
The CEO of the National Dairy Council has labelled veganism a ‘fad diet’ which she predicts will only last ‘two or three years’.
Zoe Kavanagh argued that the boom in veganism is at its peak and is set to decline due to the ‘expense’ involved in the diet.
She said: “I don’t think it’s forever. We all know people who have tried the vegan diet but have dropped it because it is too expensive and that there are too many restrictions.”
Vegan boom
Veganism has been on the rise for many years, and shows no sign of slowing.
There was a 600% increase in people identifying as vegan in the US from 2014 to 2017. In the UK there were 3.5 million vegans in the UK in April 2018, a number which has surely grown significantly since and is a huge increase from 540,000 vegans in 2016.
The number of participants for Veganuary rose from 3300 in 2014 to 168,500 in 2018, and exceeded 250,000 in 2019. This means in five years Veganuary has grown to 75 times its 2014 participation.

The dairy industry launched Februdairy as a reaction to the huge success of Veganuary, but it has been a huge failure after being hijacked by animal rights activists.
Kavanagh argued the campaign is the wrong approach to save the struggling dairy industry.
“The danger with Veganuary and Februdairy is that it will turn into a tit-for-tat debate,” she said.
“We have to remember, if it was a true debate, we would win hands down every day of the week. The dairy industry has to set its own agenda and take the lead.”
‘Unfair and untrue’
Dominika Piasecka, spokeswoman for The Vegan Society, criticised Kavanagh’s description of veganism as a ‘fad diet’.
She told Totally Vegan Buzz: “To dismiss a lifestyle choice people make for very important ethical reasons as a fad is unfair and untrue. Veganism is a compassion-driven attempt to live an ethical, sustainable and healthy lifestyle that’s here to stay.
“On the other hand, an industry as inherently cruel and exploitative as the dairy industry cannot last much longer in the light of the growing awareness about veganism.
“While other diets have profit motives behind them, vegans have no financial gain from telling anyone about animal exploitation – we simply wish to inspire people to live in line with the ethics they already hold in their hearts.”
What do you think of Kavanagh’s comments? Tell us in the comments below!
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
Is Tobey Maguire vegan? Here’s what we know
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 17th August 2023
Tobey Maguire often speaks about veganism and animal issues. Tobey Maguire, the actor best known for playing Spider-Man in the Sam Raimi trilogy, is a vegan. He has been a vegetarian since 1992 and became a vegan in 2009. A lifelong commitment to animal rights Maguire’s decision to go vegan was motivated by his love …
Continue reading “Is Tobey Maguire vegan? Here’s what we know”
Plant-based food jobs surge with 32% growth in just 3 months
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 17th August 2023
The number of open jobs advertised in the plant-based industry increased by almost a third from April to July 2023, GlobalData reported. The plant-based food industry is booming, and this is reflected in the number of job openings in the sector. According to data from GlobalData, the number of open jobs advertised in the plant-based …
Continue reading “Plant-based food jobs surge with 32% growth in just 3 months”
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …
Continue reading “QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert”
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a …
Continue reading “QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?”
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …