Meat-free Eating Jumps Double Digits in New Zealand

A new poll has revealed that veg eating is on the rise among New Zealanders, with more than one in 10 now saying they’re always or mostly vegetarian. Conducted by Roy Morgan Research, the poll found the growing trend away from meat not to be lost among Kiwis, with more than 10 percent describing themselves and either fully or mostly vegetarian, compared to eight percent in 2011. Along gender lines, the statistic jumped in men from 5.7 to 9.3 percent, while meat-free women rose a percentage point to 11.3 percent. Those falling in the 14–24 year-old range have also seen a sharp growth in veg eating, up 55 percent since 2011. Interestingly, those on New Zealand’s northern island seem to be developing herbivorous tastes at a faster rate—up a total of 32 percent from 8.4 to 11.1 percent. The poll follows last month’s news of a chain of New Zealand gasoline stations’ unprecedented sales of a vegan handheld pot pie, which were later found to contain microscopic traces of animal by-products—a revelation unbeknownst to the gas station (which quickly took action), drawing further support from many of its vegan customers.