Largest meat producer in the u.s. to launch vegan protein

[Lou]

LARGEST MEAT PRODUCER IN THE U.S.
TO LAUNCH VEGAN PROTEIN​

The "largest meat producer" in the headline is Tyson. The inventor of the chicken nugget.

I was thinking about adding this to the "Here is Something to Ponder" thread I created last year. It's totally related. But I forgot how that thread had gone off the tracks, through the guardrail, crashed into the river and then blew up. Besides the thread is closed. Rest In Pieces.

Anyway, that thread was more about the healthiness of the new products entering the vegan/plant-based world. Since I have no interest in bringing that up again, this time I'm going to suggest a focus on ethics. And this:
Do vegans have an obligation/responsibility to buy or boycott Tyson Foods.

This kind of question wasn't even relevant when all Tyson did was make meat. It did become a concern when Tyson invested in Beyond Meat. But that was just an investment. It wasn't like they owned Beyond Meat. But now Tyson is going into the Faux meat business.

As a vegan, I sometimes go out of my way to support meat alternatives. When Taco Bell made their options more vegan-friendly I went to Taco Bell and bought a bean burrito. And I don't even like Taco Bell. However, I haven't been back - not even when they put vegan stuff ON the menu. But I feel like I should go back. I mean if the vegan menu items don't sell, they might take them back off the menu. Plus if they do sell, maybe some restaurant that I do like will put vegan items on the menu. Supporting vegan-friendly businesses is just another form of voting with your wallet. I went out to a restaurant to buy an Impossible Burger. I even went back to try out the new and improved version. And before Tyson invested in Beyond Meat (or at least before I knew they did), I bought a package and brought it to a BBQ.

However, with the success that plant-based companies have had the lines are getting muddied. Annies Homegrown Food got bought by General Mills. Silk got bought up by Dean's Foods. There is little appeal to me to support these food megacorps.

Then there is Tyson. IMHO Tyson is like the worst of the worst of Big Food. Interesting Side note, there is actually a web site that tracks corporate violations: Good Jobs First. And they have a page just devoted to Tyson.
Of course, they don't count murdering (billions of ) chickens as a violation. I'm not even sure that page includes the accusations of chicken torture that have been recently made or that scientists believe that many chickens are conscious when being slaughtered. However, they do include the 141 Workplace and Safety violations and the 63 Environmental violations. And although Tyson reports an amputation a month (on average) to OSHA, an ongoing investigation may lead to the discovery of many more amputations that go unreported.

So what do you think? Is this something to celebrate or to boycott?

 

[TofuRobot]

The way i see it, my only obligation is to continue buying and eating plants. The bulk of What I buy in terms of processed food consists of lara bars, bread, and tortillas. The worst is pretzel chips. I'm not going to start buying Tyson's "vegan meat product" ... I mean - if I wanted to buy a garden burger, I'd buy one of the ones where you can actually see the vegetables :/

 

[Sax]

I won't be going out of my way to buy or avoid such products.

I think it helps veganism to have more fake meat and cheese and junk food. It raises awareness of veganism and lowers the psychological barriers for transitioning. I prefer real food though and I definitely don't feel obliged to buy stuff I don't want as a form of consumer activism.

The interactions we have with the non-vegans in our lives and the examples we set for them are FAR more important to growing veganism than the small amount of money we can give or withhold. I would like to see Tyson go bankrupt. But if I'm at a restaurant with friends I'd rather show them that veganism doesn't mean missing out than to punish Tyson by denying them the few pennies they'd actually profit off my purchase.

 

[mavrick45]

Tyson is a garbage company and I will never buy anything from them, vegan or not.

 

[Three Chickpeas]

We go out of our way sometimes to support (vote with our wallet) companies and businesses that have vegan options, also in hopes of expanding vegan offerings and letting companies know its profitable. Well, its profitable as this mega-corp wouldn't get into it if not. They see the writing on the wall and are trying to cover their bases to ensure future profitability.

This is great for getting current meat-eaters to try something new, and they see a name they recognize, they may be more willing to try it. So, I do think its good that Tyson is getting into the business.

That said, the Chickpea family will never buy anything with a Tyson label on it. Same as I avoid Nestle products, Tyson is an unethical company that's action are far removed from anything resembling a vegan lifestyle.

 

[nobody]

Do vegans have an obligation/responsibility to buy or boycott Tyson Foods.​

So what do you think? Is this something to celebrate or to boycott?

Ethical vegans cannot logically have any obligation to either support or avoid vegan products from Tyson Foods. If you have an obligation to avoid their vegan foods, wouldn't you also have an obligation to avoid shopping at any grocery store that sells animal products, since the grocery store is also in the business of making money from animal exploitation? For that matter, wouldn't you also have an obligation to make as little money as possible from jobs and self employment, in order to not have to pay much in taxes, since your tax dollars support subsidies for animal agriculture, and since the government also requires animal testing and uses animals in grotesque ways for military first aid training and other purposes?

If anyone is saying the sins of Tyson Foods are so egregious as to warrant boycotting them, but not other companies involved in animal exploitation, like your local grocery store, then what, do these other companies exploit and kill the animals in a way that is more acceptable to you? If so, doesn't that just make you some type of "humane-tarian ethical vegan", who views some animal exploitation worthy of boycott and other animal exploitation humane enough to be acceptable?

You can have no moral obligation to buy the vegan foods from Tyson et al. because that would also morally require you to make money, which you can't legally do without paying taxes on it, and taxes subsidize animal agriculture. All monetary transactions are dirty and have some animal suffering and death associated with them, somewhere in the pipeline. Even though there is no moral requirement to buy it from the standpoint of ethical veganism, it is still good for farm animals and the animal rights movement when you do purchase these products, so it is something to celebrate and I will be buying some of this Tyson Protein.

 

[TofuRobot]

We go out of our way sometimes to support (vote with our wallet) companies and businesses that have vegan options, also in hopes of expanding vegan offerings and letting companies know its profitable. Well, its profitable as this mega-corp wouldn't get into it if not. They see the writing on the wall and are trying to cover their bases to ensure future profitability.

This is great for getting current meat-eaters to try something new, and they see a name they recognize, they may be more willing to try it. So, I do think its good that Tyson is getting into the business.

That said, the Chickpea family will never buy anything with a Tyson label on it. Same as I avoid Nestle products, Tyson is an unethical company that's action are far removed from anything resembling a vegan lifestyle.

Tyson, Nestle, Carnation, L'Oréal, Kellogg's, Method....

 

[Lou]

Tyson, Nestle, Carnation, L'Oréal, Kellogg's, Method....

Method???

 

[TofuRobot]

Method???

Owned by SC Johnson

 

[TofuRobot]

If you really want to be overwhelmed, there's a super long list of companies to boycott for various reasons here:
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalcampaigns/boycotts

 

[Lou]

Darn. I really liked Method.

 

[Paul Bradford]

Tyson marketing Vegan foods isn't really a surprise, they are a mega corporation whose duty is to provide the shareholders with a return on investment, If they detect an opening in the market that they can exploit they will be straight in there like pigs round a trough.
But its these mega corporations that have made the availability of food so plentiful, varied and CHEAP.
And it is this CHEAP food that drives production down the routes that so many of you disapprove of.

If you really want to make your voices heard, stop shopping at the supermarkets, support local growers, it will put you in touch with the producer and he /she will listen to direct feedback from HIS /HER customer.
Choose foods that are produced locally, there is no need to haul food around the planet.
Choose food that is produced without irrigation.
If your diet requires certain types of food, MOVE to where that food can be produced, there will be opportunities for you to pursue there in a world where a lot of jobs don't require you to be present at a work station.

All the food I produce is consumed within 20 miles of where it is produced.
The Farm shop that sells some of my production also sells vegetable grown locally.
A fully nutritious and varied diet can be bought from the shop, all with a very low carbon footprint, ultra low transport cost and zero use of irrigation.
And on a system that is sustainable.

 

[Rosco917]

I hate to say it but Tyson for whatever reason is investigating Vegan options. They have a division dedicated to it. I'm sure its a way to cover as many bases as they can.