Press Release – The Vegan Society Aotearoa New Zealand It is well documented that the bulk of our emissions come from the agricultural sector, with our ruminant herds making up the majority of the methane. With Fonterra producing a whopping 20% of the total climate emissions, surely it is time we rethink …
It is well documented that the bulk of our emissions come from the agricultural sector, with our ruminant herds making up the majority of the methane. With Fonterra producing a whopping 20% of the total climate emissions, surely it is time we rethink the future of dairy, the future of sustainable living and how best to go about it?
Tuesday, 6 April 2021, 5:45 am
It is well documented that the bulk of our emissions come
from the agricultural sector, with our ruminant herds making
up the majority of the methane. With Fonterra producing a
whopping 20% of the total climate emissions, surely it is
time we rethink the future of dairy, the future of
sustainable living and how best to go about it?
As
submissions close for the draft report from the Climate
Change Commission, around 10,000 were received! This is a
huge number for any submission process and shows that people
are beginning to understand that climate change will impact
us all. Many were disheartened by the draft report which
Depending on who you ask, New Zealand’s meat sector is either facing imminent extinction due to the rise of alternative proteins, or is uniquely positioned to capture wealthy customers wanting more sustainably farmed meat. Broadly speaking there are three methods of producing alternative protein; Using plant-based ingredients to create products that are indistinguishable from animal products; culturing meat products using stem cell technology; and sourcing or farming novel alternatives and processing them to create protein-rich ingredients such as cricket powder. The recently released draft Climate Change Commission Report says New Zealand may lose out as global markets increasingly seek lower-emissions products such as alternative and synthetic proteins.
New Zealand’s long history of vegetarianism has seen meat substitutes evolve from mashed potatoes made into meat shapes to high-end, vegan charcuterie. But while we might think of “alternative proteins” as a relatively new development, there is a long history of vegetarianism, said anthropologist and food historian David Veart. “Eating meat in the quantities that we do is not only unusual and weird, but also unsustainable,” he said. Vegetarianism had arisen as a result of influences such as wartime rationing, political movements, and religious beliefs – including the idea that meat incited animal lust in men that had to be controlled, he said.
Tuesday, 9 February 2021, 7:31 am
This
is the second of the annual Dairy Free Awards, which
highlight and showcase the best of New Zealand s available
plant-based dairy alternatives. The awards cover six
categories of products: ice cream, cheese, milk, yoghurt,
chocolate and butter. all fully plant-based, high quality,
delicious and nutritious. No one needs to go without their
favourite foods any more, as the plant-based market keeps on
developing new and better products and growing
exponentially.
The Waikato based Duck Island claimed
both winner and runner up in the ice cream category.
Manufacturing allergen free ice cream desserts has been
their passion since 2015 and with their extensive range of