In a recent survey conducted by a nonprofit think tank, Sentience Institute, nearly half of Americans questioned said that they would support a ban on slaughterhouses.
A huge 47% of people survey said that they agreed slaughterhouses should be banned, despite this, those who responded to the survey 97% believed that vegetarianism was a personal choice. These statistics are in conflict with each other given that a ban on slaughterhouses would leave Americans living meat-free.
The survey also indicated that 69% of Americans believe that ‘factory farming of animals is one of the most important social issues in the world today’, and 49% of respondents claimed that they would also support a ban on factory farming.
These statistics suggest that the consumption of animal products and the farming of animals is an important issue to Americans today and one which may shape the future of the American food industry.
Already large companies are buying into veganism, with Nestlé acquiring several plant based brands, and Campbells announced their commitment to a more plant based future last month when they announced they were leaving the Grocery Manufacturers Association for the Plant Based Foods Association.
In 2016 it was estimated that less than 1% of the US population is vegan and 3.2% vegetarian, however, the vegan movement appears to be gaining momentum across the globe and the market forecasts for meat and dairy alternatives suggest that the numbers of vegans will only continue to grow.
