1. A 2008 Vegetarian Times study showed that 3,2% of American adults (that is, about 7,3 million people) are vegetarians. Nearly 23 million more people follow various subtypes of a vegetarian diet. Approximately 0,5% (or 1 million) of the population are vegans, eating no animal products at all.
2. In recent years, the vegan diet has become a popular culture. Events such as vegan festivals help spread the message, lifestyle and worldview of vegans. Festivals across 33 states are storming vegan and vegetarian restaurants, food and drink vendors, apparel, accessories and more.
3. When someone doesn’t eat meat for some reason, it doesn’t mean they don’t crave the taste of meat and milk. It is really hard for many to give up this animal product, so one of the fast-growing trends is the production of alternatives to animal products, including veggie burgers, sausages, plant-based milk. The Meat Replacement Market Report predicts that alternatives to animal products will be valued at nearly $2022 billion by 6.
4. To ensure the availability of large quantities of fresh vegetables and fruits to meet consumer demand, stores enter into large contracts. It is becoming more difficult for small local producers to sell their products, but they are increasingly showing that they grow their crops organically. This is evidenced by a large number of stories, interviews and photographs in various newspapers, magazines and on television.
5. NPD Group research shows that Generation Z makes the decision to go vegetarian or vegan at an early age, which could lead to a 10% increase in fresh vegetable consumption in the near future. According to the study, people under 40 have increased their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by 52% over the past decade. The popularity of vegetarian food has almost doubled among students, but people over 60, in contrast, have reduced their consumption of vegetables by 30%.
6. Statistics show that businesses using the term “vegan” are becoming more popular than meat and animal businesses as companies cater to people’s needs. New vegan ventures accounted for 2015% of total startups in 4,3, up from 2,8% in 2014 and 1,5% in 2012, according to Innova Market Insights.
7. According to a Google Food Trends report, vegan is one of the most popular words Americans use when searching for recipes online. Search engine searches for vegan cheese grew by 2016% in 80, vegan mac and cheese by 69%, and vegan ice-cream by 109%.
8. Data from the United States Census Bureau showed that in 2012 there were 4859 businesses registered in the wholesale fresh fruit and vegetable sector. For comparison, in 1997 the Bureau did not even conduct such a survey. Sales volume in the sector increased by 23% from 2007 to 2013.
9. The criterion of freshness has become a key factor in the choice of vegetables and fruits. According to the 2015 Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Survey, sales of fresh fruits grew by 4% from 2010 to 2015, and sales of fresh vegetables grew by 10%. Meanwhile, sales of canned fruit fell 18% over the same period.