Diffusion of Vegan Food Innovations: A Dual-Market Perspective

Abstract

The intense agricultural activity required to satisfy the greater demand of an increasing global popu-lation relies on nonrenewable resources, such as fossil fuels and land. Given that 33% of the planet’s arable land is used to grow crops for animal feed (Adams 2010), and approximately 70% of agricultural land on this planet is devoted to livestock production (Deckers 2009; Judge and Wilson 2015), the meat and dairy industry accounts for a significant part of this problem. While notable attention has been afforded to tech-nological solutions for increasing the efficiency of land use and reduction of harmful emissions in the meat and dairy industry – hence, “supply-side” solutions – this entry considers solutions that can arise from the “demand-side,” in other words, from the consumers themselves. To this end, the entry turns its attention to the ethical eating advo-cated by “veganism,” which strives to alleviate the suffering of animals, particularly those subjected to ill-treatment in the meat and dairy industry (Singer 1990), by abstaining from the consump-tion of goods that have used animals at any stage of their production. The entry argues that vegan-ism not only protects animal rights but may also offer a solution to some of the systemic problems of the global food system.