Embracing Change: PETA Reimagines the Royal Welsh Show as a Vegan Event
Ahead of the annual Royal Welsh Show (24 to 27 July), PETA sent a letter to the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society Chief Executive Aled Rhys Jones encouraging him to transition to a vegan event – the Royal Welsh Grow – with a focus on supporting hard-working arable and horticulture farmers in Wales. PETA has even designed a new logo for the event featuring mascot Llywelyn Leek, a cheerful representation of the Welsh national symbol.
Vegan Welsh Cakes and Denbigh Plum Bobbing
Currently, the show forces thousands of non-consenting animals into transport and confinement and parades them about for the purposes of entertainment. A vegan event, in contrast, could feature fun, family-friendly activities with only willing participants, such as a vegan Welsh cake cooking demonstration, a leek beauty pageant, and bobbing for Denbigh plums.
Grow Away From Cruelty
Instead of exploiting animals for entertainment and serving food that has been cut or expelled from an animal’s body, the new Royal Welsh Grow could celebrate Wales’ hard-working plant-based farmers and delicious, locally produced vegan fare. The change would support sustainable, ethical, and healthy plant-based agriculture in Wales, highlighting all the fantastic crops that can be grown, including potatoes, broccoli, and strawberries.
Innovating for a Greener Future
Animal agriculture is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, deforestation, pollution, and pandemics. Researchers at the University of Oxford determined that current agricultural systems make it impossible to meet climate commitments even if all other sources of greenhouse gas emissions were eliminated. As the Wales Agriculture Bill encourages more sustainable farming to tackle the climate and nature emergencies, a switch to an all-vegan event would help support this goal. PETA offers a free vegan starter kit for those looking to make the switch to vegan meals.
Celebrating Plant-Based Farmers
Everyone needs farmers, but farmers don’t need to keep animals for meat, eggs, or dairy. From the growers of exotic mushrooms and soy beans to seaweed harvesters – PETA’s Farming Awards recognise the farmers at the forefront of ethical, animal-free farming.
