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Some headline writers and critics suggest an “anti-vegan backlash” is growing – protein and politics are key factors, but these narratives are missing the point.

Veganism is dead, long live veganism!

This month, the Daily Telegraph and Financial Times both suggested that an “anti-vegan backlash” has begun, one that has “made Britain fall back in love with meat” and is a clapback from carnivores. In response, The Spectator came out with its own take: “Blame vegans for the ‘anti-vegan backlash’.”

It comes just as research shows that the popularity of veganism today has “returned to pre-2020 levels”, according to food magazine Chef’s Pencil.

That assertion is based on Google Trends data, which found that the searches for related topics fell to levels last seen in 2016. Social media analysis also showed that the Instagram account for Veganuary witnessed a “dramatic slowdown in growth” from 49,600 new followers in January 2020 to just 5,500 in January 2025.

To make matters worse, sales of plant-based meat fell by 9% between July 2023 and 2024 in the US (though it’s still selling better than pre-pandemic levels), and 7% in the UK. And yes, a host of vegan restaurants have closed, including those owned or backed by celebrities, while others have put meat on their menu and then closed.

Moreover, investment in plant-based startups is down. Compared to 2022, when vegan companies raised $1.2B, venture capital flowing into this category has fallen by 74%, attracting just $309M last year.

So how have we got to this point? And is it truly all over for vegans?

People seem to want more protein, and not from plants

One of the biggest criticisms of vegan meat alternative products today is that they’re processed. The same way hot dogs and whiskey are.

In the US, 73% of the food supply is made up of ultra-processed foods (UPF), contributing to 60% of the country’s calorie consumption. Plant-based meat has suffered due to its classification as a UPF, even though the real problem lies with fizzy drinks, sugary bakes, and salty snacks.

But as Americans try to eat healthier in the Ozempic era, questions about the health impacts of meat alternatives are louder than ever – however unfounded they may be.

Then there’s the protein brigade. For as long as they’ve been around, plant-based products have been attacked for not having enough protein. It doesn’t matter that most meat analogues actually match the protein levels of the products they’re trying to replace, and some overtake them.

Americans already eat too much meat – red meat consumption alone is 10 times higher than what scientists recommend. In fact, most of the Global North does. At the same time, we’re not eating enough fibre, a crucial nutrient for the gut microbiome and overall wellness (which conveniently, many plant-based meat products have in spades, along with equivalent amounts of protein). For some reason, though, we want more protein than ever.

In 2024, protein was the nutrient Americans were most interested in consuming, as cited by 71% of respondents to a large survey. However, we’re not turning to plants for this – instead, online influencers have us gorging on meat, raw milk, and beef tallow.

In the UK, too, more youngsters are increasing their meat intake (19%) than reducing it (16%) – despite half of them acknowledging that it causes harm to the planet. Meanwhile, only 45% of Brits say they trust plant-based proteins.

Across Europe, less than one in five people (18%) avoid animal products. And moving forward, only a quarter would like to phase out meat and dairy, while 12% would like to increase their consumption.

We’re eating crisps made from chicken breast, tortilla chips fried in tallow, shakes containing bone broth, and unpasteurised milk. And we’re doing so in the name of freedom and nutrition, it seems – despite experts warning about bird flu, saturated fat intake, and fibre deficiencies.

Politics plays its part

Spearheaded by figures like Elon Musk – never one to shy away from a culture war – the pro-meat movement is reflective of the larger political landscape, one where wokeism is unwelcome and DEI policies are blamed for plane crashes.

But it’s not just alpha males and ultra-masculine gym bros who are leading the carnivorous diet charge – women from their late 20s to early 40s make up the majority of the market for brands like Equip Foods, which sells products like grass-fed beef protein and colostrum gummies, as per the Financial Times.

Then there’s the backlash against climate change. With President Donald Trump back in the White House, the US is once again pulling out of the Paris Agreement, which should come as no surprise given that the climate-denying president did so in his first term too. Moreover, Trump has demanded all mentions of the climate crisis be scrubbed from government websites.

He may be flanked by former environmentalists in Musk and Robert F Kennedy Jr, but these two are figureheads for the people who’ve put personal power over the planet. The former has raised doubts over the scientifically established climate harms of animal agriculture and added information from a climate alarmism think tank on his Department of Government Efficiency website. The latter, now the health secretary, has railed against “fake meat” products despite their environmental superiority.

It aligns with the narrative pedalled by the meat industry, which would have you believe that plant-based food isn’t sustainable, despite animal agriculture accounting for up to a fifth of global emissions. In addition, the meat lobby will dupe you into thinking that overlong ingredient lists are 1. universally bad (they’re not) and 2. only found in vegan products (they’re not).

Vegan numbers have remained steady, and it’s not all about diet

These arguments have been successful in turning people against and away from meat alternatives, gutting sales and sometimes entire businesses. But it doesn’t mean veganism is dead.

“We are definitely in an adjustment phase. Health-conscious consumers are also seeking less processed meat alternatives, so we are seeing natural protein sources such as tofu, tempeh, chickpeas, and lentils grow in popularity,” Toni Vernelli, Veganuary’s head of communication and policy engagement, told Chef’s Pencil.

That’s just it though – plant-based isn’t all about meat analogues. Heck, these products aren’t even the largest part of the market. That distinction goes to non-dairy milk, which is bought by nearly half (44%) of homes in America, and over 35% in Germany and the UK.

And in any case, vegan population numbers have remained steady over the years. In the UK – where these headlines have originated from – between 2-3% of consumers say they follow a vegan diet, a trend that has been consistent since 2019, according to YouGov surveys. Government data, meanwhile, puts this at 1.5%, according to The Vegan Society.

Veganism has been growing in Asia too. In 2021, a tenth of Indians identified as vegan, and this has remained steady this year too. Similarly, the number of vegans in Singapore has grown from 7% in 2020 to 9% today.

But perhaps the most crucial misconception of this argument is that veganism is all about diet – it’s not. Veganism is, as The Vegan Society explains, a “philosophy and way of living” that excludes all forms of animal exploitation – for food, clothing and other purposes.

It’s why we see companies making animal-free leather and silk, cruelty-free cosmetics, and vegan toothpaste and shampoos. Veganism isn’t dead – if it were, investors and companies wouldn’t still be spending hundreds of millions of dollars on these products.

Most of the population may not change their way of living. But as media investigations and social media continue to shine a harsh light on how we treat animals – which remains shocking, cruel and inhumane – and the true environmental impact of farming them, it’s likely the philosophy of veganism will continue to attract adherents.

The post Protein Politics: An ‘Anti-Vegan Backlash’ Is Brewing. Why? appeared first on Green Queen.

This post was originally published on Green Queen.