A Northern Ireland farming lobby body has taken on one of the biggest vegan organisations in the world, demanding that it acknowledges that animals such as worms are killed in vegetable and cereal production in its propaganda.

The Vegan Society claims there are over half a million vegans living in England, Scotland and Wales and says that veganism should be protected by law under religion and belief legislation.

William Taylor, Farmers For Action UK’s Northern Ireland co-ordinator, said the steering committee in Northern Ireland have “grave concerns” about peer pressure and misinformation in vegan propaganda affecting the health of school children and young people.

‘All of the facts and not the selected few’

The group wrote to the Vegan Society asking that it “must tell the whole story” from the outset.

The letter read: “Farmers For Action UK NI is most concerned about the high-profile veganism message being put out across the UK.


“Particularly in relation to its effect on growing school children and young people who very much need their full intake of calcium, iron and other essential natural nutrients for them to grow and develop.

“Youngsters must be told all of the facts and not the selected few,” according to the farmers’ group.

‘A simple question’

“Whilst Farmers For Action fully supports all sectors of farmers across the UK, we feel that your organisation must explain how your promotion does not highlight to these same growing school children and young people just how many worms and soil microbes lose their lives during soil preparation to grow the vegetables your veganism requires.

This is the real world.

“Our question is simply this: ‘Will your advertising in future – and [the] definition of veganism – clearly state in equal-size print that worms and soil microbes will die in the process of growing the vegetables required for veganism?’”