Saturday in December and was sponsored by Veggies and The Vegan Society. It had expanded since 2008, with stalls overflowing into the room where talks used to take place and the talks promoted to the floor above, which meant that even with almost 2,000 visitors between 11am and 5pm it never felt too crowded so it was easy both to spot old friends and to move about to make new ones and chat to stallholders.

aNimal loVers’ FaYre glasgow On World Vegan Day six groups held stalls at The Animal Lovers’ Fayre at Stereo Cafe, Glasgow: The Vegan Society, Scottish Vegans, The Vegan Society of the University of Glasgow, The Glasgow Vegan Meetup Group (organisers of the Fayre), Scotland ed, tried the for Animals and The Dogs Trust. Many people attend entered lders, stallho to spoke ts, vegan food, took home leafle by all. had was time great A ases. purch made competitions and

st Hilldale, Lancashire, Saturday 31 October 2009 Local vegan cookbook author Catherine Greenall attended Hilldale Coffee and st Cake Morning’s Vegan Day on 31 October 2009 and provided information and advice about a vegan diet. She provided free samples from her book Soup, Vegans Can’t Eat Anything! to 60 visitors who tried Halloween Pumpkin also a was There Pizzas. le Vegetab Spinach and Sweet Potato Pies and Roasted ition. compet aking children’s Halloween biscuit-b

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The Vegan Society stall was busy all day, with Mike (behind stall, left) in his favourite T-shirt doing his Sales and Membership stuff assisted by Howard (behind stall, right) and Diana (front, left, chatting to Lincoln Local Contact Linda). Howard and Diana are our joint Finance Officers but give up much of their free time to do voluntary work for the Society.

Trustee Alex gave one of his famously idiosyncratic and very entertaining cookery demos and National Contacts’ Coordinator Patricia helped on the Vegan Organic Network stall, sampled all the free food (the favourite being Plamil’s rum and raisin choc) and spent a small fortune on goodies to take home.

Many thanks to Patrick and the rest of the Veggies gang for not only organizing the event but for working hard throughout the day to ensure that there were enough of their yummie burgers and cakes to go round.

liNColN Free VegaN FooD Fair We don’t know why Gordon, our Local Contact in North Shields, is looking so glum. Perhaps he thinks that if he smiles he’ll look just toooo devastatingly handsome! It certainly wasn’t because he was having a bad day as the success of the first North-East Xmas Without Cruelty Fair, held in Newcastle on 28th November, vindicated the hard work that Mark and other members of Veg NE put into organizing it. Many of the stalls, including those providing refreshments, were run by group members and there was a Vegan Society stall with T-shirts, cookery books, Veg1 and other merchandise.

The fact that so many animal sanctuaries had stalls was an indication that the people who run them realize that kindness to animals includes not eating them, which is of course a good thing, but it’s a great pity that there is a need for such sanctuaries at all.

On 7th November 450 visitors attended a Vegan Food Fair in Lincoln. The feedback was that everyone had a fantastic time and enjoyed the great vegan food.

Linda Wardale, Group Coordinator for Vegan Lincs and Local Contact for The Vegan Society was interviewed twice by journalist students from Lincoln University, and they filmed the event. The journalists went vegan for the day!

The venue was ideal, being right opposite the main railway station. Despite long hours running his vegan business, Alternative Stores, Mark always seems to have energy to spare for organizing vegan events in the north-east, the next biggie being the third NE Vegan Gathering, 2 – 9 April, in the beautiful county of Northumberland (see www.vegne.co.uk).

miltoN KeYNes Milton Keynes Vegetarians Vegans & Animal Rights group ran an information stall for World Vegan Day in Buckingham where such events are generally well received.

Throughout November Southend Animal Aid held vegan food taster sessions in Southend Central Library.

The stall also had Vegan Society literature to give out.

There were lots of free samples of vegan food on offer, which were kindly donated by vegan and vegan-friendly companies.

Lots of library users asked questions about vegan food and gave feedback on how delicious they thought the food tasted.

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Jakarta and Bali, Indonesia, 1st to 9th October 2010 Less than a year after hosting the highly successful 4th Asian Vegetarian Congress, Indonesia is the venue for this year’s World Veg Congress thanks to the ceaseless efforts of Susianto Tseng and his colleagues. In addition to his work as IVU Regional Coordinator for East/South-East Asia and Oceania and a leading member of the 80,000-strong Indonesian Vegetarian Society, last year Susianto played a leading role in setting up the new Vegan Society of Indonesia ww.vegansocietyindonesia.org The theme of the congress is billed as “Save our Life – Save our Planet” and issues such as global warming will loom large on the agenda. For further details see www.wvc2010.org

Susianto Tseng

tHe 2ND west aFriCa VegetariaN CoNgress was October 29 - November 2, 2009 The event lasted three days and included talks, seminars, a carnival and a march through the streets of Accra to the Health Ministry, where participants were pleased to see a huge official placard on the side of the building proclaiming: “Eat more fruit and vegetables and less meat”. There were also cookery demonstrations and competitions, public food tastings and a large gift of vegan food to a local orphanage.

A group of vegan students from Togo came with a lecturer from Lomé University, Prof.

Ameyo, and plans are afoot to help groups in Frenchspeaking Africa with translations of Vegan Society literature. http://www.ivu.org/ africa/ghana2009.html

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n mrsa wiDespreaD iN eUropeaN pigs A Soil Association press release has pointed out that the first Europe-wide testing of pig herds for MRSA has found that the MRSA bacteria are present in 17 of 24 member states tested.

The study revealed that MRSA was not found in any British pigs tested, but the Soil Association is calling for improved testing because it could easily have been missed due to a poor testing method which had not been checked before the survey began.

n VegaN rUgBY plaYer Becky Essex, made her debut for the England Women’s Rugby team in Ireland in December 2008. Becky is the first vegan to play for England. Becky started the game that was broadcast live on Sky Sports at Twickenham on Saturday 21st November, which saw England beat the Black Ferns and record the first victory by any team over the New Zealand women since England last beat them in 2001. BBC coverage of the England victory can be seen here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/8367 025.stm Yesterday also saw the launch of the Women’s World Cup which is being played in London in August / September 2010, which of course Becky will be hoping to be involved in.

n gooD CitiZeNsHip The Sunday Times (15th November 2009) has a report which says that as part of the Good Citizenship programme the government has decreed that children should be taught to be kind to non-human animals. New curriculum guidance says citizenship classes should pay due regard to what it calls ‘mini beasts‘ including bees, ants and worms. It says that children can become ‘active citizens’ by learning that other living things have needs and they have responsibilities to meet them.

By the age of seven pupils should have learnt that humans have responsibilities to ensure the wellbeing of animals and they should have been made aware that insects should not be ‘stamped on.’

The model lessons which are not compulsory for schools have been drawn up by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Children should also be taught that it is illegal to leave dogs in cars on hot days and that they should not disturb fledglings in nests.

The testing method used pooled dust samples from pig pens, instead of nasal swabs taken from the pigs themselves. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which published the research, has admitted the method had a “lack of sensitivity” and that “the absence of any MRSA from the tested samples in this survey does not imply that a member state is MRSA-free in the holding types investigated.”

MRSA could therefore be present at low levels in British pigs, which in time could escalate into a major problem, due to the extremely high levels of antibiotic use in intensive pig farming in the UK. Unfortunately, the UK is the only large country in Western Europe which has refused to carry out its own national survey of pigs using nasal swabs.

Farm-animal MRSA is a new strain which has developed due to the overuse of antibiotics on factory farms. It can spread from farm animals to humans, where it has already caused many lifethreatening conditions including skin, blood, heart and bone infections, as well as pneumonia. It has also caused at least one fatality. In the Netherlands, the proportion of human MRSA cases of farm-animal origin rose from 0% in 2002 to 40% in 2008. Those most at risk are people who work with colonised farm animals, and their families. However, some cases have already occurred in the wider community, including in Scotland.

The much lower level of antibiotic use on organic farms is likely to minimise the chances of MRSA emerging on these farms.

The UK also imports live chicks and turkey poultry from countries like Belgium and the Netherlands, which have already found MRSA in their poultry, but no testing of British poultry has yet been carried out.

Soil Association Policy Adviser, Richard Young said: “It is good news that MRSA has not yet been found in British pigs, but we are in a rapidly developing situation with several different strains of farm-animal MRSA emerging. MRSA testing is simple and relatively inexpensive and there can be no excuse for not introducing a comprehensive UK testing programme in pigs, poultry cattle and horses, based on the tried and tested use of nasal swabs.

For further information go to www.soilassociation.org

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n iNCreasiNglY more CompaNies DoN’t waNt to test oN aNimals Scientists are showing an increasing interest in using and developing new techniques without the use of animals to advance medical research, says the Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research (DHT). The charity has received a record number of applications from scientists seeking funding to develop non-animal techniques in medical research but says that more funding is needed to harness the full potential of these technologies.

The Dr Hadwen Trust is the UK’s leading medical research charity funding exclusively non-animal techniques, with a portfolio of projects at universities, hospitals and research institutes across Britain. The charity currently awards up to £700,000 in grants annually in a wide range of medical fields such as cancer, neurological diseases and cardiovascular conditions, to name a few.

This year the charity received 120 research applications for funding, a record 500% increase on the previous year. This is the highest number of applications ever received in the DHT’s forty year history; a 114% increase compared to the highest intake in 2003. The DHT says that such an increasing interest from scientists from all fields to advance medical research and replace animal experiments is a very positive and significant step forward.

An impressive range of cutting-edge research approaches, including advanced 3D cell culture techniques, computer modeling and non-invasive brain scanning are being proposed by scientists dedicated to improving medical progress by replacing often inadequate or poorly performing animal models with more human-relevant techniques.

“The limitations of using animals are becoming increasingly acknowledged within the scientific community. This is reflected by the increase in the number of grant applications where applicants are motivated by a desire to improve the quality of their research and replace animals with more humanrelevant advanced methods and technologies.” says Dr Sebastien Farnaud, Science Director of the DHT. “The ethical responsibility to tackle animal suffering is also a key factor, with many of the proposals having the potential to replace the use of thousands of animals each year.”

The DHT has a forty-year history of funding innovative research that advances medical progress and saves human and animal lives. Past DHT successes include funding early stage research which led to a non-animal method to replace the Draize rabbit test for severe eye irritancy; ground-breaking research in the early 1990s that pioneered the development of the noninvasive MEG brain scanner (magnetoencephalography) to study the human brain and replace invasive experiments on cats and monkeys, and in 2009 the first three-dimensional multi-cellular model of a form of human breast cancer.

The charity’s current research portfolio includes development of further threedimensional human tissue structures with targeted gene disruptions that replace genetically modified mice; use of fibroblasts as a new disease model for Huntington’s disease; and an advanced brain research tool called dual-site transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), instead of invasive experiments on primates, to study brain function in humans.

To find out more about the DHT go to www.drhadwentrust.org

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n New DataBase For aNimal Free agriCUltUre - more tHaN 1700 reFereNCes The Vegan-Organic Network, in collaboration with Vegatopia, are pleased to announce a new database of over 1700 scholarly references related to the science, practice and benefits of animal free agriculture: http://www.vegatopia.org/bibliography.html The database will be immensely useful for those with a research or practitioner interest in animal free agriculture, including growers, government, NGOs, academics and students. The database includes full academic references for every entry. Most entries are also annotated with summary notes and key quotations.

The database is the work of the late Dave of Darlington. Dave was a vegan-organic grower in Durham who made a life work of studying the benefits of animal free agriculture in relation to its implications for world peace and ecology. As part of this he compiled many references and related information. Dave, a gentle modest man, died in May 2008.

Phil Sleigh of the Vegan-Organic Network kindly took over responsibility for the database and has converted it into the Excel spreadsheet and html versions available from the above link. For queries, comments or corrections contact Phil at von@sleigh.me.uk For notes explaining the database fields and the abbreviations used, see http://www.vegatopia.org/pdfs/dave%20 of%20darlington%20database%20notes .pdf

n

VegaN iCe Cream

On a recent trip to Lljubjiana in Slovenia Matin Fox was amazed to find this vegan ice cream parlour. He says that all of the flavours were delicious!

Inside the café there were many vegan cakes for sale too.

n VegaN rUNNers It’s been a busy few months for the Vegan Runners. The Rainforest Foundation 10K which took place in London on 1st November, coinciding with World Vegan Day, was targeted as the main event and one in which we tried to gain mainstream media coverage of our team’s participation. Since the purpose of the event was to help protect the rainforest, we also hoped to draw attention to the benefits of a vegan diet for the environment. Alas, an absolute and unrelenting downpour on the day meant the event looked more like a swimming contest than a running race and reduced our team to 4 from an expected 8. But there was strong and much appreciated spectator support from other members of vegan runners and their friends.

During the season, Vegan Runners also competed in the 9.8K Meall a Bhuachaille Hill race, near Aviemore, Scotland, 10K races in Brighton and Hayling Island, the Great Eastern Run in Peterbrough and half marathons in Kenilworth, the Royal Parks, London, Leicester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Worksop and Stroud.

We were also represented in full marathons in Abingdon and Luton - with Cedric David and Helen Watkinson running their first marathons in the latter.

Anna Finn has continued in her heroic mission to become the youngest woman ever to complete 100 marathons – taking in recently the 100 mile Caesar’s Camp Ultra marathon in Hampshire, the off-road Blackwater Marathon in Essex, the 39 mile Marriott’s Way Ultra in Norfolk, Newcastle Town Moor Marathon and, as her last ultra marathon of the year, the ultra muddy, Gatliff 50K in Kent. At the time of writing her ‘marathon’ count stood at 81. Anna recently celebrated her 33rd birthday and hopes to reach the 100 marathon mark around May 2010.

n rememBeriNg tHe aNimals wHo Die iN war Vegan Society member Bill Palethorpe and his friend Ann Johnson laid a wreath of purple poppies at the war memorial in Eastbourne on 8 November to remember the nonhuman animals who have died in war.

It was part of a formal ceremony that remembered both human and nonhuman animal fatalities and was reported in Eastbourne papers The Herald and The Gazette, in the Lewes paper The Express, in a Brighton paper as well as in The Independent and The Guardian. Ann and Bill also gave local radio interviews.

Members have continued to spread the word internationally this year with our vegan runners vests either training or racing on the streets of Athens, Berlin, Benidorm, Eindhoven, Hamburg, Helsinki, Hollywood, Mainz, Paris and Rio de Janeiro - where Vanessa Hudson attended the International Vegan Festival and gave a well received, brief talk to the attendees on Vegan Runners UK. On a lighter note, member Dave Arnold did Vegan Runners proud at the Animal Aid Christmas Fayre in London in December, winning the annual Press Up competition for the fourth year running by completing a staggering 93 press ups – streets ahead of the competition.

We welcome new members of all abilities. For more info and for race results see http://www.veganrunners.makessense.co.uk/index.html

Non-human animals have regularly been exploited in wartime to search for mines, test for gas, carry messages, they have been used as transport and have had new weaponry tested on them to name only a few examples of their poor treatment.

Please contact Bill Palethorpe if you would like advice or help in planning a wreath-laying in your town.

Photo by Jamie Smith Left to right: Chris, Vanessa, James and Peter

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lemoNY Carrot DHal Recipe courtesy of www.britishcarrots.co.uk Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking: 30-35 minutes

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and carrots and sauté for 3-4mins. Add the garlic, chilli, ginger and sauté for 1 minute.

Stir in the lentils, curry paste, lemon zest and juice and stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes

or until the carrots are tender and the lentils have broken down.

Remove from the heat, stir in the coriander and season to taste.

Serve hot with rice and/or naan bread.

Serves 4 30ml/2tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 450g/1lb carrots, peeled and chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped 2.5cm/1in root ginger, peeled and chopped 225g/8oz split red lentils 15ml/1tbsp medium curry paste zest and juice of 2 lemons 1.15ltr/2pts vegetable stock 30ml/2tbsp chopped fresh coriander salt and freshly ground black pepper coriander to garnish rice and/or vegan naan bread to serve

raw(isH) sweet-pesto ‘pasta‘

by Joshua Katcher, The Discerning Brute www.thediscerningbrute.com (serves 2) 1 med-large courgette 1½ cups fresh basil leaves ¼ cup raw cashews ½ ripe avocado ¼ cup water 1 clove garlic 2 large dried figs (black mission figs if possible) 1 tbs cider vinegar 1 tbs nutritional yeast, e.g. Engevita 2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp Italian seasoning or oregano Using a vegetable peeler, shred the courgette very thinly (using very little pressure).

In a blender, combine the basil, cashews, avocado, water, garlic, figs, vinegar, nutritional yeast, salt and Italian seasoning. Save the black pepper for putting on top!

Pour the pesto over the shredded ‘pasta’ mix, top with the pepper, and serve.

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Vegan ChoColate & Cinnamon RugelaCh

by Joshua Katcher, The Discerning Brute and his Mom Cindy www.thediscerningbrute.com makes about 30-40 pastries 2 cups organic unbleached plain white flour 1 cup organic wholemeal pastry flour ¼ cup coconut oil 2 cups organic sugar ¼ cup prepared egg replacer 4 tbsp hard vegan margarine 6 tbsp tofu cream cheese 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in ¼ cup warm soya cream ¼ cup ground cinnamon ½ cup chopped organic walnuts ½ cup chopped organic pistachios 1 bag chocolate chips 4 tbsp spreadable vegan margarine 1 tbsp vanilla essence pinch of salt Let the yeast sit in the soya cream until it becomes frothy on top.

Add the combined flours slowly until the dough forms a ball in the mixer or has the texture of tough play-dough against the fork (about 2 cups). Put the remaining flour aside for dusting.

Once the dough is in a ball, cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place for 40 minutes to rise, then put into the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Separate the cooled dough into 4 equal pieces.

On a generously floured, sugared, and cinnamon-dusted surface roll out 1 of the pieces of dough into a circle about ¼ inch thick.

Melt the spreadable margarine in a small pan over medium heat, then add 1 cup of sugar, 4 tbsp of cinnamon and 2 tbsp of tofu cream cheese. Stir until smooth.

Spread ¼ of this mixture evenly onto the rolled-out dough.

Sprinkle ¼ of the pistachios & walnuts and a handful of dark chocolate chips onto the dough and lightly press into it.

Cut pizza-style into 16 equal slices.

Roll into crescent shapes.

Meanwhile, using a mixer or a fork, cream together the coconut oil, 1 cup of the sugar, the egg-replacer mixture, chilled hard margarine, 4 tbsp of the tofu cream cheese, salt and vanilla essence.

Add the frothy yeast & soya cream and combine.

Repeat steps 7 & 9-12 with the remaining 3 pieces of dough.

Place on greased baking sheets and bake at 350˚F for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle some of the chopped nuts and extra cinnamon & sugar on top if desired.

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Verity Hunt-Sheppard and Charley Roberts

n natuRal oRganiC tanning lotion

™

AN ANTI-AGING TREATMENT WHILE YOU TAN NATURAL INGREDIENTS NO PARABENS NO SYNTHETIC COLOURS, NO SYNTHETIC PRESERVATIVES

ORGANIC HONEY AND ORGANIC NUTMEG CERTIFIED ORGANIC ALOE VERA ECO CERTIFIED ORGANIC DHA VITAMIN A,C, E

TANORGANIC TanOrganic's tanning lotions are said to be kind to skin as well as making it look beautiful, with a formula that hydrates and cares for skin rather than drying it out like many tanning lotions can. The products are based on organic ingredients and are free from the colours and fragrances that many people wish to avoid. It comes in two shades, 'honey' (lighter) and 'nutmeg' (darker). Note that the lighter shade does not contain honey, it is just the name of the colour!

More details at www.tanorganic.com

VITAMIN B-5

www.tanorganic.com

n gouRmet FRuit and nut oRBs GOVINDA NATUR Govinda Natur make gourmet sweet treats made from healthy, organic ingredients. Made purely from dried fruits, nuts, raw cacao and spices, these deliciously moreish Orbs come in various flavours including Mango and Apricot, Almond, Pineapple, Date and Coconut, and Chocolate. Packed full of nutritious ingredients and free from added sugar or artificial additives, these tasty treats prove that sweets can be both delicious and good for you! 3 euros per pack. Buy online at www.govinda-natur.de/shop

n luxuRy giFt hampeRs RIPE GIFTS Ripe Gifts produce luxury gift hampers bursting with all sorts of edible vegan treats. There are five to choose from, including 'Vegan Easter' and ‘Natural Temptation’, containing various goodies such as chocolate truffles, luxury nuts, dried fruits, Turkish Delight, tapas, jam, organic cranberry and apple juice, and mini Easter eggs. Perfect for the special people in your life, or treat yourself! Hampers from £36.

Visit www.ripegifts.co.uk or phone 0845 226 9182 for more details.

n Body CaRe with natuRal extRaCts VANILLA TREE Vanilla Tree’s luxurious range of hair and body care products are crammed with all kinds of scrumptious ingredients, including apricot kernel oil, macadamia nut oil, shea and cocoa butter, green tea, vanilla, essential oil, and white and pink clays. For the face try their exfoliating mask with green tea and calendula, or their moisturizer for dry skin with gotu kola and marshmallow.

For luxury hair care try their nourishing shampoo and conditioner range with rosemary and camellia.

Prices start from £8.62 For more details visit www.vanillatree.com.au

n Body CaRe with aRomatheRapy oils TISSERAND Formed in 1985, Tisserand’s gorgeous range of hair and body care products are fragranced with pure essential oils and absolutes. For perfect springtime pampering try their soft floral Indulgent Bath Soak with hints of warm spice, their lively citrus Awakening Shower Wash with extract of organic ginger, or their sweet orange, jasmine & mango butter Body Lotion. Tisserand uses organic and ethically harvested essential oils, and source fair trade vegetable, oils and butters too.

Prices start from £3.68 For more details visit www.tisserand.com

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Verity Hunt-Sheppard and Charley Roberts

n appetizeR spRays FoR animals

n ayuRVeda massage oils

BON APPÉTIT Bon Appétit animal food enhancer spray is designed to encourage cats and dogs to eat.

The sprays are vegansuitable, yet mimic aromas which will be appetizing to these animals. This food enhancer can be useful for helping animals to keep eating during difficult situations such as illness. The sprays use oils which are coldpressed, to retain essential fatty acids.

Bon Appétit is available through vets, and from VeggiePets.com priced at UKP 6.63 for 100ml (about 500 'sprays').

For more details, visit: http://www.frylight.co.uk/bax.html or telephone: 01322 337711.

HIMALAYAN HERBAL HEALTHCARE Formed in the 1930s, Himalayan Herbal Healthcare produces a wide range of Ayurvedic products.

Ayurveda is an Indian system of traditional medicine which includes formulas based on plant extracts. Try their organic Anti-Stress Massage Oil and their organic Rejuvenating Massage Oil, which use ingredients such as winter cherry, country mallow, Indian madder, and gulancha. Simply massage them into your skin and leave before having a warm shower or bath.

For details of prices and shipping to the UK please contact them through their website www.himalayahealthcare.com

n exClusiVe giFt BeVeRages BETTERTHANKS Betterthanks gift beverages are organic, alcohol and caffeine-free, and are beautifully boxed in hardwood-style or faux leather casing.

Choose from their refreshing Royále range made with Mediterranean pears, or for a richer flavour go for their full-bodied Cordía range made with aromatic Concord grapes. Presented in a choice of Cobalt blue or Champagne green bottles, Betterthanks beverages make a striking gift to any drink lover at any time of the year.

For details of prices and shipping to the UK please contact them through their website www.betterthanks.com

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n aloe VeRa JuiCe LIFEPLAN This new aloe vera juice is one of the latest additions to the Lifeplan range of products. It is manufactured using scientifically-developed processes designed to retain a higher degree of product freshness and biological activity than any other production method in use today. This patented method of processing involves low temperatures and short drying times to ensure an excellent retention of nutrients. Lifeplan Aloe Vera Juice boasts 10% guaranteed polysaccharides, the active constituents in this product. £5.99 per 500ml bottle. www.lifeplan.co.uk or (01455) 556281.

All Shoparound products have been authenticated as

n soaps and skinCaRe AKOMA SKINCARE Akoma produce a wide range of gorgeous skin-care products, including handmade soap, shea butter, lip balm, face masks and skin-care for sensitive and dry skin. Many products are ethically sourced from producers in Ghana, and are certified Organic and Fairtrade. Akoma aim to enable international trade for high quality, sustainable Ghanaian products, and ensure the welfare of the farming communities who provide them. They also supply oils, butters and waxes that you can use as raw materials when making your own toiletries or candles. Buy online at www.akomaskincare.co.uk or phone 01332 200 473 for more information.

Not all products in a range are necessarily vegan.

n oRganiC Vegan Japanese RestauRant ITADAKI-ZEN London restaurant Itadaki-zen uses many organic and seasonal grown ingredients in its now all vegan menu. Choose from an array of Udon and Soba dishes or select something off their sushi list such as Agesan Sushi (fried bean curd, carrots, cucumbers and Shiitake mushroom) or Tofu-Miso Sushi. Side dishes include assorted Tempura, Chapche (fried noodles made from sweet potatoes with vegetables), Jijimi (vegetable pancakes) or Itadaki-zen Miso soup.

Of course there’s the dessert menu too!

Located at 139 King's Cross Road, King's Cross, London, WC1X 9BJ Prices start from £1.80 For more details visit www.itadakizen.com or telephone 020 7278 3573.

n CoConut milk dRink with CalCium

n gentle mineRal make-up ADORN MINERAL COSMETICS Mineral make-up is made from finely-ground minerals.

It is gentle, lightweight and free from ingredients such as talc and fragrances. Adorn Mineral Cosmetics make-up range contains everything from brow dust to mascaras to liquid and loose foundations. For a subtle look try their neutral loose eye shadow in Topaz or Quartz, or for a more striking look choose from their metallic eye shadow range such as Sapphire and Emerald. Mineral make-ups offer the skin a level of sun protection too.

For more details visit www.adornmineralcosmetics.com.au, or for a list of UK suppliers email info@adornmineralcosmetics.com.au

KARA Kara’s mild and refreshing milk drink is made from pressed coconut milk and is fortified with calcium. It’s perfect for breakfast cereals, sweet and savoury cooking, hot drinks and cold shakes, and is nice drunk on its own too. Slightly sweetened with fruit concentrate, its mild flavour makes it perfect for new vegans or those who just fancy a change. Priced from £1.29 Available in health food shops and supermarkets.

For more details visit www.karadairyfree.com or telephone.

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Verity Hunt-Sheppard and Charley Roberts

n wines and white BRandy

n spiRulina, ChloRella and wheatgRass powdeRs NATURAL GREENS Natural Greens is a new food supplements company specialising in dried green foods.

Their spirulina, chlorella and wheatgrass powders can be added to smoothies and juices for a green boost, or the powders are available in a convenient capsule form, great for those who don’t like the tastes but want to include them in their diet. Believed to have been consumed by the Aztecs, spirulina is high in protein and contains all the essential amino acids.

For more details and prices visit www.naturalgreens.co.uk

TISHBI The Tishbi family's romance with winemaking began in 1882. Today on the family run estates, the grapes on the Tishbi vineyards are still hand picked so that the entire grape bunch arrives at the winery intact. This technique is said to prevent the fermentation process from beginning on the way from the vineyard to the winery. Try Tishbi's Cabernet Sauvignon, Emerald Riesling, Red Dessert Muscat, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or French Colombard to name but a few. It’s not all wines though: Tishbi also produce a white brandy.

Prices start from £8.99 For more details visit www.tishbi.com For more details of their soon-to-be opened shop in London visit www.greenborders.co.uk or telephone 0800 619 0941.

n women’s BikeRstyle Boots VEGAN CHIC Vegan Chic recently announced the addition of their new women’s biker-style boots to their collection of cruelty-free fashionable boots, shoes and accessories. The boots boast soft, realistic pleather for style, and an insulated shaft for warmth and comfort.

Attractive buckles at the top and the bottom of the shaft and a zipper running the full length of the boot for ease of access means this boot not only looks great, but is also very wearable. Vegan Chic prove yet again that footwear can be both stylish and cruelty-free. $54.99 plus shipping.

Buy online at www.veganchic.com

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n iCed CoConut CReam desseRt NO NUTS JUST COCONUTS “No nuts – just coconuts” is a delicious, refreshing iced dessert made from raw coconut cream, agave nectar and a touch of vanilla. Made with the flesh and water of young coconuts to capture their natural creaminess and sweetness, the resulting dessert has a smooth, creamy texture to rival any luxury ice cream.

Enjoy on its own, blend it with pineapple, mango, cinnamon or coffee to make your own customised dessert, or use it in cocktails, soda floats or sundaes.

More details at www.nonutsjustcoconuts.com

Pauline Lloyd

WEEDS – WHY WORRY?

S

pring is here and the weeds are starting to grow! This is a challenge and an opportunity in the veganorganic garden. Unlike most people I deliberately encourage weeds to grow in my garden. Patches of Daisies, Clover and Dandelions brighten up my lawn and provide pollen for insects. I even allow my Dandelions to seed because I enjoy watching Goldfinches eating them.

Clumps of nettles thrive and are used to activate the compost and make liquid feeds. Ladybirds eat the green fly living on them and butterflies lay eggs. Ivy abounds providing ground cover, bird nesting sites and nectar for red admirals in autumn.

I do pull up some weeds though, usually when they are getting a bit out of control.

But these are never wasted and mostly go straight into the compost bin. I have learnt to love my weeds. Could you learn to love some of yours too?

What is a weed? Often defined as a plant that’s growing in the wrong place, I actually prefer to think of weeds as plants that no one wants. Then when we decide that we do want our weeds after all, they quickly transform back into being plants. This is the easiest way I know of getting rid of weeds. It requires no chemicals and no physical effort! By simply changing the way we view them we can remove large numbers of weeds from our garden without doing much weeding at all!

Have you noticed though when you clear a patch of land, how quickly the weeds come back? Soil contains many dormant weed seeds that germinate rapidly when brought to the surface by digging. Weeds are hardy and can quickly take over any bare ground. They grow quickly, spread rapidly, are often capable of living in hostile conditions and are usually very resistant to disease. Weeds are tenacious, aggressive, natural survivors. Many are poisonous, or are protected by prickles, stings and spines.

‘Leave me alone’ they seem to be telling us and perhaps, in some cases, we should do just that? The next time you find a weed in your garden, instead of immediately

Grow Vegan Puzzler Question; To which plant family does Shepherd’s Purse belong, rheum, brassica, or solanum?

Send your answer on a postcard to: The Vegan Society (address on page 1) by 8 April 2010 The winner receives the book Becoming Vegan - The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet.

The answer to the Winter Grow Vegan Puzzler is: Russian Comfrey Winner: Kirstain Romanis Simpson

ripping it out, pause for a minute and ask yourself whether it is actually doing any harm there? If it is choking your precious vegetables to death, then clearly the time has come to remove it!

Also bear in mind that some weeds harbour pests and diseases that could spread to other plants.

(E.g. Shepherd’s Purse can carry club root.)

Weeds have many uses and some are valuable to wildlife. Dandelions, Teasel, Thistles, Shepherd’s Purse, Chickweed, Ivy, Clover, Groundsel, nettles and brambles are especially important weeds. Pollinating insects use their flowers and birds eat their seeds. Some provide shelter for birds and hibernating insects, or food for caterpillars.

Weeds often contain important nutrients that have been brought up from the subsoil. Dandelion leaves are rich in iron, potash and phosphate; nettles supply iron and nitrogen and Yarrow contains iron, potash, phosphate and nitrogen. Do put these useful weeds on your compost heap to recycle their nutrients. Finally some weeds can be eaten! High in calcium, young Dandelion leaves can be used in salads; nettles can be made into soup and Fat Hen can be eaten as a vegetable.

The amount of time spent removing weeds is up to you. Although less time spent weeding can mean more time for important gardening tasks like sowing and planting!

Here are a few further tips that may help: n Remove any weeds you definitely don’t want before they seed. n Use a no-dig, raised bed system. n Avoid leaving bare ground. Mulch it, sow a green manure, or cover with trailing plants like pumpkins.

Resources Vegan News is an online resource featuring regularly updated items on product news, reviews, vegan events, etc. There is also much information about vegan gardening, including a month by month gardening diary; simply look up what to sow and harvest each month (tinyurl.com/vegannews).

See VON information sheets 1 and 4 on www.veganorganic.net for details of how to make liquid fertiliser out of weeds, nettles, etc.

For your new seasons planting, try Beans and Herbs, 161 Chapel Street, Horningsham, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 7LU UK. Phone: 01985 844442. Website: www.beansandherbs.co.uk Uniquely, many of their seeds are vegan-organically grown, for example Land Cress and Calendula; they have exclusive organic seeds too such as Red Orach, Thai Basil, Nasturtium and Garlic Chives.

Joining the Vegan-Organic Network is an excellent move for the vegan-organic gardener and for anyone interested in animal rights and the environment; the twice-yearly VON magazine is packed with helpful information. Write to: VON, 80 Annable Rd, Lower Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2DF phone 0845 223 5232 (local rate, 10am to 8pm) or email info@veganorganic.net Visit the VON website and join online at www.veganorganic.net Photo of thistle by Christine Landis www.myspace.com/dragonfyrestudio

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Home-made vegan cheese I’ve just discovered a way to make really nice soya cream cheese using the same method they use with cows‘ milk.

Heat a litre of soya milk to 90oF/32 oC: you’ll need a thermometer to measure the temperature accurately. Add the strained juice of one lemon (no pips!) and 15-20 drops of vegetarian rennet. I used Vegeren, which is made by Just Wholefoods of Cirencester. Stir and leave to cool. After a couple of hours or so it should have separated into ‘curds’ and ‘whey’.

Place a large flour sieve over a bowl or pot. Fold a yard square piece of muslin in half twice and place over the sieve, then pour the curds and whey onto the muslin and allow to drain. Pull up the sides of the muslin and twist together to squeeze the rest of the liquid from the solid. Open the muslin and hey presto! Vegan crème fraîche! Scrape it off the muslin into a bowl for serving or storage. Add salt to make cream cheese.

I guarantee you will be amazed at how easy it is make and how delicious it tastes. It has a very light texture and very clean taste – miles better than the commercially made stuff. I got the idea from a bloke on the telly who did it with cows‘ milk and thought I’d try it with soya milk. All the other recipes I‘d found on the Internet seem to involve mixing stuff such as groundup nuts and miso together without the creation of a proper ‘curd’.

I’m going to experiment by adding guar gum or vegetarian gelatine and saffron or turmeric to see if I can thicken and colour it to make a kind of processed cheese. If I can get it to harden and age like cheddar then I will try and make vegan stilton with proper marbling – my Holy Grail!

Bob Beggs Rugby

Make Friends with your Local Catering College On 10 November a group of 11 of us from our group NESX (North East Essex) Vegans had a fantastic meal out at The Balkerne Restaurant, Colchester Institute Hospitality and Catering Department.

We contacted the college because vegan month was approaching and it seemed a good idea to give the students there a challenge. They rose to it magnificently and the food and service were outstanding. Vegan catering in mainstream establishments is generally poor – we have all experienced this – and it makes sense to start from the beginning, with those who are just learning how to be chefs.

If every vegan, and every vegan group especially, could get their local college to put on a vegan meal once a year, it would mean that each year-group of students would have the experience of catering for vegans. They would have gained practical knowledge that one hopes they would put into practice when they went out into the workplace. At the very least they would know what a vegan is, what vegans do and don’t eat, and that we are quite reasonable people with genuine ethical standpoints and not just ‘fussy’. We also learned from them some of the practicalities of catering for differing dietary requirements at the same time.

If vegan catering is ever going to improve from its current dismal standard then I thoroughly recommend this as an enjoyable way of educating the chefs of the future.

Annette White NESX Vegans

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The Vegan l Spring 2010

Letter to the Editor

Response from The Vegan Society

It is with deep disappointment that I find myself in the position of deciding whether or not to continue my Vegan Society membership on the grounds that they are no longer vegan enough for me.

We would like to thank Sue for raising these subjects, so that we can respond and hopefully clear up any uncertainty that some of our members may have.

I am not one to shy away from debate nor am I an advocate of censorship but I was upset by the inclusion of the article by the so called vegan that ate eggs. Why waste space on such a non issue?

Vegans do not eat eggs, no debate needed! If you eat eggs then you’re a vegetarian so go join the Vegetarian Society.

We can confirm that The Vegan Society has at no time stated that it is acceptable to eat eggs, we simply encouraged a ‘Postbag’ discussion by running an article that introduced the subject of ‘what to do with the eggs if you look after rescued hens.’

Secondly the relaxing of the Sunflower Trademark rules and working with Tesco, asking us to politely contact them in the hope that they might supply a few paltry vegan items on their shelves, totally ignoring the fact that this is the company that sells live turtles and frogs in their Chinese stores. I personally see this as an attempt to pander to large stores and companies and turning backs on the small Vegan companies that have been supplying us with great products for years.

The Vegan Society has a policy never to use, quote or rely upon any data derived from animal experimentation. The conclusions of the prostate cancer and diet article were based on human not animal studies.

And now, in the latest issue, the blatant use of data, with no apology or explanation for those it might offend, from Cancer Research UK, a charity that spends vast amounts of it’s donations on torturing and murdering animals in the name of science and human advancement.

To say I’m angry is an understatement! I have never expected The Vegan Society to be an animal rights group, it has always done a great job in educating people about Veganism and I appreciate that it’s not an easy task to be all things to all vegans but I think I would be safe in saying that the majority of members are vegan for the animals first and foremost and spend countless hours in campaigning in all areas of animal abuse and exploitation.

I have the sad feeling that we’re going the way of the vegetarian/flexitarian where I’m going to have to define myself as a Radical Vegan to differentiate myself from those who mistakenly believe that the saying ‘by any means necessary’ means it’s OK to jump into bed with the enemy to justify getting a message across.

I know which side of the barbed wire fence and security cameras I’m on, I just no longer believe that The Vegan Society do.

Sue Le Ray Kettering

The Vegan Society Sunflower Trademark rules have not been relaxed in any way and are in line with Food Standards Agency guidance. It is not possible to prove zero cross-contamination in any factory. Even in a purely vegan factory cross-contamination may have occurred in the ingredient supply chain. If we asked all companies to manufacture to allergy standards very few products would be labelled vegan.

The Vegan Society gives advice and information on vegan lifestyles to as wide an audience as possible.

Getting vegan food clearly labelled in supermarkets helps to raise the profile of veganism and makes it easy for people to buy vegan food which encourages more people to consider veganism for themselves; hence the necessity of speaking to supermarkets.

The Vegan Society continues to actively support vegan business and small enterprises which provide products and services to vegans, for example through our Trademark scheme which includes promotions in The Vegan magazine and on our website.

Remember that any member of The Vegan Society can try to change any of our policies by putting a motion to our Annual General meeting.

VEG 1 (£4.99 for three months’ adult supply) Specifically designed to benefit vegans of all ages in a safe and effective way.

Taken daily, VEG 1 ensures adequate supplies of selenium, iodine, vitamin D, folic acid, vitamins B2, B6 and, of course, B12. Based on extensive research by Vegan Society health and nutrition spokesperson Stephen Walsh, author of Plant Based Nutrition and Health, the supplement is ideal for vegans of all ages. Available only from The Vegan Society

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QUICK AND EASY VEGAN COMFORT FOOD

By Alicia C. Simpson Published by The Experiment ISBN: 978-1-61519-005-8 Price: £10.99 Reviewed by Charley Roberts Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food does exactly what it says on the tin – although being an American book we’re talking tacos and sloppy joes rather than toad in the hole and shepherd’s pie in terms of the “vegan-ized comfort classics” this recipe collection offers.

The book concentrates primarily on main dishes, such as enchiladas, fried chik’n seitan, baked ziti, nachos and casseroles. It also includes chapters on sides (think American classics such as cornbread, mac and cheese, and candied yams), soups, dips, desserts, breakfasts and, interestingly, a section on green smoothies. As well as being tasty and, well, comforting, I’d say that the majority of the recipes could also be classed as reasonably healthy – this is a book you could use day to day, not just as a source of occasional vegan junk food indulgence.

On the whole the recipes are straightforward to prepare and based on readily available ingredients. This is a great selection for when you want something easy and filling after work, or any time you fancy a tasty meal without having to bother with complicated instructions.

The introduction includes a section describing various vegan staple ingredients that non-vegans may not be familiar with, a brief account of the author’s own journey to veganism, a spot of vegan myth busting, and menu suggestions for various occasions, which is likely to be interesting reading for new or potential vegans in particular.

VEGAN COOKIES INVADE YOUR COOKIE JAR

By Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero Published: Da Capo Press ISBN-10: 160094048X ISBN-13: 978-1600940484 Price: £10.99 Reviewed by Verity HuntSheppard Fans of Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s and Terry Hope Romero’s previous collaborations will not be disappointed.

Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar is a gorgeously illustrated book that will have you drooling at the mouth and declaring that plain old biscuits “are so yesterday”.

The cookie recipes are sectioned into drop, wholesome, bar, fancy and sliced & rolled cookies. Bar cookies include blondies, brownies and crispy rice squares while the sliced and rolled section includes No Bake Pecan Chocolates, Swedish Chocolate Balls, Gingerbreads and multiple variants of Biscotti.’

Recipes include Tahini Lime, Orange Agave Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Blondies, Rocky Roads, Carrot Raisin Spice, Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti and Caramel Pecan Bars to name but a few. The fancy cookies section contains delectable delights such as Irish Crème Kisses, Macadamia Lace, Chocolate-Bottom Macaroons, Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows and Nutty Wedding Cookies.

There is also some advice on how to make your cookies gluten free and a general tips, trouble shooting and ingredients section. Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar is a fun, thorough and indulgent addition to anyone’s recipe book collection.

MANGO SOUP: DELICIOUS NUTRITIOUS INDIAN VEGETARIAN FOOD

By Jenni Malsingh ISBN: 9781434349798 UK sales direct from the author: mangosoup@live.co.uk Price: £25 plus p&p.

It can also be bought worldwide through: http://www.authorhouse.co.uk/Bookstore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=49169 Reviewed by Rosamund Raha This is a vegetarian rather than a vegan cookbook. However, wherever it mentions milk or yogurt it always says that you can use soya, and therefore in the spirit of re-claiming these words for vegans we can choose to read these as vegan words. The word paneer, however, is more problematic; but the author states that you can use tofu instead of paneer cheese. Many of the recipes are vegan by default and all are veganisable.

The reason why I wanted to review this book is because it is one of the most inventive and yet at the same time authentically Indian cookbooks that I have seen, with excellent photographs of many of the dishes. The recipes mostly use wholefoods and I love the idea that you can use this book to cook a wholesome Indian banquet and yet also use it to rustle up a simple stuffed pancake for lunch.

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The Vegan l Spring 2010

STRATEGIC ACTION FOR ANIMALS: A Handbook on Strategic Movement Building, Organizing, and Activism for Animal Liberation

By Melanie Joy Ph.D. Ed.M. Published by: Lantern Books ISBN-13: 978-1-59056-136-2 Price: £16.99 Reviewed by Amanda Baker As we unite to fight for other animals, animal exploitation also grows. How can we progress?

Melanie Joy is a professor of social psychology at The University of Massachusetts, USA. She studies ‘mainstream’ attitudes toward animals and meat. This book focuses on strategy, which is a military concept. Joy sets out her ideas on choosing which battles to fight, on what terms and on what ground, and which to avoid. When strategy underpins our work, she says, we can be far more effective, and avoid internal conflicts, unfocused projects and ‘burnout’.

Joy believes that almost everyone values honesty, justice, freedom and democracy, including most meat-eaters. She argues that our effectiveness grows as we appeal to and model these mainstream values, and emphasize that animal exploitation violates them. Her strategic pointers for organisations include: moving away from dysfunctional power dynamics; creating clear and shared goals; developing tailored outreach projects for different target groups of people; building effective coalitions beyond the movement; holding meetings which are productive and inspiring; and long-term strategic planning.

“One of the most common mistakes activists make is assuming that information alone will change people’s minds about animals.”

This valuable and thought-provoking book will reward any activist or group who studies it.

GOODIES: VEGAN FAVOURITE CAKES & DESSERTS

By Linden Brough Available from www.ariya-books.co.uk and http://stores.lulu.com/ariya Price between £5.99 and £7.99 plus postage Reviewed by Mike Tomkins Friends and colleagues who know me will know full well that I am by no means an expert on the art of cooking, so what I require in a cook book is the basics, short and to the point, and this is what I get with this book.

After a short introduction, it lists the relatively easily available basic ingredients and equipment required for the majority of the recipes, and then gets straight into the recipes (thirty-one of them in all), starting with banana cake, finishing with vegan ice cream, and with recipes for such things as gingerbread, mince pies, chocolate sponge cake and rice pudding in between.

The layout itself is simple and easy to follow, with ample space at the back of the book for notes.

A few illustrations of the finished products would have added a nice touch, but that aside, this is a nice little book with plenty of useful recipes, and a useful addition to any collection.

The The Vegan Vegan ll Spring Spring 2010 2010

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gentle gouRmet - sunFloweR standaRd

Vegan B&B in the heaRt oF paRis! Vanessa Clarke

E

ver had the gloss taken off a special occasion by leather armchairs in the lobby, feather bolsters on the bed or just an uneasy feeling about the food despite advance notice and your trusty Vegan Passport? Certainly Paris has not tended to be high on the list of vegan-friendly cities, but the team at Gentle Gourmet look set to change all that with gourmet cooking, luxury accommodation with vegan organic bedding and private bathroom with cruelty-free toiletries, all just around the corner from the Arc de Triomphe.

The hosts, gourmet chef Deborah BrownPivain and grown-up children Caroline and Alexandre, are all bilingual in French and English and are enthusiastic campaigning vegans. In addition to catering for residents and dinner guests and running cookery courses in their newly equipped demonstration kitchen, they are already making plans for a second Paris Vegan Festival after the success of the first in November last year (“We were on a French TV programme showing holiday dishes that were VEGAN and delicious! Even a “faux gras” with apple confit - they were amazed!”).

They are also helping to translate Vegan Society literature into French, the better to promote veganism in both languages at home and outside.

My husband Stephen and I had the very special experience of a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings – a dinner to die for, as the saying goes, but the most important thing was that no fellow being did have to die for it. We were joined for dinner by three other couples, all of whom were celebrating a special occasion or anniversary and wished they had been able to stay at Gentle Gourmet as well as eat there (you need to book well ahead around public holidays and dates like Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day). It was also a marvellous opportunity for those whose partners were not yet vegan to show that there is no need to miss out on any aspect of a gourmet meal (including fine French wine) – an experience which may help to persuade them to go all the way. I certainly plan to take some unreconstructed French friends there for dinner next time I’m in Pars.

Most special diets – gluten-free, nut-free, raw food, etc – can be catered for with

advance warning (we were even asked whether there was any vegan food that either of us simply didn’t like!) Nice touches include plenty of information on where to go and what to see in Paris, a library of books and DVDs in English and French, but above all a welcome that leaves you feeling like a member of this enthusiastic and talented vegan family.

With the pound so low against the Euro, nothing in Paris is cheap right now, but knowing that your special occasion won’t be marred by peacock feathers on the sideboard or doubts about the dinner is priceless in itself. Roll on the day when such confidence is no longer a rare and precious experience but something we can all expect wherever we go, even in Paris. In the meantime, thank goodness for the Sunflower standard and for the team of kindred spirits at Gentle Gourmet.

See www.gentlegourmetbandb.com for further details and menus.

Gentle Gourmet, 21 rue Duret, 57116 Paris. Metro: Argentine (line 1) Landline +33(0)1 45 00 46 55 Mobile +33(0)6 45 02 29 20

Repentance of a Battery Hen

By Lucy Norman http://hubpages.com/profile/apricot It’s not a nice life as a battery hen, all of the time cooped up in a pen.

Those who are evil must pay the price, that must be the reason you’re living this life.

It’s not a nice life, the hours are long, no rest on a Sunday - what did you do wrong?

Crouching there still, never seeing the sun, you’re living in penance for what you have done.

You were found guilty, now you’re in a cell, you know you’ve done wrong - so this must be hell.

You committed a crime - what was it again?

Just being born a battery hen.

The wrong that you did, you can hardly recall, you’ve been in this prison ever since you were small.

If you’d strength to reflect, you surely would find, some grievous offence carried out on Mankind.

Cramped up in dim light with air that reeks, you do have companions but they cut off their beaks.

Scratching and clucking are hopes of the past, your only hope now - that this day is your last.

The Vegan Vegan ll Spring Spring 2010 2010 The

37 37

and

YOUTH education

Youth Contacts are aged 16-25 and are here for young vegans to connect with. If you would like to chat to a Youth Contact or if you would like to be one please get in touch with Rob. If you are under 16 please talk to your parents first!

Our New Youth Contact Pia Solanki I have been a vegetarian for 15 years and a vegan for about 3.

I realised that being a vegetarian alone isn’t enough to try to put an end to the suffering of animals. Since becoming a vegan, I have discovered a variety of foods that I never even knew existed and a newly found passion for cooking.

My health has improved vastly, I feel great on not only the inside but have also seen noticeable improvement on factors such as energy levels and clear skin. I feel lucky to live in Leicester, because there is a vegan fair hosted here every year. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow vegans, attend live cookery shows and also try amazing vegan food.

A lot of people can be discouraging to vegans if they don’t understand the whole aspect of it, however I think for me and other vegans out there it is important to keep reminding yourself of why you developed your lifestyle as a vegan in the first place. I have met many friendly people through the Vegan Society and I hope I can carrying on doing so in the future.

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The Vegan l Spring 2010

That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals, a Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things. By Ruby Roth, RRP £16.50 ISBN: 978-1-55643-7854 (1-55643-785-4).

This is a fantastically illustrated book for children.

It looks at humans’ abuse of animals, without being overly graphic, and shows what animal’s lives are really like, encouraging us to reconsider these interactions.

In this way it draws the reader in and helps them to sympathise with the animals in question. It also looks at environmental destruction and our place in the world.

This would be a great tool for talking to your kids about these issues, or if you’re brave enough, other people’s kids!

Write to: The Vegan Society, YOUth, Donald Watson House, 21 Hylton Street, Birmingham, B18 6HJ Email: youth@vegansociety.com Call: 0121 523 1738 www.vegansociety.com/teach_and_learn

Highlights Our Education Officer, Rob Jackson, reports that: We’ve now been sending vegan visitors out to schools for more than two years now. Here are some of the highlights of the last 12 months.

In April we visited two Youth Groups, where we were able to talk about the use of animals by addressing the topics of ‘Respect’ and ‘Healthy Eating’. We’ve found that because veganism touches on so many aspects of life, it’s very easy to fit it into almost any theme.

One of our volunteers visited Springhill High School to deliver five sessions for five different subjects. First up was a cookery demonstration, next a session about global food, then a class about ethics, then another cookery demo, and finally a session on nutrition.

This was quite a busy day for our volunteer but a great way to show the interconnectedness of all the related issues. This was to support a Healthy Lifestyles Week that the school had arranged.

Two of our visitors in Bristol went to The Red Maids’ School to speak to students about veganism and what it means to people. This resulted in one student deciding to do her coursework on veganism. I was able to help her by providing information and organising some samples of vegan food for her and her classmates to try.

We visited Mary Webb School in Shrewsbury, where we took part in a focus day. This is where the students move around different visitors getting a lot of information all packed into one day. I really enjoy these days because you get to see so many different young people and it means they can talk about what they learn with their friends from different classes.

I also organised for people to attend a variety of events where they were able to run an information stand, give away free samples of vegan food, and talk to hundreds of young people about the benefits of veganism for people, animals and the environment. If you think your teacher or group leader would be interested in inviting us to come and spend time with your group please get in touch. We can work with almost any type of group, aiming to be useful and flexible, though we also have standard models for sessions to make booking simple.

Check us out at www.vegansociety.com/teach_and_learn.

A le tt er fr om a ve ga n pa re nt started nursery at When my little girl, India, first th Wales, I was very Penarlag C.P., Flintshire in Nor ld deal with her vegan uncertain about how they wou astic. I supplied a carton diet. Yet the school were fant they did the rest. They of soya milk every week and so I was able to either supplied me with the snack rota if necessary or steer the provide a suitable alternative made their shopping list. staff towards one when they y didn’t hesitate to ring If they were ever uncertain the ia never felt left out or and check. They ensured Ind vely discussed her food alienated in any way and acti choices with her. ond year of full-time India is now in Year 1, her sec ked lunch on a daily basis. school, and takes her own pac school dinners too much, I hadn’t really thought about as, when almost all the except when it came to Christm lunch. My little girl was students partake in a school keen to do the same. the school cook, Sian, I’d had a brief conversation with ing to refuse some of her one parent’s evening after hav lst explaining we were a beautifully presented fayre whi her pro-active approach. vegan family. I was amazed by a copy of The Vegan A few days later I dropped in All”, which I’d mentioned Society’s “Vegan Catering for the forms came out for the to her. About a month later re on the menu was a school Christmas lunch and the t, but dessert was vegan vegan option box! Not only tha a good choice! chocolate fudge cake! What to have a school with such We are extremely fortunate the school an excellent staff, especially that w cook, but it just goes to sho it can be done, and everyone of can be catered for regardless a the environment. It just takes st little team work. I find mo ed people are genuinely interest ays in our choices and I’m alw if happy to chat about veganism n asked. I know Sian is kee to take it further, which is fantastic, and I may be tempted to sneak in for a spot of school dinners myself if I can get past my daughter!

Debra Harrison The Vegan l Spring 2010

39

For free copies of our Recipe leaflet please e-mail info@vegansociety.com or phone 0121 523 1735/6.

Updated diaries and events information can be viewed at www.vegansociety.com This information has been provided by the event organisers.

n FeBRuaRy 2010

n apRil 2010

Food Poverty Workshop 25th February 2010 GOEM offices in central Nottingham Free one-day workshop event entitled Food Poverty in the East Midlands.

Workshops include: • Mapping Accessibility to Food Outlets • Developing a Sustainable Food Policy • Social Marketing • Community Cafés • Food Growing Initiatives in the Community For further information contact Sarah: 01623 812069.

NE Vegan Gathering 2010 2nd – 9th April

n maRCh 2010 Eco Veggie Fayre 20th March 2010 Brighton Stalls, entertainment, talks and more.

Website: www.ecoveggiefayre.co.uk

Northumberland Trips, talks, workshops & events.

Website:www.vegne.co.uk/vegan-gathering National Rally for Animals in Laboratories 24th April 2010 Meet 11.30am, Cavendish Square, London W1G OPR (nearest Tube: Oxford Circus) A march is proposed through the centre of London, to take the anti-vivisection message to large numbers of shoppers, tourists and residents, followed by a rally to protest against the government’s pro-vivisection policies.

Website: http://www.wdail.org Veggie Summit Meeting (previously EVU-Talks) Friday 30th April to Sunday 2nd May Hotel Swiss Vegan, Hauptstr. 72, 8280 Kreuzlingen www.hotelswissvegan.com www.euroveg.eu

ANIMAL FREE SHOPPER (£4.99) Our most popular book is also the most comprehensive guide to shopping for vegan products ever. This handy pocketsized guide is ideal for use when out shopping and it’s the easiest way to get started on an animal-free lifestyle.

n may 2010 Bristol Eco Veggie Fayre 29th – 30th May 2010 Live music, stalls, talks and more.

Website: www.ecoveggiefayre.co.uk

n June 2010 Vegan Beer Festival 5th – 6th June 2010 Starts 12:00 noon Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Nottingham NG7 6HX Live entertainment, food, beer.

Phone: 0845 458 9595 / 0115 960 8254 Website: www.veggies.org.uk/nvvs

n august 2010 Vegan Camp 2010 Saturday 7th to Saturday 21st August Hunstanton, Norfolk www.vegancamp.co.uk

n oCtoBeR 2010 39th World Vegetarian Congress (WVC) 1st – 9th October 2010 Jakarta and Bali, Indonesia.

Website: http://www.wvc2010.org

For free copies of our Dying for the white stuff leaflet please e-mail info@vegansociety.com or phone 0121 523 1735/6.

Covering vegan products ranging from food and drink to home and gardening, with everything in between, this really is an essential guide for the vegan shopper.

It also contains comprehensive supermarket own-brand listings, an introduction to veganism, basic guidelines on healthy eating, E-numbers to watch out for and useful contact details. In fact it’s just full of useful vegan information!

The Vegan l Spring 2010

41

Vegan soCiety loCal Co THE VEGAN SOCIETY LOCAL CONTACTS Local Contacts are Vegan Society members who act voluntarily as a point of contact for those interested in the Society’s work. They are not official representatives of the Society and their levels of activity and knowledge vary according to their individual circumstances.

Some Local Contacts run groups, in which case details are below their names. Groups not run by Local Contacts and non-geographic groups are listed separately. New Contacts are shaded.

Veg*ans = vegetarians & vegans.

For details of group activities please check the website or get in touch with the Contact.

When writing to a Contact please enclose a sae.

If you’ve been a full member of the Society for at least six months and would like to be a Local Contact please get in touch with the Coordinator, Patricia Tricker (see under Yorkshire, no phone calls before 8 pm please).

42

The Vegan l Spring 2010

ontaCts & gRoups

The Vegan l Spring 2010

43

listings PATRONS Freya Dinshah Maneka Gandhi Rebecca Hall Dr Michael Klaper Moby Gordon Newman Cor Nouws Wendy Turner-Webster Benjamin Zephaniah

COUNCIL Philip Bickley (Nutrition and Health Spokesperson) Alex Claridge (Assistant Treasurer) Vanessa Clarke (Vice-Chair, International Coordinator and Information Consultant) Matthew Cole (Information Consultant) Catriona Gold Vanessa Kelley (Treasurer) Karen Morgan Graham Neale George Rodger (Chair and Information Consultant)

STAFF PR/Media Officer Amanda Baker Head of Business Development George Gill Information Officer Verity Hunt-Sheppard Education Officer Rob Jackson Office Manager / Finance Officers Diana and Howard Knight Head of Information Services Rosamund Raha Information Officer Charley Roberts Trademark Assistant Daniel Therkelsen Sales and Membership Assistant Mike Tomkins Chief Executive Officer Nigel Winter Volunteers Dean Bracher John Davis Irene Dudley Ka Man Hung Ray Kirkham Neil Raha Ian Roberts

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The Vegan l Spring 2010

VEGANISM may be defined as a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. In dietary terms it refers to the practice of dispensing with all animal produce — including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, animal milks, honey, and their derivatives.

Abhorrence of the cruel practices inherent in an agricultural system based on the abuse of animals is probably the single most common reason for the adoption of veganism, but many people are drawn to it for health, ecological, resource, spiritual and other reasons.

If you would like more information on veganism a free Information Pack is available from the Vegan Society.

THE VEGAN SOCIETY was formed in England in November 1944 by a group of vegetarians who had recognised the ethical compromises implicit in lactovegetarianism (ie dairy dependent). Today, the Society continues to highlight the breaking of the strong maternal bond between the cow and her new-born calf within just four days; the dairy cow’s proneness to lameness and mastitis; her subjection to an intensive cycle of pregnancy and lactation; our unnatural and unhealthy taste for cows’ milk; and the deoxygenation of river water through contamination with cattle slurry.

If you are already a vegan or vegan sympathiser, please support the Society and help increase its influence by joining.

Increased membership means more resources to educate and inform.

ClassiFieds (uk) holidays

puBliCations

sussex

CumBRia

deVon

wales

Large detached self-catering Gite in Pyrenées, France: 4beds, 3baths, 2 living areas. Wood-burning stoves, solar panels, veganic food available, sleeps 10-12 with ease:

oRganisations

Save A Life Adopt A Goat

peRsonal

doRset

The ideal gift for the person who has everything. We take into care those who have suffered from neglect,

holidays aBRoad

abuse and abandonment. Providing a loving home for the rest of their days Buttercup Sanctuary for goats, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 4JU Tel: (01622) 746410 Registered Charity: 1099627

hampshiRe

www.Buttercups.org.uk

NEW FOREST - The Barn Vegan Guest House. En Suite rooms, evening meals.

Perfect for walking/cycling etc 023 8029 2531 or www.veggiebarn.net

disCount CaRd

isle oF wight

people Pyrenean mountain village in southern France. Enjoy our vegan B&B. www.veganholidayfrance.com “Apologies to anyone who was hoping to stay at BRAMBLES this season, due to unfortunate weather conditions the property has been damaged and will reopen approx in 6 months time.”

Vegan holidays in Bodrum, Turkey.

Our house sleeps 6 adults and two children for £500 per week.

Donald Watson House 21 Hylton Street Hockley Birmingham B18 6HJ

animals

environment

Tel: 0845 45 88244 Fax: 0121 523 1749 info@vegansociety.com www.vegansociety.com

the Vegan disCount CaRd

The Vegan l Spring 2010

45

ClassiFieds inteRnet seRViCes Funds available for older vegetarians & vegans.

The Beulah Charity Trust (Reg 280228) has limited funds available for individuals or organisations to enable older vegetarians & vegans to maintain a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle For more information, please contact David Fruin, Glenholme, Glen Terrace, Hexham, Northumberland NE46 3LA or dfruin@glen14.co.uk

The Christian Vegetarian Association UK (CVAUK) promotes a plant based way of life as it represents good, responsible Christian Stewardship for all God’s creation. For further information on our work or to join us visit www.christianvegetarian.co.uk or

Divine Frog Web Services. Vegan standards compliant website design, development, implementation, maintenance, email, domain name registration, hosting and eco-hosting.

FREE website health check for your current site.

the professional choice.

CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTANCE: Advertisements are accepted subject to their satisfying the condition that the products advertised are entirely free from ingredients derived from animals; that neither products nor ingredients have been tested on animals; and that the content of such ads does not promote, or appear to promote, the use of non-vegan commodities. Books, records, tapes, etc. mentioned in advertisements should not contain any material contrary to vegan principles. Advertisements may be accepted from catering establishments that are not run on exclusively vegan lines, provided that vegan meals are available and that the wording of such ads reflects this.

disCount CaRd

disCount CaRd THE VEGAN VALID FROM

FEBRUARY 2010 UNTIL

MAY 2010

REFERENCE CODE

Ref:LNR 010

46

adVeRtisements to Be suBmitted By 8 apRil 2010 FoR inClusion in the summeR 2010 issue oFthe Vegan ContaCt: adVeRtising@VegansoCiety.Com 0121 523 1733

WILL POWER

“Jesus was a vegetarian” www.donoteatus.org

This card entitles the bearer to discounts at a range of outlets, restaurants and hotels.

A full list of discounts is available from The Vegan Society.

shopping

The Vegan l Spring 2010

Vegans have it.

We rely on will power even though we’ve been doing it for nearly 60 years. Leaving a charity a donation in your will is an excellent way to continue to provide support.

You will be helping to secure our future - for people, animals and the environment.

We are an educational charity and since 1944 have promoted a healthful, compassionate lifestyle, encouraging the growth of veganism worldwide.

It is only with the help of people like you that we can continue to succeed.

Please phone 0845 45 88244 (local rate) and request our free will and legacy pack.

It’s that easy.

Thank you for all your help The Vegan Society

The Vegan Society trademark is the authentic international standard for vegan products.

Our logo provides an easy and trusted way to promote your cruelty-free goods and services to the growing number of vegans in the UK and worldwide.

Trademark holders benefit from instant recognition, promotion in The Vegan magazine, discounted advertising rates, and a listing on the Vegan Society website.

It’s good for you, good for the Vegan Society, and good for vegans.

For more information on the trademark, contact George Gill on (0121) 5231733 or email trademark@vegansociety.com You can also read about the trademark on our website at www.vegansociety.com

Vegan nutRition guidelines To ensure that vegans maintain good health it is important to:

n Eat plenty of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables including dark green leafy vegetables. n Eat plenty of wholefoods (brown bread, brown rice etc). n Include in your diet each day at least three micrograms of vitamin B12 from fortified foods or 10 micrograms from a supplement. n Expose your face and arms to the sun for 15 minutes per day whenever you can (if your shadow is much longer than you the sun is not strong enough). If your sun exposure is limited (for example in a British winter), or if you are dark skinned, make sure that you get 10 to 20 micrograms of vitamin D2 each day from fortified food or a supplement.

MEMBERSHIP / RENEWAL

n Ensure your diet includes a source of iodine such as kelp or take a supplement. It is important to take neither too much nor too little, since both overdose and underdose can be harmful. A good iodine intake is 15 to 30 grams of kelp (kombu) per year or a daily supplement containing 100 to 150 micrograms of iodine. n Try to get at least 500 mg per day of calcium from calcium rich foods or supplements. n Consume a tablespoonful of ground flaxseed or a teaspoonful of (uncooked) flaxseed oil each day if possible or consume other omega 3 rich oils. For example you could use two tablespoons of rapeseed oil (which does not have a strong taste) in place of other vegetable oils such as sunflower or corn oil.

I wish to become a member and support the work of the Vegan Society.

I wish to renew my membership.

Membership No. (if known)......................................................................

Name:................................................................................Address:..........................................................................................

Postcode:........................................Tel:..........................................................Email:..................................................................

Date of Birth: (for security purposes)........../.........../..........Occupation:.....................................................................................

Please tick this box if you are a dietary vegan. This entitles you to voting rights in the Society’s elections if aged 18+.

Please treat my membership subscription as Gift Aid. I have paid UK income or capital gains tax equal to the amount the Society reclaims.

My income is less than £8000 per year and I qualify for the low income discount of 33%.*

A copy of the Society’s rules (Memo & Articles of Association) can be viewed on our website or at our office. Alternatively you may buy

I wish to enrol other members of my household for an additional £7 each.**

a copy for £5.

Please give full names of additional members and specify if dietary vegan and / or under 18. (If more than four additional members please attach separate sheet.)

Membership Individual £21 * Less £7 low-income deduction (if applicable) ** Add £7 per additional household member Under 18 years old £7 Memo & Articles of Association £5 Overseas: Europe +£5 / Rest of World +£7 Payment may be made by credit card, sterling International money order or sterling cheque drawn on a British bank.

Donation Total:

21

How to pay Cheque / PO payable to The Vegan Society Credit / Debit card (enter details below) Direct Debit (phone for details) Website: www.vegansociety.com Please debit my Visa / Mastercard Access / Visa Delta / Connect / Switch Solo card number

ccccccccccccccccc cc Name on card:.........................................................................Signature:..................................................................

Today’s date........./........./.......Start date:......../........Expiry date......../........Switch Issue No.:.....................

The Vegan l Spring 2010

47

CRosswoRd Kate Sweeney & Vega

QuiCk CRosswoRd set by Kate Sweeney Across 1 Root used as a coffee substitute (7) 5 Mesh structures which protect growing soft fruit (5) 8 Shoot (of asparagus) (5) 9 Vitamin A; line rot (Anag,) (7) 10 Light fluffy dishes (8) 12 Sweet (6) 13 Hot drinks (6) 16 Dust, scatter, shower (8) 19 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ primrose oil (7) 21 Rich, crumbly soils (5) 22 Small piece e.g. of parsley (5) 23 Clover (7) Down 1 Barrels (5) 2 Type of lettuce (7) 3 Lady’s-finger (4) 4 Milfoil (6) 5 Perennial herb also called pussytoes (4,4) 6 Liquor flavoured with juniper berries (3) 7 Seasons (food) (5) 11 Imbibing liquid (8) 14 Wild marjoram (7) 15 Any plant disease resulting in sudden wilting (6) 16 These may be poppy, caraway or cumin (5) 17 Herb used a lot in Italian cooking (5) 18 Small sour dark purple fruit (4) 20 Fruiting spike of a cereal plant (3)

CRyptiC CRosswoRd set by Vega

Please se nd in solu tions to ei crossword ther along wit h your na me and address by 8 April 20 10 Prizes next issue for bo th crosswor A Yaoh liq ds: uid soap and the cl assic book ‘Bei ng Vegan. ’

Across 1 I’ll ache shuffling off this coil shape (7) 5 David’s favourite shot after Singapore cocktail? (5) 8 Befuddled Croat player (5) 9 I turn French green first with falling sensation exemplified by Hitchcock (7) 10 American vegan chicken substitute? (8) 12 Odds on overwhelming defeat for Brussels green (6) 13 Oil or seed created opening for Ali Baba (6) 16 Legume made man be gnu after surgery (4,4) 19 Spicy colour of robes is a component of religious affront to many (7) 21 As good as a mile? Something wrong there! (5) 22 Waterlogged extremities of Sir Terry Pratchett’s Nanny within (5) 23 English 6 consumed by consumption preceding unknown in that manner (7)

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The Vegan l Spring 2010

Solutions to the summer crosswords (Quick:left/Cryptic:right) The winner of the Cryptic crossword: Sue Lantair The winner of the Quick crossword: James Scott

Down 1 Courage of artichoke? (5) 2 Lilliputian relationship as 12 is to cabbage (7) 3 Place restrictions on trucker’s radio outside old city (4) 4 Tennis zero swallowed silver herb (6) 5 Helps RNA explode into fragments (8) 6 “Hear hear” in French? (3) 7 Shade of grey haunting old satanic temple openings (5) 11 Silkworm haven from rum beryl rum (8) 14 Wolfsbane I ate once curried out east (7) 15 Disney contains peacekeepers’ uprising to yield wrinkled fruit (6) 16 Biblical basket case? (5) 17 Suspect nature of sea life unmolested by vegans (5) 18 One thousand and one ceremonial staff or spice (4) 20 Fruit or tree equals force: one gravity (3)