Why isn't veganism the norm?

In 2018, we saw an explosion of interest in veganism and plant-based diets, with high-street restaurants and supermarkets increasing and diversifying their product ranges to satisfy rising demand.

An interesting recent development was a report in August by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - suggesting a reduction in meat consumption and reforms to farming, were both crucial steps in tackling the negative human impacts on the environment.

Simon Rea is a Lecturer in Sports Science at The Open University who specialises in nutrition. In the past he has worked with both cricket and international hockey teams as well as individual athletes about nutrition to optimise sports performance.

Dr Matthew Cole is a Lecturer in Criminology at The Open University. His research focuses on how we learn to conceptually separate other animals into categories, such as 'friends' or 'food', and how these categories serve the interests of industries which profit from animal exploitation. From these concerns, Matthew also researches the role of veganism as an alternative to animal exploitation.