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Whilst the price of meat and dairy products are increasing in New Zealand, suppliers of vegan products say they’re struggling to keep up with the high demand.
It’s hard to imagine that ten years ago the Vegan Expo in New Zealand was a few stalls in a community hall, but now it’s skyrocketed to a point where even a new venue in Christchurch is packed out with hungry vegans and veg-curious folk. Now the demand for vegan products is on the rise and companies showing at the expo say business is booming like never before.
Price of meat and dairy soar
Whilst sales of vegan food are soaring, the price of meat and dairy products in New Zealand are an all-time high while their sales are rapidly dropping thanks to shoppers opting for cruelty-free alternatives instead. In fact, a recent survey by Bean Supreme predicted that one quarter of Kiwi’s are expected to have ditched meat by 2025, meaning New Zealand’s meat industry is facing an uncertain future.
This week, New Zealand’s leading news channel, TVNZ, featured a segment on Kiwi suppliers who are struggling to meet the rapidly growing demand for vegan-friendly products.
The segment highlighted how the country has seen vegetarian and vegan groups and events boom in recent years. For example, a vegan night market is now taking place each month in Wellington, and the ‘Vegan Expo’s new, larger location in Christchurch is often sees endless crowds at their events.
Vegan documentaries
This increase in the number of vegans and those opting for vegan alternatives, can be largely be credited to high-profile films and documentaries such as ‘What The Health,’ ‘Cowspiracy’ and ‘OKJA’ which many have said had a helping hand in turning them vegan.
Talking about the recent and groundbreaking documentaries, Mel Patterson of the Christchurch Vegetarian Centre said: “They shock people into thinking about what they’re eating. And people start to feel uncomfortable about what they’ve eaten in the past.”
In the past year alone, sales of plant-based alternatives in NZ have risen by a whopping 20%, as consumers are choosing proteins like veggie patties, falafels, and tofu over animal-derived meats.
New Zealand brand Angel Food who are most famous for their tasty range of vegan cheeses is readily available at many supermarket across the country, where they are sold alongside dairy products in many stores.
Speaking about the increased demand, Alice Shopland of Angel Food said: “In the last three years our turnover has doubled eery year. And that’s going to happen again this year”.
If you’re planning your next vegan holiday destination, it seems like you’ll be well fed in New Zealand!
