Vegans aren’t saints or sinners

Vegans are a people both widely admired and hated. That is the conclusion of a report earlier this week, one that found that shoppers who opt for meat alternatives elicit fear and contempt from others. According to researchers from the University of Vaasa in Finland, who interviewed 3,600 people from four European countries, including the UK, people who choose plant-based options are perceived as ‘worthy of admiration’, yet at the same time their vegan lifestyle also arouses feelings of ‘envy, fear, contempt and anger.’

Before vegans let such news swell their heads – knowing now that they’re seen as both awesome and awful – further research, published in the Times today, should bring them back down to Earth. A report by Oxford University has concluded that the vegan diet adopted by many people in the West today can be more detrimental to the planet than the real thing. Researchers found that substitute or ersatz products, such as oat milk, almond milk, veggie burgers and imitation meat, were bad for the environment.