Parent companies who arent 'vegan'

[Alice-Bee]

Ive been reading alot of comments on a Vegan brands that are owned by parent companies that arent vegan.
For example Swedish Glace (vegan icecream) was recently bought by Unilever who put out products that are tested on animals such as Lynx showergels and other toiletries. And I recently hear that Alpro are owned by a dairy firm.
Accidently Vegan food is often owned by big companies like P&G, UniLever and Loreal(buying out The Body Shop).
Some vegans even boycott supermarkets because they sell meat and dairy...is this TOO far?

My question is how far do YOU take your veganism? Would you boycott a brand because it is owned by a nasty parent company or do you see it as youre still buying vegan therefore still helping to reduce animal suffering?
Also do you think boycotting a brand (like the Swedish Glace for example) means you should boycott Tesco because they sell meat or are these too different extremes?

 

[AeryFairy]

I do my best to buy from smaller, more ethical companies, but I don't stick to it rigidly because, quite simply, it would make my life too damn difficult and I never want veganism to be an inconvenience for me. As it is at the moment, people don't realise I'm vegan straight away - even if they eat out with me. I don't make it look like a big deal and a massive inconvenience, and when people ask me about it, I can honestly tell them how easy it is in today's world. It's more important to me to show people that veganism is so easy to do that there's really no excuse for using animal products.

 

[cornsail]

I just try to stick to vegan products, not taking into account whether they are put out by companies that also sell non-vegan products.

How do people who boycott supermarkets that sell meat and dairy ever buy anything?? I don't know of any food stores around where I live that are 100% vegan. Even my favorite restaurant, which is like > 90% vegan has a few dairy-optional items. Do they not gas up their vehicles at gas stations that sell non vegan stuff? Even a lot of non food stores sell stuff like milk chocolate candy near the checkout isles. Doesn't seem possible unless you live really simply and grow your own food or something.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I used to boycott when I first became vegan but it got far too complicated and I wasn't being very consistent. I do like to support more vegan-friendly shops and restaurants but I have to be realistic and I usually buy from three of the big supermarkets and I eat vegan meals in non-vegan restaurants. It seems to me that some vegans I've met pick and choose what they boycott, which is fine if they want to do that, but it doesn't really make sense to me.

I think buying vegan products gives the company the message that vegan stuff is going to be appreciated and bought and probably will make more of a difference instead of boycotting the company completely.

 

[silva]

Those big companies influence a lot of people!
I do try and patronize producers who embody AR, but certainly don't shun mainstream products. They should be encouraged for making it more accessible.
Silk is a good example. They're owned by Kraft (?), and many here would boycott them. Silk has taken non dairy milks to the family table like no other small vegan industry could!

 

[RabbitLuvr]

^ I think Silk are owned by Dean Foods. (Is Dean Foods owned by Kraft?) I don't know much about Dean Foods, other than they also own dairies. I think. Not sure, actually. I drink Almond Breeze, anyway.

There are no 100% vegan grocery stores where I live, so I do shop at grocery stores that sell meat. As far as parent companies go, animal testing is my main issue. I do try to avoid brands owned by patent companies that do animal testing, even when the brand itself claims to be cruelty-free. (For example, Herbal Essences may well be cruelty-free, but I have a hard time believing that those products don't benefit from animal testing done by L'Oreal.) Why buy that when I can buy my shampoo from Whole Foods own-brand, or Lush, when I know they're actually cruelty-free?

So I guess my answer is, I will buy vegan products even if the parent company is not vegan, but I will NOT buy products if the parent company is not cruelty-free.

I know there is an argument to be made for increasing demand for cruelty-free products, but I can't feel good about myself and buy from a non-cruelty-free company, when there is a truly cruelty-free option available.

 

[Alice-Bee]

I agree Moll. I think showing the demand for the vegan products will make it more available. Look at Tesco bringing in their own vegan range!

I think that if a product is easy to find, like I can get it with my weekly shop and its helping me be vegan, its more important than boycotting because its owned by a higher non vegan company.


Rabbit-Im unsure what you mean by CF...for example a UK brand of vegan icecream was recently bought by a company that produces items that are tested on animals (like toiletries, pet food etc) would you boycott the vegan products this company now owns?

 

[RabbitLuvr]

Rabbit-Im unsure what you mean by CF...for example a UK brand of vegan icecream was recently bought by a company that produces items that are tested on animals (like toiletries, pet food etc) would you boycott the vegan products this company now owns?

Yeah, I would. I stopped shopping at The Body Shop when I found out they were owned by L'Oreal, stopped buying PG Tips tea when I found out they were owned by Unilever, etc.
I know everyone has their own line as to what is acceptable to them, and this is mine.

I wouldn't try to push someone else to stop buying that brand of vegan ice cream, though- If someone recommended it to me I'd be like "oh, that is owned by x company, I don't buy from them, sadface."

 

[Alice-Bee]

I know what you mean in a way. Tea, for example is a product that is Universally Vegan, so can be bought from anywhere, and buy any company. If something is specially vegan, like icecream or fake meat then you kind of have to take what you can find.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

That's true.
I've never really had too hard of a time just going without specialty things. So if Daiya was bought by Unilever, I'd just go without a cheese substitute.

Like I said, though, I recognize that this is my personal comfort level, and I'm not out to push my agenda on others. Heck, my husband is omni, there's sometimes dead animals in my fridge, which I know is unacceptable to some vegans.

 

[Josh James xVx]

Animals vs. Veganism

What are our personal goals?

Does buying an item that does not contain animal products directly harm animals? Does it make it easier or harder for people to purchase vegan items? Does it promote the non vegan products those lines promote if we buy vegan items from them? I doubt it unless their inventory management team is fundamentally flawed.

 

[Pickle Juice]

I do draw my line at supporting companies that test on lab animals. I can't justify it to myself; giving money to mega-corps who will use it to perform torture. Unless small vegan companies are losing their businesses to hostile takeovers that they can't stop, they have no reason to sell to companies like Unilever, if they have any ethics at all. That makes me angry, and I don't support companies whose lack of ethics make me angry.

This is just my personal view though.

 

[silva]

Animals vs. Veganism

What are our personal goals?

Does buying an item that does not contain animal products directly harm animals? Does it make it easier or harder for people to purchase vegan items? Does it promote the non vegan products those lines promote if we buy vegan items from them? I doubt it unless their inventory management team is fundamentally flawed.

Again, Josh puts what I want to say in a neat package of words!
Obviously, for the majority of people, giving up animal products seems unmanageable. I know many who say they're against animal testing, and look for the "not tested on animal", but no farther than that. I also know people who say they're against factory farms, but say they can't afford ones labeled humane, and won't give up meat.
Most just don't know what to do, and being vegan just sounds too hard.
I do support small ethical companies--and large like Eden Organics
http://www.edenfoods.com/about/assets/eden_network.pdf
They really fought off bigger companies offers in order to maintain their ethical goals.
But for the public at large, I do feel mainstreaming vegan products is the best way to greater achievements.

 

[Digger]

I don't worry about parent companies... I worry only about the product itself. If the product is vegan, then my buying it sends a message to the parent company. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

 

[SummerRain]

My question is how far do YOU take your veganism? Would you boycott a brand because it is owned by a nasty parent company or do you see it as youre still buying vegan therefore still helping to reduce animal suffering?
Also do you think boycotting a brand (like the Swedish Glace for example) means you should boycott Tesco because they sell meat or are these too different extremes?

I don't see it as "taking veganism further" to avoid parent companies. I think buying vegan products from non-vegan companies is a really good thing, I don't see it as a negative. Big companies own almost everything, and by big companies creating vegan products it makes vegan products affordable and widely and easily available.

The more affordable and available vegan products are, the less veganism will seem extreme and will be difficult for people to follow, the less people will give up on veganism and see it as too extreme, and the more veganism will seem normal - in the same way vegetarianism is in the UK now. Furthermore, this means that non-vegans will regularly consume vegan products, and enjoy them. If this leads them to veganism great, but if it doesn't, well that's great too.

Big companies and parent companies will have fingers in many pies, and most of them wont be vegan. I can't see anything worse about Body Shop being owned by L'Oreal, than Sainsburys selling meat and dairy - and countless products tested on animals. If anything, Body Shop seems more ethical to me since the store itself is vegetarian and not tested on animals and doesn't sell things tested on animals, unlike Sainsburys or 99% of shops.

I can't see what is to be gained by avoiding ethical products that are produced by non ethical companies. I WANT as many companies as possible to produce ethical products.

 

[Alice-Bee]

I completely agree. I mentioned that I will still buy alpro (because its easier for me and I actuall like the taste) on a vegan group page and they all jumped on me saying im basically a crap vegan and should try making my own milk. Part of the problem, not the solution.
It was making me feel terrible and kind of wanting to quit my progress to vegan. Thankyou all for your opinions.

 

[AeryFairy]

I completely agree. I mentioned that I will still buy alpro (because its easier for me and I actuall like the taste) on a vegan group page and they all jumped on me saying im basically a crap vegan and should try making my own milk. Part of the problem, not the solution.
It was making me feel terrible and kind of wanting to quit my progress to vegan. Thankyou all for your opinions.

Okay, well ignore that! Jeez. Some people. Every step towards vegan is a good thing

 

[SummerRain]

You shouldn't let random vegans on forums make you feel bad! Ignore them. Go find a better group!

Besides, I don't know who all the people who hang out on vegan forums and things online are (except for me of course!) but the vegan online community, and the vegan real life communities I have met, just don't add up to being the same people. The impression I get, as a whole, from all the vegans I've met IRL (which now is quite a few since I've been part of vegan societies and such), is completely different and is completely without the judgment you can get, or that gets implied, online. Which is odd, but it helps put things in perspective. It does for me anyway.

(Sorry that was a bit off topic)

 

[Kitties]

I too try to buy from smaller companies and smaller brand names. And I do this a lot. Paying a bit more for some of these brands doesn't hurt me because I only have to feed myself. (and two kitties) But even our local co-op natural food store which I'm a member of, started selling meat a few years ago and they carry a fair amount of dairy. Buying from a 100% vegan store in my area would be impossible.

I too believe though that every dollar spent on vegan products and supporting smaller veg/vegan/organic companies makes a statement.

Oh and so sorry about that nasty response you got. Just not nice.

 

[Alice-Bee]

Thanks guys. I needed that!
I like to think that Im doing the best I can, and making a difference. There is always going to be someone who does more than yourself, you just have to be happy with what you do.