With 11.5 billion sandwiches devoured by people in the United Kingdom each year, it’s time to stop buttering up the public with deceit and find some satisfying solutions to save our planet.
Animal agriculture is a huge contributor to climate change but the complacency in our diets has meant people are looking for different or ‘easier’ alternatives in combatting climate change which often fall short. The UK gave up plastic straws in a bid to ‘save the turtles’ yet continue mass sea fishing which inevitably nets the very animals we are fighting to save. We were careful on our paper consumption to ‘save the trees’ but continue to pay into the animal industry taking up 75% of global land for animals to be bred, fed, and eventually consumed as part of our diets. The 9th August 2021 was an upsetting day for many - leaving us wondering what our next steps were to prepare to get our planet back on track.
The mass-consumption of the western hemisphere has had a huge backlash on developing countries as they will be most affected by it. Last year saw the Australian wildfires and a global pandemic which left all of us isolated in our homes, ignoring our very actions causing it. Despite the time for research and education, the world fell silent on climate issues until in 2021. California and Saint-Tropez and Greece and Turkey became engulfed in flames as their countries warmed with the planet.
Tofu has become a popular product of a vegan diet due to its versatility in recipes but has also led to discussions amongst meat eaters who argue that the soya industry, as a result of veganism, is plaguing the planet. Yet Rhe Cerrado in Brazil lost half of its natural vegetation to soyabean plantations, 75% of which is produced for animal and agricultural feed, therefore being the biggest cause of this sites lost vegetations, and much of the rest of the world.
The UK are being impacted too, as the class divide is visible in food insecurities amongst lower income families. Despite the mass scale of food insecurity globally, 570,000 tones of fresh meat is wasted by households each year which could otherwise be used. The continued demand for more has meant the cows grazing in picture books is far off the mark of truth as feeding the mass amounts of livestock requires overseas feed and small housing environments. Not only is livestock for human consumption responsible for nearly 15% of
all greenhouse gas emissions, but just a quarter of the total amount of meat wasted could end world hunger completely.
It’s no easy feat, but companies are making it more approachable to make smarter decisions for your health and the planet - starting with your sandwiches. According to the University of Manchester, the infamous ‘all day’ breakfast sandwich consisting of the beloved sausage, egg and bacon has the same carbon footprint as driving 12 miles in a car, for 30 seconds of
satisfaction. To reinvent the wheel of convenience and create more accessible, healthy
options, Zess have produced the World’s first plant-powered deli fillers.
We are not screaming for everyone to dump their diets and become plant-based, but research shows by reducing yearly meat consumption by 50%, 4,45 million square kilometres of crop land could be saved. Made up of vegan ingredients and free from the top 14 allergens, the versatile deli fillers are a welcome change for our bodies and the planet - the two things that face the expense of every food choice we make.
Inspired by the world flavours of different cuisines, Rhys Richardson, co-founder and Chief Food Officer at Zess created the products from authentic Indian, Mexican and Italian ingredients. The products on offer are Sweet Potato Dhansak, Chipotle Barbacoa and Pesto Caponata. (You can find out more about them HERE).
With the plant-based market worth 443 million in 2018 and continuing to grow, the deli fillers are a new essential item for throw together lunches that could sway anyone onto the right path.