How veganism has transformed into a hyper-consumerist industry

? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

No Meat Required : The Cultural History and Culinary Future of Plant-Based Eating. For years now, the vegan diet seems to have taken a life of its own. In this book, Alicia Kennedy takes us all the way back to the US of the 1970s to retrace the steps of plant-based eating — which was, back then at least, a niche choice among “hippies” and bohemian youth. Today, however, its features as a rebellion against capitalist overconsumption and waste, are getting blurred. In her introduction, Kennedy mentions how veganism is often weaponized by a toxic, fatphobic culture. How ecofascism couples veganism with racist alt-right beliefs as the answer to environmental issues caused by specific groups of people — namely the global South. How giant corporations have seemingly co-opted the movement with their organic everything and vegan “Beyond Meat” meat and turned a non-materialistic ideology and way of being into a USD bn industry. By tackling these contradictions and this hijacking head on, Kennedy hopes to return plant-based eating to its original purpose: A pathway to a nourishing, abundant life that rejects exploitation in all its forms and builds a new relationship with the environment that is respectful of both people and planet.