Veganism creates $2.8B market

Corroborating my claims that the spread of veganism would occur as vegans influenced the marketplace, this Arizona Star article describes the growth of the market for foods replacing meat and other animal products. I would argue that the figure is a little low, considering that many vegans start eating more whole foods that are not considered part of the vegan "market," much less dark chocolate and other non-vegan-labeled items, but the very fact that the vegan niche is growing to a $3 billion business demonstrates that meat-free eating is becoming more mainstream:

The shoes are fashionable.

And the food isn't bad either.

No longer considered a "hippie fad," the vegan lifestyle is translating into business opportunities for some local entrepreneurs, resulting in part from a growing $50 billion a year natural-products industry.

"People think vegans are grungy, granola eaters," said Ana Terrazas, who has been a vegan for 25 years.

"But it is becoming more mainstream, and businesses are thinking about that."

[snip]

There are more than 1.7 million vegans, in the United States, according to a 2000 poll conducted by the [Vegetarian Resource Group].

Choices for vegan consumers are growing along with demand, as more niche businesses cater to vegans, and main-stream grocery stores carry more products, said John Cunningham, consumer research manager for the vegetarian group.

The market for foods replacing meat and other animal products is estimated at $2.8 billion, according to Mintel International Group Ltd., a research consumer company.

"It would behoove a company to introduce new vegan products, because they would be able to reach the widest market," said Cunningham, who added that vegan products have potential to carry over to mainstream consumers.

Success for such products, however, depends on marketing, Cunningham said.

But because vegan products are such a niche business, vegans usually spread the word quickly, he said.

The great thing about vegan foods is that they don't exclude anyone (except, obviously, those with allergies, but that's true across all food categories). One of my favorite responses to people who ask what I eat as a vegan is, "A lot of the same things you do." In other words, fruits, veggies, grains, legumes. I remind them that a large number of common dishes are nearly vegan, requiring the substitution of vegan margarine for butter, or a seitan cutlet for "pork." It helps them understand that a vegan diet isn't all that weird, and a lot of these vegan products described by the article are great transitional products for people considering going vegan, or at least reducing their meat consumption.

Tags: vegan | food