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Reporting on Animal Matters: Journalism from the intersections of human and non-human animals.

Sentient Today

It’s Friday, October 26.

Animals are suffering. The climate is on the brink. People are dying from preventable diseases, and it all starts with what we eat. So, what can we do about it? Go flexitarian.

A flexitarian is a part-time plant muncher that eats vegetarian most of the time and chooses to eat meat some of the time. The numbers don’t lie. More people want to eat vegetarian or vegan, probably do most of the time, but don’t identify as either. Today, there are just about as many vegetarians in the U.S. (5%) as there were in 2012. Vegans recorded 1% growth in the same time.

Just because more Americans don't call themselves vegan or vegetarian doesn't mean they're not eating vegan or vegetarian a lot more than they used to. There are more plant-based products on the market now that ever, and people are buying them. The plant-based food industry grew by 23% last year with $3.7 billion in sales, compared to 8% growth a year ago.

More often than not, people choose what to eat based on what tastes good to them. That's why the best way to change diets, whether someone is eating plant-based foods or not, is not the threat of disease, looming environmental disaster, or billions of suffering animals. It's taste.

Read the rest of this story from Sentient Media here.
 
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Your Five-A-Day

  1. ✌️ In a recent Faunalytics study, Brazil came out on top as the most pro-animal country, alongside the world’s top meat consumers, the U.S., China, India, and Russia. But while 70% of Brazilians said they would support animal welfare reform, just 1% of Brazilians are vegetarian or vegan. [Faunalytics]
  2. Prop 12 would guarantee 43 square feet of floor space per calf by 2020 and 24 square feet for pigs by 2022. While more space doesn’t fix all of factory farmed animals’ problems, it would be a good start. Californians, early voting is open. Go vote! [Mercury News]
  3. 🔬 One of the big challenges for cell-based meat is to match the nutritional value of real meat. The simple solution is to add supplements to replace the nutrients missing from the cell-based version. Whether manufacturers can do and continue the march toward responsible environmental stewardship remains to be seen. [The Conversation]
  4. 📈 Plus, the USDA and FDA met on Tuesday to talk about the future of cell-based meat. Food regulators plan to split the responsibility of governing the sector between the two departments, probably because of its prospective growth. [New Food Economy]
  5. 😍 These animals just might be the best in the world at adapting to life on three legs. 78% of dog owners said that their pet’s recovery exceeded their expectations. See for yourself. [National Geographic]

Cool Jobs This Week

Impossible Foods is hiring a Senior Strategy Analyst in Redwood City, CA. 🌱 PETA is looking for a Media Placement Coordinator in Washington, DC. 🐹 The Boston Globe needs a full-time Food Writer in Boston, MA. 👌 Amy’s Kitchen wants a Senior Food Technologist in Petaluma, CA. 🍅 Clean Water Action is hiring a Sustainability Organizer in Baltimore, MD. 💧 Be easy, my friends!

 


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