More people would consider going vegan if they knew more about the “horror show” that is factory farming, according to an animal rights campaigner.

Veganism has surged in popularity in recent years in Ireland – with the meat-free market expected to double in size by the end of the decade.

Meanwhile, plant-based food orders on Deliveroo increased by 198% between 2019 and 2020.

On World Vegan Day, The Hard Shoulder spoke to two vegan campaigners to find out more about the movement’s increasing popularity.

Animal rights campaigner Gerry Boland told the show he has now been vegan for just over 30 years.

Mr Boland, who is the founder and spokesperson for the Animals Behind Closed Doors organisation said he now views himself as an “active campaigner” for the movement.

“I came into it through animal rights reasons,” he said. “I could no longer justify the killing of an animal.

“That was after I saw some documentaries about factory farming. I just thought this is incredible. I actually didn’t know that this is where our rashers and our sausages and our chickens came from. Like it is a horror show of production.

“Your listeners may not know this but every year, 75 billion farmed animals are slaughtered to feed seven and a half billion people.

“Most of those animals never see the light of day. Most of them – the pigs for instance – never live beyond six months. They are in crowded sheds and they are slaughtered at around six months of age.

“The same with chickens. The type of chicken most people eat, if it is not organic, is going to be slaughtered at the age of 37, 38 or 39 days.

“It is a Frankenstein monster that has been selectively bred and kept in these sheds and fed this high protein food and in the last couple of days of life, a lot of these birds can no longer stand on their own legs.

“So, once I found out these things, it was really a no-brainer. I just had to make that decision.”

Vegan

He said the last number of years has seen a massive move towards more sustainable food – largely because of climate change.

“So many people have woken up to the fact that the single biggest thing they can do in their lives if they are a meat eater in terms of their carbon footprint is giving up eating meat,” he said.

He said veganism is “more a lifestyle than a diet” – noting that he has also chosen not to wear leather or wool.

“They are by-products of an industry which thanks the dairy cow after four lactations … for all that work in giving milk to us instead of its own calves, it thanks that cow by sending it off to be slaughtered,” he said.

“It is not a nice business and I am glad I am not involved in it.”

Small changes

Also on the show, vegan chef Holly White said even small changes can make a difference.

“I don’t think everyone is going to go vegan,” she said. “I think possibly the likes of a Sunday roast or maybe a burger or takeaway at the weekend will always be highlights.

“But definitely adopting maybe a meat-free Monday or something else like that is a really cost-effective way of reducing a food bill and being nourishing and delicious as well.”

She said veganism is about “minimising cruelty throughout your lifestyle.”

“For me, once I adopted the changes on my plate, that moved into cosmetics, personal care and also my clothing,” she said. “But it is not to overwhelm people. I think small changes do add up consecutively over a year.

“What I would encourage people to do is use up what you have and when you need to replace things like beauty products or clothing, look for cruelty-free or more sustainable options.”

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Main image shows a sheep in a field in Cornwall. image: Roy Perring / Alamy Stock Photo