The article is contributed by Rishubh Satiya, Co-Founder, Plix
Health and wellness have come sharply into focus in recent years due to the pandemic and environmental concerns. Today, a lot of public discourse is about plant-based diets and nutrition. What makes this a key element in the wellness arena is the fact that it is a way of consuming environmentally sustainable nutrition foods.
In the past, one of the biggest popular theories that inhabited the consumption of green foods was that they were considered to be deficient in nutrients compared to meats. However, now there is evidence to prove that right combination of plant-based food items can provide the required levels of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to consumers. They also have good fiber content which aids in better digestive system functioning.
Let’s take a look at three key nutrition needs of the body and how plant-foods help meet these.
Proteins are the building blocks of our body but the biggest misconception about plant-food is that it doesn’t offer proteins. However, there are several green food sources such as beans, peas, and lentils as well as whole grains that can contribute to the body’s protein needs. Even though whole grains are a better source of carbohydrates than proteins, these are essential in providing the required amino acids which are in turn the creators of proteins in the body.
Nowadays, protein powders made from plant sources such as pea, rice, hemp, oats and quinoa are gaining traction as nutritional supplements. Plant-based foods including fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains, are all great sources of carbohydrates and fibres. When we add whole foods such as nuts, coconut, seeds, avocado and olives, we also get ample unsaturated fats which are considered as safer compared to the saturated fats that animal food contains.
The Perception about Plant-based Nutrition
When people hear plant-based nutrition, they tend to think of either consuming fruits, vegetable salads or elaborate vegetarian food preparations that need a lot of cooking time and skill. Ready-to-eat plant-food items that are adequately impactful, delicious and easy to consume are considered as difficult to access. This is an area where modern nutrition brands are now ensuring that holistic, tasty, and easily accessible clean, plant-based nutrition products are made available to consumers.
There is a conscious attempt at not only creating holistic nutrition alternatives which can take care of the diverse nutrition needs of the body, but also of the environment around us. A major change that these tech-based modern plant-nutrition labels are bringing about is that they are helping people enjoy nutrition supplements other than tablets and capsules. As any wellness conscious person would have experienced, nutrition supplements conventionally come in the form of capsules and pills. These smell, look and taste like medicines. Considering that the pills and medicines are embedded in human psyche as signs of illness, people tend to avoid them when they are not diseased.
The plant-based nutrition companies are familiar with this problem, and have been focusing on offering products such as effervescent, powder supplements, and yummy gummies etc. A good plant-based nutrition label offers such options to take care of diverse wellness needs such as skin care, beauty care, hair care, women’s health problems, dietary and workout supplements etc.
Unpredictable weather patterns and climate change is already costing trillions of dollars globally in the form of crops, loss of lives and property due to natural disasters. They are also causing loss of productivity due to preventable illnesses. Global warming caused by green-house gases is a leading cause of all these destructive changes. This is where the role of the animal food industry has come under scanner as it is responsible for a significant percentage of the harmful gas emissions. On the other hand, plant-based foods have become sustainable, tasty and clean alternatives which can ensure nutrition for all, and reduce green-house-gas production simultaneously.
Our planet will be home to over 10 billion people by 2050, and that also happens to be the year by when many countries aim to achieve carbon-neutrality. In the post-pandemic world, health and wellness management will have to be ensured in sync with environmental concerns. This makes the role of clean foods more important than ever. There is no doubt that this is where the future of nutrition lies!
World Vegan Day is November 1st, and it’s a day to honour those who do not eat animals, dairy, or anything else that originates from or involves an animal. They also don’t wear any animal-derived apparel, accessories, or objects. The vegan day started in 1994 to mark the Vegan Society’s golden jubilee. Here’s a look at a brief history of veganism, present and what the future holds for the vegan industry.
Vegan Industry – Past: What is Veganism and who started it?
Veganism is an advanced version of vegetarianism that traces its origins to India and eastern European communities, although the name was developed in 1944. In 500 BC, the Greek thinker and statistician Pythagoras of Samos initially proposed vegetarianism. He preached compassion amongst creatures, notably humankind, in contrast to his theory about right triangles. Vegetarianism was also espoused by Buddhists, Hindus, and Jain, who believed that people mustn’t impose agony on other species.
While it would occasionally flare up amid fitness trends and spiritual renaissance, the vegetarian diet never attracted the West. Vegetarianism and chastity were promoted by the Ephrata Cloister, a rigorous congregation founded in 1732 in Pennsylvania. Jeremy Bentham, an eighteenth-century pragmatic thinker, considered that animal slaughter was exactly as bad as mankind’s misery, and compared human supremacy to bigotry.
In 1847, the 1st veggie group was founded in England. The American Vegetarian Society was co-founded shortly afterwards by Rev. Sylvester Graham, the originator of Graham crackers. Graham was a Presbyterian preacher, and his disciples, known as Grahamites, followed his rules for living a good life, which included veganism, sobriety, celibacy, and daily baths.
In Nov 1944, an English carpenter named Donald Watson declared that since vegetarians consume eggs and dairy, he coined the term “vegan” to denote those that don’t. Last year, it was discovered in 40% of Britain’s dairy cattle, which Watson exploited by arguing that the vegan diet protected individuals from unsafe meals.
He offered a precise clarification of how the name must be spoken 3 months into saying the word: “Vegan, not Veejan,” he stated in his own Vegan Society magazine that had 25 readers. There would have been 2.5 lakh, vegans, in the UK and 1.9 million in the US when Watson passed in 2005 aged 95.
Vegan Industry – Present: Present Scenario and Its Impact on Different Industries
Folks often say they won’t become vegan as they believe being a vegan themselves won’t matter, or that the world will not go vegan, so it’s meaningless for them to go vegan. Is it fair, though?
Veganism has the potential to save over 1000 species, over 1 lakh tons of water, over 32,000 sq. of forests, nearly 44,000 lbs of grains, and more. Isn’t it incredible how much of an influence one can make in just 3 years as a vegan?
People change and demand change, and when more people change, this becomes a greater trend, which can lead to social reform.
Is the Vegan Industry growing?
Yep. I’d want to highlight plant milk as non-dairy milk substitutes and options such as soy milk and rice milk weren’t viable two decades ago, certainly not publicly. Today, go to any supermarket and you’ll notice soy, cashew, hazelnut, and other forms of milk. The non-dairy milk aisle at these shops is the same size as the dairy milk aisle. As a result, things are changing.
According to recent findings, as many as 6% of U.S. consumers identify as vegan, up from 1% in 2014. According to a 2018 study, about 40% of millennials identify as vegans, and economists have declared 2019 to be the year of veganism, with no signs of slowing off in 2020. Veganism is becoming trendier, and the number of vegans is rising.
It has a significant effect on the food industry. The worldwide food sector was estimated to be valued at over 12 billion in 2018, and vegan food sales in the U.S. climbed 11% from 2018 to 2019. In 2016, the worldwide dairy segment was worth more than $8 billion, but by 2024, it is predicted to be valued at more than $11 billion. This indicates that vegan products are on the rise, while non-vegan ones are on the decline.
Impact on the Food sector
The worldwide vegan meat sector is also rising, with estimates that it will reach 7.5 billion dollars by 2025, driven by firms like Beyond Meat, which had the top overall public offering by a leading U.S. firm in over 2 decades when its shares went public.
The vegan food business in the United States rose by 29% during 2017 and 2019, with a world average of $27.9 billion by 2025. Due to the recent spike in tofu sales during the pandemic, Canada issued new food rules that are more vegan forward, and the Chinese govt-issued new regulations that aimed to cut meat intake in half.
Vegan brands such as the veggie grill and plant power fast food are also seeing progress. Vegan and veg have been top Meta keywords on services like UberEats and Grubhub recently, and this shift in expansion isn’t just happening for vegan sectors; a lot of big chains, such as Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell, and KFC, are currently adding vegan food to their menus, allowing even more change.
This shift is so pervasive and dangerous that certain animal-based firms and organizations have begun to sue plant-based enterprises in an attempt to prevent them from using terms like “milk” or “butter” on their items.
Impact on Fashion and Entertainment Sector
Veganism isn’t all about diet; it’s about all forms of animal suffering, which encompasses a wide range of sectors. So, are those sectors undergoing any shifts as well? Vegan culture is gaining popularity.
By 2025, the vegan leather business is expected to be worth $85 billion. By 2025, the global demand for vegan makeup is expected to reach $20.8 billion. Like Ringling Brothers, non-vegan theatre is losing steam and closing. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises are no longer held captive for amusement in Canada.
Vegan Industry – Future: What does the Future Hold for Vegan Industry?
Veganism is gaining popularity in civilized countries. A major study put the plant-based diet to the trial, examining a hypothetical case in which the world becomes vegan by 2050. Greenhouse gases could be decreased by three-quarters if this occurs.
Cows are the primary source of greenhouse gases. Methane is produced by bugs in their digestive tract, while co2 is injected by deforestation for their grazing. These gases cause global warming. Cows would be the 3rd largest producer of greenhouse gas if they were a nation.
Animals raised on farms have a strong desire to graze on the land. Animal farming takes up more than 80% of all farmland on the planet. However, it only yields 18% of the world’s calories. To gain by one kilo, a cow needs roughly ten kilos of food, pigs six kilos, and poultry 3 to 4 kilos. A lot of food is lost as cattle feed, which we would then consume.
More diverse vegan diets with low calories can save lives with a well-balanced vegan diet. Early death might be lowered by 20% if the world went vegan in 2050, making the world economy healthy as well.
A lot of money is spent on treating illnesses like stroke, cancer, and diabetes that are linked to diets. In 2050, around one trillion dollars might be saved. That’d be around 3% of the total cost of healthcare.
Since 1960, worldwide meat consumption has grown at a rate of over 3% per year. No one loves how factories treat their animals. Because meat firms don’t own the farms, shifting from chickens or pigs to vegan meat is simple. If the market and the customers want it, they’re willing to adjust.The world may potentially hit peak meat and descend another way due to a lack of economical and available options.
If you look at historical statistics, it’s improbable that the world will be vegan by 2050. We’d have a little chance to stay below toxic levels of global warming unless we made massive diet adjustments further towards vegan diets. However, switching to a vegan diet may be beneficial.
A vegan diet could bring us three-quarters of the way there. Authorities can play a key role by setting effective nutritional guidelines. They can implement sourcing standards that make it apparent that the baseline foods bought are plant-based, healthy, and environmentally friendly.
Is Vegan Meat better than Regular Meat?
We are addicted to the taste of meat, yet the only way to break this habit is to create goods that provide the exact taste minus the use of an animal. Plant-based meat employs the same machinery as meat processing factories. Only this time, there won’t be any blood all over the place. Components like soy, lupine, wheat, peas, and others can be utilized in the preparation of replica meats to provide a similar experience.
Vegan meat is simply the next step on the path of agricultural advancements. In the farming sector, things are forever evolving. There were billions of horses to move and plough a century ago. They are now on the endangered list because we no longer require them. The meat will be made using automation in the future, and slaughter species will be endangered as well, leaving room for wild poultry and feral pigs. That, I hope, is destiny.
FAQ
Is the vegan food industry growing?
Yes, the global vegan industry is projected to expand at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2019 to 2026.
What is the vegan industry worth?
The Vegan Food market size was valued at $14.2 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $31.4 billion by 2026.
The Organic food industry in India commenced to increase in a decade within the past and there was no searching again ever because of the fact then. Rising focus among humans regarding the facet outcomes of synthetic chemical substances in organic meals manufacturing has similarly boosted the future of the organic food industry in India.
Given the type of innovation coupled with this growing name for, the organic food market in India 2020 is but to witness a full-fledged evolution. But it is simple to accurately remember that the organic food industry in India is proper here to stay. Growth in e-trade has acted as a catalyst for the enterprise to attain out to consumers, and the numbers are best displaying an upward fashion. Here are a few probable motives why the organic food industry in India is anticipated to peer an expanded name for in years to come.
India’s GDP boom of 6.5% in 2017 became sturdy in spite of annoying situations similar to the implementation of GST. The forecast for GDP boom in FY2019 is expected to be greater than 7%. This will truly enhance the normal performance of various industries like Organic Foods, Pharmaceuticals, and FMCG.
The global organic food market stood at $110.25 billion in 2016 and is projected to develop at a CAGR of 16.15%, in cost terms, throughout 2017 – 2022, to reach $262.80 five billion with the resource of using 2022.With the Indian Organic Food enterprise developing in double-digit throughout 2013-2017, it might now no longer be incorrect to mention that the enterprise will deliver out nicely in 2019. There are many elements that have contributed to this boom till now.
The Impact of Covid19 on the Organic Food Industry in India
The marketplace for Organics worldwide, similarly to in India, has grown steadily. The Indian Organic Industry specialists agree that the resurgence withinside the name for organic meals isn’t always any flash withinside the pan phenomena with the aim to subside as quickly as the virus scare recedes. It is proper here to live even if we develop to be corona-free. In that sense, the purchaser conduct in choice of natural meals seems to have developed to be greater deeply entrenched and ingrained and an element of the purchaser buying for dependency over a long-lasting time horizon.
There may also be an opportunity of at least a 20-25 % compounded growth of the organic food industry in India for the 12 months 2020-21. Taking this estimate into consideration, the Indian marketplace can be foreseen at approximately Rs3,000 crore and the International natural marketplace over $100 billion although the worldwide monetary system guidelines proper into a depression.
With the possibilities of the sector doing away with the Covid pandemic in advance than September this 12 months looking increasingly slimmer, mankind and humanity will want to learn the way to stay with this virus. Under the circumstances, the worries for fitness and the surroundings will stay a priority, and it is going to maintain the name for natural meals in an excessive orbit for the instances to come.
As in accordance with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), India exported organic food truly properly worth Rs. 30 billion (over $440 million) in 2017-18, from Rs. 24.77 billion in 2016-17. More recognition and an upward thrust in the name of natural meals have helped in growing sales. Now customers are greater conscious of the dangerous results of chemical compounds and pesticides. People have commenced looking out for organic food for themselves and in particular for his or her kids. Also, due to a growth in disposable earnings and recognition now households are spending a growing wide variety on their child’s health and are equipped to pay a higher/pinnacle class rate in phrases of best of the product.
The Global Market Share of Organic Packaged Food
The Growth of the Organic Food Industry in India
According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the name for Indian organic industry merchandise is at steady growth internationally as India exported organic food worth $515 million within the economic 12 months 2017-18, from $370 million in 2016-17. This fashion will in addition increase in 2019.
India’s organic meals intake has grown in current years due to the fact of its superior demographic dividend, progressed shopping power, and accelerated hobby withinside the perceived fitness and properly-being blessings of positive natural merchandise. In the marketplace 12 months (MY) 2019, the organic food industry in India retail income reached $69 million and is predicted to in addition upward thrust with the resource of using 12 % to $67 million in MY 2020.The organic food industry in India additionally analyzed the aggressive panorama of the marketplace with a number of of the essential thing gamers being Suminter India Organics Private Limited.
The Indian organic food industry stood at over Rs 1,200 crore ultimate 12 months and this 12 months the marketplace is predicted to move Rs 2,000 crore. With the resource of using a surge of name for withinside the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, India is still a rising marketplace for growth of the organic food market with sturdy prospects. With anticipated favorable climate patterns, monsoons and a robust cognizance with the resource of using the Indian authorities toward exports to fill the U.S., European Union (EU), and South Asia name for India’s licensed natural cropland will probably grow.
Organic Food Industry Statistics India
Demographically, India is domestic to over 100million infants contributing around 11% of the sector population with an excessive beginning fee of 19.3 births in accordance to a 1000 in 12 months. Parents continually want to provide the high-satisfactory to their infants, without compromising on the best and protection elements of the product. We can assume greater manufacturers with natural merchandise to reach withinside the coming years withinside the child care category.
Online availability of organic food and moving patron desire nearer to organic meals are lots of the foremost elements anticipated to reinforce the name for the organic food industry in India for the length of the forecast period. Expanding advertising and distribution channels coupled with increasingly more fitness-conscious human beings is likewise predicted to light up the intake of organic food in India till 2022. While the organic food market is developing steadily, it is miles nonetheless away from turning into a mass product. Currently, the natural marketplace is likewise no longer patron-pushed and the best oldsters who can afford/inclined to pay the pinnacle class rate are the customers which ends up in a totally small percentage.
One of the predominant annoying situations that are available promoting natural culmination & veggies is the mismanagement of the delivery chain. It turns tough to satisfy the name as in step with requirement. There are diverse expenses associated with the procurement of natural FMV from a natural farm of different states in phrases of logistics, damages, and inventory which now no longer get a pinnacle rate charge.
High charge markups for the organic food industry than traditional merchandise additionally are one in every of the predominant elements affecting the sale of organic merchandise. While the excessive charge is due to the price associated with the product like shopping in bulk, the logistic price concerned withinside the procurement of natural merchandise from licensed natural farms and the distribution withinside the metropolis will increase the price of the product.
Other elements like perishable gadgets and their low shelf existence additionally pose a problem. In the case of natural culmination and veggies and comparable perishable gadgets having low shelf existence makes it tough to deliver the product withinside the time body in their shelf existence and which finally ends up in damages, returns, and last inventory. Also, the non-availability of wholesale Mandis like Azadpur marketplace inside metropolis limits reasons buyers/buyers you obtain it from the farm only.
Future of Organic Food Industry
India’s GDP growth of 6.5per cent in 2017 was strong despite challenges like the implementation of GST. The forecast for GDP growth in FY2019 is predicted to be more than 7per cent. This will certainly improve the performance of different industries like Organic Foods, Pharmaceuticals and FMCG.
According to TechSci Research report, Global organic food market stood at $ 110.25 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.15per cent, in value terms, during 2017 – 2022, to reach $ 262.85 billion by 2022. With Indian Organic Food industry growing in double-digit during 2013-2017, it would not be wrong to say that the industry will perform well in 2019. There are many factors that have contributed to this growth until now.
Firstly, growth in e-commerce sector has acted like a facilitator for the organic food industry to reach out to the potential consumers in Tier II and Tier III cities. Secondly, with free/low-cost access to the Internet, more and more people are getting to learn about the benefits of organic food. Therefore, the demand has gone up during 2018. Lastly, the industry landscape is becoming competitive with more and more players entering the industry.
FAQ’s
1. Is the organic food industry growing?
Ans- Organic is the fastest growing sector of the U.S. food industry. Organic food sales increase by double digits annually, far outstripping the growth rate for the overall food market. Now, an unprecedented and conclusive study links economic health to organic agriculture.
2. Why is organic food high in demand?
Ans- Organic food items are gaining popularity for pretty straightforward reasons i.e. GMO-free content, nutrient richness, zero growth hormones, zero antibiotics, fewer pesticides, improved freshness levels, and better environmental stability.
3. Why is organic food more expensive?
Ans- Organic food often costs more than conventional food. … If the demand for organic food continues to grow, the supply could be scaled up, and organic food could subsequently go down in price (your basic supply and demand). Another reason organic food costs more is because the production process is more expensive.
4. Do you live longer if you eat organic?
Ans- More than just produce, organic foods can be meat, dairy foods and grains. … The researchers assumed the health benefits that would result and calculated that if you ate the same amount of produce but switched to all organic varieties, your life expectancy would increase by 17 days for women and 25 days for men.
5. Are organic foods actually healthier?
Ans- Organic foods are not healthier, per se, in terms of nutrients. You are still getting the same benefits in conventionally grown foods as you are in organic foods.
6. Can you lose weight by eating organic?
Ans- Consuming more fresh produce, organic or conventional, such as fruits and vegetables has been a consistent link to weight-loss because they are high in fiber and nutrients, which can help control appetite.
Avantika Bhardwaj
