There are many reasons for going vegan - just as there are for going vegetarian. Being vegetarian helps enormously in reducing:

--> animal suffering
--> environmental damage
--> hunger in the developing world
--> risks to our own health

Veganism takes all those advantages a whole lot further. For very many people concerned about any or all of these problems, it seems the natural step to take from vegetarianism.


SAVING ANIMALS

In the UK alone, 850 million animals and hundreds of millions of fish are killed every year to put meat on tables - that?s more than three million animals a day. Before they are slaughtered, hundreds of millions lead desolate, disease-ridden lives on factory farms.

Cattle reared for milk production are exploited and made to suffer, just like animals reared for meat. They suffer from lameness, mastitis (inflammation of the udders) and other illnesses and - worst of all - they are forcibly separated from their calves just days after they are born so that humans can drink their milk. Cows are not some kind of special animal that produces milk automatically: just like every other animal, including us, they only produce milk to nurse their young. Male dairy calves, meanwhile, are useless to the dairy industry and are usually shot at birth. Meanwhile, egg-laying hens may be crammed into battery cages or disgusting, disease ridden percheries and forced to produce twenty times the number of eggs as are natural to them. Even free range and organic layers face disease and parasites - and are slaughtered for cheap meat as soon as their productivity falls below the level that the egg business will accept. Male chicks are as useless to the industry as male dairy calves and all are killed - including those on free-range and organic systems.

Like leather, wool is a vital part of the profitability of the meat business - and animals suffer to produce it. Over 90% of British sheep flocks have problems with lameness and almost 1 in 5 lambs die before getting to market. Even honey bees are prone to infectious diseases and the ill-effects of intensive production. All animals kept for profit are exploited in one way or another: the only way to ensure that animals are not harmed is to ensure they are not farmed at all.

For much more information on all these issues, read the Viva! guide Murder, She Wrote
 http://www.veganmidlands.org.uk/whyvegan/animalcruelty.html


SAVING THE PLANET

Rainforests are cleared for grazing; methane from livestock causes global warming; soil is eroded by cattle; slurry poisons waterways; and the seas are laid to waste by overfishing. The global appetite for meat and the industrial techniques of the meat industry are destroying the Earth.

Dairy cattle and laying hens consume land, water and resources just like other farmed animals. They eat pesticide-soaked fodder, produce polluting slurry, consume chemicals and drugs produced at environmental cost and generate greenhouse gases. They are a drain on our resources that this planet cannot afford.

For much more information on all these issues, read the Viva! guide Planet on a Plate
 http://www.veganmidlands.org.uk/whyvegan/environment.html


SAVING OTHERS

While 750 million people go to bed hungry every night, one-third of the world?s grain is fed to farmed animals. A typical Western meat-based diet can only feed 2.5 billion people: a plant-based diet will feed every one of us.

Again, dairy cattle and laying hens are consuming resources that could go to feeding human beings. As the developing world increasingly industrialises its animal agriculture, farming animals in order to generate revenues instead of food that problem will get worse - and as more dairy and egg produce is consumed in the developing world, so its people are at risk of falling prey to the diet-induced illnesses of Western society.

For much more information on all these issues, read the Viva! guide Food for the Future
 http://www.veganmidlands.org.uk/whyvegan/hunger.html


SAVING YOURSELF

Vegetarians live longer and suffer less from diseases such as hypertension, obesity, coronary artery disease, certain kinds of cancer and diabetes. Vegetarian diets can even be used to treat illnesses.

Human beings are the only animals which consume milk after infancy - and the milk of another species at that. It is neither natural nor healthy. A study published in 2003 found that a vegan diet could reduce the most harmful form of cholesterol by 29%. The American Dietetic Association has declared that a vegan diet can provide all the nutrition that human beings need - from cradle to grave. Veganism is infinitely closer to the diet human beings evolved to thrive on than a normal, animal fat-soaked western diet - and the health benefits of a well-balanced vegan diet reflect that.

For much more information on all these issues, read the Viva! guide The Healthiest Diet of All
 http://www.veganmidlands.org.uk/whyvegan/health.html

The following companies, campaign groups, sanctuaries and organisations will have stalls at the event.

Worcestershire Vegans & Veggies - A FREE vegan food sample stall run by this vegan campaigning and social group based in Worcester, see www.worcsveg.org.uk

Brackencraft - Natural handmade soaps, bath bombs, moisturiser, lip balm & lots more, see www.brackencraft.co.uk

Lakeside Ethical Treats - A vast array of animal-free chocolate, sweets & snacks incl Easter Eggs, choc bunnies, gift boxes, marshmallows, cinder toffee, vegan 'Mars', 'Snickers', 'Milky Way', raw superfood, savoury snacks etc, all sold in aid of the event organisers, Midlands Vegan Campaigns, see www.ethical-treats.co.uk

Tasker's Takeaways - Free samples of authentic takeaway vegan food, with full frozen meals for your freezer on sale, see www.redditch.veggroup.org/locations/1453.html

Ethical Pets - Ethical pet store selling everything your pet needs from bowls and food to leads & toys, see www.ethical-pets.co.uk

The One Earth Shop - Situated in Digbeth, Birmingham, this is the longest running purely vegan health food shop in the country and a range of their goodies will be on sale, see www.facebook.com/TheOneEarthShop

Riverflow Clothing - A small, family, business selling fairly traded and ethically sourced clothes and accessories that are mostly hand made and unique, see www.riverflowclothing.com

Three Counties Sabs - Local group who take lawful direct action to protect wildlife from those who wish to hunt and kill them, see www.facebook.com/threecounties.sabs

Tofu Tony's Recipe Books - A wide selection of vegan recipe books on sale.

Skylark Organics - A Soil Association Certified supplier of organically produced fruit & vegetables. Their weekly box scheme delivers a wide selection of fresh produce across Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Chpping Norton & surrounding areas, and their expanding across the West Midlands, see www.skylarkorganics.co.uk

Trishul Raw Chocolate - Lots of locally produced, delicious & healthy (yes healthy!) raw chocolate goodies including chocolate brownies, energy bombs, florentines, truffles, millionaires shortbread and more, see www.facebook.com/TrishulRawChocolate

The Farm Animal Sanctuary - This was Britain's first ever farm animal sanctuary, located near Evesham, and is now home to over 500 animals, see www.thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk

The Vegan Society - They promote ways of living free from animal products for the benefit of people, animals and the environment, see www.vegansociety.com

Vegan Cakery - Small ethical company selling a fantastic range of cruelty-free cupcakes, luxury gateaus, battenberg, celebration cakes, tiered cakes and more, see www.vegancakery.com

Animal Aid - The UK's largest animal rights group and one of the longest established in the world, having been founded in 1977, see www.animalaid.org.uk

Pulsin - Natural, healthy and nutritious snacks made using premium wholefood ingredients in their Gloucestershire factory, see www.pulsin.co.uk

Razzle Dazzle Ices - A small, ethical, family business that produces a fantastic range of delicious dairy-free ice cream. The flavours include shokalate, mango sorbet and hintamint, see www.razzledazzleices.co.uk

VEGAN CAFE

The scrumptious vegan food & refreshments will be provided by ChangeKitchen, the Birmingham based social enterprise that offers award winning veggie/vegan catering for weddings, business events, festivals and more...! See their website www.changekitchen.co.uk


FREE VEGAN FOOD SAMPLES

Many thanks to the following companies for very generous donations of their products which will be available to sample on a free food table, which will be run by Worcestershire Vegans & Veggies.

Amy's Kitchen - www.amyskitchen.co.uk

Bute Island Foods - www.buteisland.com

Fry's Vegetarian - www.frysvegetarian.co.uk

Kara Dairy Free - www.karadairyfree.com

Redwood Foods - www.shop.redwoodfoods.eu

Venture Foods - www.venturefoods.com


SPONSORS

Many thanks to our sponsors Animal Aid and Lakeside Ethical Treats
 http://www.animalaid.org.uk
 http://www.ethical-treats.co.uk