Across the UK, more and more people are going vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian for the planet, the animals, and for their own health. Now, according to the Royal Horticulture Society, consumers are also becoming increasingly concerned with their gardens and the products they put on them. Much like the majority of their food choices, many Brits want to ensure their own backyard is cruelty-free too.
According to the society, animal-free fertiliser and compost are the highest in demand, with many products, like manure pellets, currently coming from factory-farmed animals. The society notes that as the trend gains even more popularity, suppliers will have to rethink their products and consider producing more ethically sourced vegan-friendly options.
Guy Barter, the Chief Horticulturist at the society, recently told the Telegraph, “vegan gardening is similar to organic in that it avoids synthetic pesticides and fertilisers but goes further, eliminating anything of animal origin which includes popular feeds with animal materials such as fish, bones and blood and manures from intensive animal farming.”
He added, “Should we see more [vegan gardening] in the coming years, the industry will need to look at providing more products, such as alfalfa meal fertiliser, currently a niche product, that meet this growing demand.”
According to one landscape designer and allotmenteer, Jack Wallington, vegan gardening is taking off because people simply now know more about the products they use and where they come from. “There are some fantastic role models on Instagram and YouTube,” he told the Telegraph. He tries to use vegan products for environmental reasons, making nettle and comfrey compost and fertiliser at home. Although he does purchase seaweed fertiliser, Wallington maintains that there are not enough cruelty-free gardening products on offer in stores.
He explained, “I don’t have a problem with manures being used to improve soil because in the wild, plants are smothered in poo all the time. But where and how that is sourced for gardeners is important. I’m sure most people care about the environment and animal rights, if more options were available they’d fly off the shelves.”
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