Not a fleeting fad: How veganism is no more just a fancy concept of a few

Gone are the times when your food habits used to define your lifestyle and social status and the same holds true for the vegan consuming population, especially in India. Moving on from celebrities’ dinner tables to real life’s kitchen racks, the country understands the need to turn vegan now more than ever.

“Covid-19 has made this glaringly clear how animal meat can transmit viruses, and even with 75% of the global supply of antibiotics already fed to livestock,” Chirag Jain, CEO of Ashika Capital, told Opoyi.

This Mumbai-based investment banking firm has been working with brands and investors in the vegan/ plant-based foods space in India, helping in business advisory, collaborations, and most important investments. 

“People are increasingly aware of the effects of animal consumption, both on our health and the environment. Animal agriculture generates 18 percent of global greenhouse gases, which is more than the footprint of all transportation combined. Even medium meat-eaters generate over twice the daily dietary carbon footprint compared to vegetarians.

“Consumption of animal proteins is linked to increased risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases. Traditional meat involves high levels of antibiotics, usage of pesticides in animal feed, usage of hormones for fast growth of poultry, etc. all of which have become ticking time bombs,” he added.

As per Euromonitor International Experts, the plant-based meat substitute market is set to hit USD 15.8 bn this year. “Talking about India’s scenario, almost 72% of Indians are non-vegetarians and India accounts for 20 percent of the global milk market share. This shows the abundant opportunity for growth in the plant-based industry in our country,” said Jain.

Mahima Gupta, the founder of Bhu Botanicals, notices that the number of searches for the word ‘Vegan’ is on a constant rise.

“Veganism was perceived to be a fancy concept of the riches. Many believed it to be impractical. However, with the growing awareness about the benefits of Veganism, people are embracing it with open arms. They are now constantly looking for items minus animal derivatives whether it is their coffee or their skincare,” she told Opoyi.

She says that ‘vegans look for no-animal-derivatives in their skincare too’.

One of the miracle ingredients in today’s skincare – Hyaluronic Acid is an animal derivative, while its vegan sources are Soybean and Corn. Similarly, glycerine and Keratins can also be animal or plant-derived.

Siddharth Kothari, 29, has been vegan since 2010 for the animals, his health, and the environment. He has also invested in a cruelty-free cosmetics brand, Arata and GoodMylk – a startup producing plant-based foods and beverages.

He says that several years ago it would be tough to imagine grocery stores filled with mock meat, nut milk, and plant-based alternatives to all meat and dairy. 

“But the growing wave of veganism has done just that. This has been due to the timing of several factors including vegan celebrities championing the cause and spreading awareness of its health and environment benefits,” he told Opoyi citing examples of Novak Djokovic, Lewis Hamilton, and Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) who even used his Oscar speech to advocate veganism. In Indian names, he names Virat Kohli and Aamir Khan.

Vegan documentaries like ‘What the Health’ and ‘Game Changers’ have gone mainstream too, he said.

One of the main concerns for meat lovers who want to turn vegan is how they will find the same taste? For them, Yatan Ahluwalia, an Image Consultant & Co-Founder, Valley View Organic Orchard & Farmstay, an Organic farming & food start-up based in the Himalayas, suggests changing your taste palette! 

“I don’t believe in taste substitutes as they rarely taste like the real thing! I suggest people match their bodies’ protein and other needs with foods that provide the same amount, if not more than their earlier intake from conventional foods, as we know them,” he told Opoyi.

For breakfast try some oatmeal or chickpea pancakes and add some organic jams. For lunch or dinner, try a vegetable Biryani or a vegetable wrap, made of course with organic ingredients. For dessert make some vegan cookies or brownies – just use your imagination to create your favourites, he said. 

According to Jain, one can also try soy or jackfruit as an alternative for meat, Oat Milk, Almond Milk, and Cheese from Cashew as a dairy alternative, and mung beans and tofu for an egg alternative