- [Narrator] This week an animal rights politician
is elected in Switzerland,
Walmart bans live fish sales,
eating vegan food can boost erections by nearly 500%,
and IKEA launches a meat-free Christmas menu.
All this and more on "LIVEKINDLY's Weekly Vegan News."
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Paul McCartney released an antivivisection music video.
The animated music video features
McCartney's 1993 song "Looking for Changes"
which protests experiments on lab animals.
The music video features a cat, a rabbit, and a monkey
escaping a lab right before they're experimented on.
They join McCartney in a protest
against vivisection on Capital Hill.
"I'm looking for changes that will continue the momentum
"of getting animals out of laboratories,"
McCartney said in a statement.
"Experiments on animals are unethical.
"They're a colossal failure and a waste of time and money.
"We can and must do better."
The song come just one month
after Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard
urged the National Institutes of Health
to reduce animal testing.
Earlier this year the NIH announced
that it would replace animals
in the drug and chemical toxicity testing process
with cruelty-free methods.
However, the number of animals currently used
in biomedical is not public.
The Animal Welfare Act only protects
about 5% of animals used in labs.
The federal law excludes birds,
mice, rats, and cold-blooded animals.
Eating vegan food can boost erections by nearly 500%.
According to a study featured
in the documentary "The Game Changers."
The film dismantles the myth that athletes need meat
in order to be at the top of their game.
It was produced by
Academy Award winning director James Cameron,
as well as Lewis Hamilton, Jackie Chan,
and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In the film, three college athletes took part
in a study focused on erections.
They each wore a pair of rings on their penis.
One on the base and one on the tip.
The rings track the strength, longevity,
and the number of erections they had over two nights.
On the first night, they were each fed a meat burrito.
On the second, they ate plant-based burritos.
The first athlete witnessed a nearly 9% increase
in the strength of his erection on the second night,
and a 303% increase in the time it lasted for.
For the second athlete,
results showed a nearly 500% increase
in the number of minutes his erection lasted
after eating plant-based foods.
The third athlete witnessed a 312% increase
in the number of minutes his erection lasted.
He also witnessed a 13% change in hardness.
Former lead delegate of the American Urological Association,
Dr. Aaron Spitz, conducted the study.
He said, "When I think of a manly man,
"I think of someone who has strength, endurance,
"sexual prowess, and fertility."
He added, "What the scientific studies are showing
"is that the more meat men eat,
"the more quickly they lose their manly manhood."
In April 2018, Cameron told "The Star" Newspaper
he'd like to give Viagra a run for its money.
He said, "I'd love to put Viagra out of business
"just by spreading the word on plant-based eating."
Coming up, Switzerland elects an animal rights politician.
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A new vegan food, drink, and agriculture initiative
kicks off at Ireland University's College Cork in January
called the Smart Protein Project.
It's backed by nearly 10 million euros
from the European Commission,
as well as food and drink companies.
Researchers will work together with industry experts
to develop a new range of vegan products.
Brands working with UCC include pasta maker Barilla,
brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev,
global seafood brand Thai Union,
and global nutrition group Glanbia.
It will be led
by UCC's School of Food and Nutritional Sciences.
The first range is expected to launch as soon as 2025.
UCC aims to develop vegan cheese,
yogurt, meat, seafood, and bakery products.
Dr. Emmanuel Zannini, Smart Protein Project leader,
told LIVEKINDLY that protein
is an indispensable part of the human diet.
He said, "Global food production is the largest pressure
"caused by humans on Earth, threatening local ecosystems
"and the stability of the Earth system.
"Providing a growing global population
"with healthy diets from sustainable food systems
"is therefore an immediate challenge."
At the University of Sheffield,
sustainability classes are now mandatory.
The university will embed the education
for sustainable development program
into the curriculum for every single course
at the university.
It encourages major changes in knowledge, skills, values,
and attitudes to help shape a more sustainable future.
The president and vice chancellor of the university,
professor Koen Lamberts said,
"Whether our students go on to become doctors,
"engineers, scientists, economists, or historians,
"we want them to be equipped
"with the knowledge, skills, values,
"and attributes they need to work and live
"in a sustainable way."
New research shows that one dairy farmer
leaves the industry every week.
The UK's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board,
a levy board funded by farmers,
surveyed major milk buyers to learn more about the industry.
The board discovered there are
around 8,820 dairy producers in Great Britain.
This figure has dropped by 30 to 35 farmers since February.
The number of dairy cows in England has also declined.
Statistics from June show that the population
of dairy cows who are more than two years old
has dipped by 1.1%.
Dairy farmers saw their profits drop by 50%
between 2018 and 2019, Farming UK reports.
A survey released at the dairy show
found that comparable farm profits
went from 5.9 pence per liter to 2.69 pence per liter
in the year leading up to March 2019.
While cows milk falls out of favor with the public,
more people reach for plant-based milk.
Mintel data shows that around a quarter
of British people now drink vegan milk.
Diary-free milk categories are soaring.
Oat milk volume sales grew 71% between 2017 and 2018.
Swiss animal rights politician, Meret Schneider,
has been elected to the National Council.
Schneider initiated the proposal
to ban factory farming earlier this year,
and is a co-founder
of the animal rights think-tank Sentience Politics.
She received 60,083 votes in the national election,
taking the fifth seat.
The Green Party made strong gains in the election.
- Meanwhile, Green Parties have surged ahead
in Switzerland's Parliamentary elections.
Their gains reflect voters concerns over climate change,
seen as the dominant issue in this election.
- [Narrator] Earning a total of 28 seats,
13.2% of the votes, compared to it's previous 11.
"I'm at a loss for words," Schneider told Bluewin.
"I really did not expect to be elected."
Last September, Schneider and other campaigners
submitted more than 100,000 signatures for a proposed bill
that would ban factory farming nationwide.
"50% of all piglets raised in Switzerland are slaughtered
"without ever seeing the sky," she said.
"Over 80% of the chickens kept in Switzerland never stay
"on a meadow in their life,
"and already reach slaughter weight
"when they are only 30 days old."
The initiative was first introduced in June 2018,
and aims to amend Article 80-A of the Federal Constitution.
Supporters also argue that factory farming contributes
to climate change, water scarcity, and hunger.
Parliament will discuss the proposal
ahead of a nationwide vote on the ban.
Coming up, US Air Force bases now serve the Beyond Burger,
Walmart is discontinuing the sale of live fish.
The world's largest retailer once sold live fish
at an estimated 1,700 stores,
but in a conference call with suppliers earlier this year,
Walmart announced that it will no longer
offer fish or aquatic plants.
"Pet Business," the most trusted name in the pet industry,
reports the move began in March,
but individual store managers were given the choice
to decide on when to remove the tanks.
Walmart accounted for a large share
of the large fish market, about 30%.
"Pet Business" speculated that Walmart's decision
could have a significant negative impact
on aquarium supplies manufacturers.
Several experts have pointed out
that whether humans are using them as food or pets,
fish are typically excluded from our moral circle,
but they are actually much smarter than we think.
Because fishes inhabit vast obscure habits
science has only begun to explore below the surface
of their private lives.
They're not instinct driven, or machine-like.
Ecologist Jonathan Balcombe,
author of the 2016 book "What a Fish Knows"
said in an interview with the "New York Times,
"Their minds respond flexibly to different situations.
"They are not just things,
"they're sentient beings with lives that matter to them.
"A fish has a biography, not just a biology."
The US Air Force is adding Beyond Meat to the menu
at military bases across the country.
US Air Force services is partnering
with Florida-based chain Burgerfi,
and Pennsylvania-based Saladworks.
Millennial demand is driving the shift
toward more plant-based options.
"A younger, more socially aware demographic is in service,"
Mike Baker, from the Air Force Services Center,
told Fox Business.
"Additionally, the type of food provided
"to previous generations are no longer relevant.
"We looked at the food trends across the US,
"and we can all agree that quality food,
"and a variety of food sustainability
"are very important to today's consumer.
"Especially the demographic
"that enters the military service, 18 to 24 years old."
The restaurants will provide food
for approximately 700,000 military personnel,
and their families living on US military bases.
According to the "Military Family Advisory Network,"
this includes around one-third of all US military families.
IKEA UK is ditching turkey
in favor of a meat-free Christmas menu.
Instead of meat, the Swedish furniture giant
will offer a vegan root vegetable tart tatin,
as well as vegan minced pies.
The vegetable tart features flaky puff pastry,
topped with glazed root veggies and thyme,
and Brussels sprouts on the side.
The new offerings are part of IKEA's mission
to offer more affordable, planet-friendly food.
"As part of our commitment to supporting our customers
"to live healthier and more sustainable lives,
"we have decided to launch our first
"ever meat-free Christmas in our restaurants,"
IKEA said in a statement.
"We know that Christmas dinners are an important part
"of the festive season,
"and we really want to encourage our customers
"to try something new this year.
"Both our meat-free dishes are packed full of flavor
"to showcase how more sustainable options
"can be just as tasty."
The turkey-free Christmas menu is yet another step
toward IKEA serving more sustainable food.
According to a press release,
50% of the hot meals served at IKEA's restaurants
are now vegan or vegetarian.
That's it for today.
What do you think of the dairy industry losing farmers?
Let us know in comments below.
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for "LIVEKINDLY's Weekly Vegan News."
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