For immediate release:
February 10, 2021
Contacts:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382
Springdale, Ark. “When will Tyson come up with a plan to capitalize on the future of meat that is vegan?” This is a question that a PETA spokesperson will ask executives at their virtual annual meeting tomorrow, citing study after study by medical practitioners, climate scientists and animal welfare experts, as well as statistics showing the rise in popularity of vegan products.
PETA acquired shares in Tyson, which already makes the vegan brand Raised & Rooted, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dirty, crowded conditions and the frantic speed of slaughterhouses make transmission of the virus among slaughterhouse workers almost inevitable: tens of thousands of them have tested positive for COVID-19 and hundreds have died. The group notes that the new coronavirus originated in China’s “wet market,” where live and dead animals are sold for human consumption; swine flu started on an industrial farm in the United States; and other deadly influenza viruses have been linked to chickens.
The cost of raising animals for meat is on the rise, while demand for vegan meat is skyrocketing, and the market is projected to be worth more than $ 4.15 billion by 2026.
“By becoming 100% vegan, Tyson can save animals, protect his bottom line, and even contribute to preventing future pandemics,” says PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman. “PETA encourages Tyson to use its own Raised & Rooted line as a model for the rest of the company – and to inspire the meat industry as a whole.”
PETA also acquired shares in Hormel, Sanderson Farms, Maple Leaf Foods, Kraft Heinz (Oscar Mayer’s parent company) and China-owned WH Group (owner of Smithfield Foods) to persuade them to switch to vegan meat production.
PETA, whose motto is, in part, “Animals are not ours to eat,” is opposed to specisism, a human supremacist worldview that encourages violence against other animals. For more information please visit PETA.org or subscribe to the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram…