ADVERTISEMENT
National statistics released by the UK’s Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) reveal that shoppers are increasingly opting to purchase more ethical food options.
This week, the UK’s Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have released national statistics that show that shoppers are increasingly opting to purchase more ethical food options, including plant-based meat alternatives, certified organic and fair-trade products, as well as freedom foods (which are also know as RSPCA Assured foods).
It is encouraging to see that the figures show that ethical food sales now account for almost 10% of all household food sales in the UK, and were responsible for a staggering £9 billion of household food sales in 2015.
In fact, since 1999 and 2015, there has been a marked rise in demand for vegan and vegetarian meat alternatives, as sales of vegetarian meat alternatives rose by more than 36%.
The figures show that public awareness of the cruelty involved in meat production is on the rise, which mirrors the rise in the number of people opting to follow vegan or vegetarian diets in the UK. Research conducted by The Vegan Society found that over half a million people in the UK now claim to follow a vegan diet.
