Vegetarian Nation

GROWING VEGGIES

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Not a fad, gimmick, or trend, but in many cases a lifestyle and philosophy that reaches far beyond what you put in your mouth. While plant-based eating routinely flies beneath the media radar, it is a steadily growing movement that is becoming more mainstream every year. For those of you into numbers, here are the statistics.

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THE GROWTH OF A NATION

According to survey estimates, the number of vegetarians in the United States has more than doubled in the past fifteen years (1).

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In a 2000 National Zogby Poll sponsored by the Vegetarian Resource Group, 2.5 percent of Americans answered that they never eat meat, poultry, or fish --- more than double the 1 percent response in a similar 1994 National Roper Poll (2).

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME

OUR FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT… WE NEEED TO WEAR SHADES

One-third of American teenagers believe that vegetarianism is “in” (1).

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In a 2000 National Zogby Poll sponsored by the Vegetarian Resource Group, 10.4 percent of individuals 18 to 29 years of age stated that they never ate meat, compared with 3.4 percent of those between the ages of 30 and 39 (2).

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“Education on [being vegetarian] is growing, but I think at a much slower pace than the number of kids that are becoming vegetarians."

-Page Love, registered dietician-

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According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, teens are the fastest growing demographic of vegetarians today.

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Additional statistics about vegetarianism from the Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) and the American Dietetic Association (ADA):

· The number of teens who call themselves vegetarian has risen 30% in just 5 years

· Two percent of adolescents aged 13-17 (more than 400,000) consumed no meat, fish, or fowl in 2000, up from 1.4% in 1995

· Approximately 11% of teenage girls refuse to eat beef

· It is estimated that there are one million vegetarian children between the ages of 6 and 17

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In 1999, 69% of surveyed staff told the American School Food Service Association that they provide options for vegetarian students.

SHOW ME THE MONEY

Mintel Consumer Intelligence estimates the 2002 market for vegetarian foods (those that directly replace meat or animal derived products with non-animal derived alternatives) to be $1.5 billion.

Mintel forecasted that to grow to $2.8 billion by 2006, or nearly double within four years.

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