I don’t know about you, but that is some news I was not expecting!

The giant supermarkets Sainsbury’s and Tesco have decided to go vegan and vegetarian friendly. They now have their own ranges of vegan food, including various cheeses and meat substitutes. Sainsbury’s also say that they will encourage people to eat less meat by giving people who buy vegetarian and vegan products some vouchers and loyalty points. Nice.

They are also making meat substitutes more visible by putting them on the same shelf as meat. Not sure about that one. Do I really want my vegan potato-patty to sit next to a bloody steak? Yuk. Actually I don’t even want to have to look at the bloody meat. But I suppose the power of suggestion might work, and if not seen the potato-patty cannot work its power of yumminess.

The shop is also going to distribute recipes and leaflets to inspire people to eat less meat, as well as labelling vegan foods with a logo to make them more identifiable.

Sainsbury’s official reason is that the UN has now officially declared animal agriculture to be the leading cause for climate change. The statistics also show that vegan food sales have increased by 1500% in the last year. 1500%!

I am not under any illusion that big supermarkets are doing this from any sudden burst of altruistic revelation. The above statistics probably have something to do with their new ethical venture. With such a growth in the market, it’s worth being on it from the start.

But whatever the motivation, it is a step in the right direction. I think the impact on the shopper might be good too. When vegan foods are sold in small wholefood shops in back alleys we seem like weirdoes. But when major powers in the food retail industry accept the UN statement about climate change as well as the negative health impacts of eating meat and act as a result, that fact gradually sinks in and becomes generally accepted as reality.

One step forward and we take it from there…