Carbon taxes could cut UK food emissions 10%, plus Ridglan Farms closes
Researchers found that pairing carbon labels with a modest meat tax could cut UK shopping-basket emissions by a tenth, equal to 4.7% of the country's total emissions.
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Researchers found that pairing carbon labels with a modest meat tax could cut UK shopping-basket emissions by a tenth, equal to 4.7% of the country's total emissions [79].
02
NNB Nutrition and Axiom Foods launched PeptiClear, a hydrolyzed plant-protein line built to fill gaps left by whey prices that have risen 108% in two years [80].
03
Sustained activist pressure closed beagle-and-ferret breeder Ridglan Farms for good, as a 207-mile march on lab-animal supplier Marshall BioResources departs next month [105].
04
A DUH-commissioned study found Germany's biggest supermarkets are stalling on their own pledge to drop the lowest animal-welfare meat categories by 2030 [82].
05
A meta-analysis of prospective studies tied vegan diets to a 23% lower risk of total cancer than non-vegetarian diets, and vegetarian diets to lower risk of total cancer plus seven specific cancer types [11].
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The Stories: the day’s biggest developments, in the sources’ own words
01▲Law & PolicyStory
Study finds carbon labels and meat taxes could cut UK food emissions a tenth
Photo: green queen
“We find that households with a diet rich in meat are also those that tend to react more to the display of carbon labels, suggesting that more information to this group about the emission impacts of their food choices can lead to significant margins of improvement.”
Carlo Fezzi, associate professor at the University of Trento and study co-author · [79]
By the numbers
10%drop in shopping-basket emissions from pairing a £28-per-tonne carbon tax with carbon labels, equal to 4.7% of the UK's total emissions [79]
26%decline in demand for beef and lamb, the hardest-hit foods, under the combined labels-and-tax approach [79]
£34yearly cost per person for that lower-rate combined policy, versus £79 for a stronger carbon tax alone [79]
Solid"a combination of carbon labels and taxes on highly polluting foods would reduce emissions by the equivalent of 4.7% of the UK's overall emissions" (University of Trento and University of Exeter researchers) [79]. The finding is peer-reviewed and modeled on roughly 5,000 Britons' choices in a simulated online supermarket rather than tracked real-world purchases, and the same study found an unexplained emissions increase among vegan households it didn't account for.
FromGreen Queen
02▲InnovationStory
NNB and Axiom Foods launch plant protein line to counter whey shortage
Photo: green queen
“As consumer demand continues to outpace traditional dairy supply, the industry needs innovative solutions that combine functionality, scalability, and performance.”
Dustin Elliott, chief brand officer at NNB Nutrition · [80]
By the numbers
108%rise in whey protein concentrate prices over the past two years, with whey protein isolate nearly doubling [80]
60%higher stimulation of muscle protein synthesis from NNB's DL-185 peptide compared with leucine alone, per the company [80]
Company claim"Human clinical research has shown that DL-185 demonstrates around 60% higher stimulation of muscle protein synthesis compared to leucine" (NNB Nutrition) [80]. The figure comes from the company's own cited research, with no independently published trial named in the article.
FromGreen Queen
03▲Activism & AnimalsStory
Public pressure permanently closes Ridglan Farms, a beagle-breeding lab supplier
Photo: humane herald
“Animal studies play an important and currently irreplaceable role ... If not for the pivotal role of animals in biomedical research, many lifesaving therapies for humans and veterinary treatments for pets would not exist today or in the future.”
Marshall BioResources, from its own website · [105]
By the numbers
90%of drugs that pass animal trials fail in human trials, per the FDA's own longstanding estimate [105]
40,000+dogs destined for US labs that activists are organizing to intervene on by the end of 2026 [105]
31years in prison four activists face on felony charges from the March 15 rescue action at Ridglan [105]
Company claim"Animal studies play an important and currently irreplaceable role" in developing lifesaving therapies (Marshall BioResources) [105]. The FDA's own cited figures put animal-to-human drug translation failure at roughly 90%, and the agency began pursuing non-animal testing methods last year.
WatchThe four charged Ridglan activists go to trial next month, as the 207-mile March to Abolish Animal Testing departs Albany, New York, for Marshall BioResources' gates [105].
FromThe Humane Herald
04▬Law & PolicyStory
German study finds supermarkets stalling on 2030 animal welfare pledge
Photo: vegconomist
“Retailers have the greatest market power, the highest profit margins in the food supply chain, and the resources to promote animal welfare more effectively.”
Sascha Müller-Kraenner, DUH federal executive director · [82]
By the numbers
33%of the ten largest German slaughterhouses approached for the DUH study actually participated [82]
~33%of Aldi's private-label sales already come from higher-welfare housing categories 3 through 5, the retailer says [82]
Company claim"The phase-out is to take place provided that sufficient animal-welfare-certified products are available" (Lidl, Kaufland, REWE and EDEKA, via the DUH) [82]. The DUH's own survey found the contractual foundations needed to back that 2030 pledge are still lacking.
WatchThe retailers' phase-out deadline for the lowest welfare housing categories lands in 2030, with contracts to get there still unsigned [82].
Fromvegconomist the vegan business magazine
Worth Knowing
Food & Recipes
Massage curly or lacinato kale in olive oil until tender, then toss with a lemon-Dijon dressing, dried cranberries, toasted almonds and crispy roasted chickpeas for a make-ahead salad that keeps for days [70].
Stasher's reusable silicone bags can replace up to 260 single-use plastic bags a year, and switching from single-use lunch plastic could save Canadian families roughly $380 million US, one campaign estimates [72].
VegNews shared a blood-orange waffle recipe finished with a blueberry-raspberry compote, freezer-friendly for up to three months [73].
A round of vegan Spanish tapas recipes, from patatas bravas to a rice-paper "Serrano ham," shows a meat-and-dairy-heavy cuisine translating fully plant-based [76].
A smoked and marinated tofu "salmon" fillet, scored to flake and dyed with beet juice, aims to replicate the fish's texture without a boat [77].
Research & Nutrition
A meta-analysis covering more than 200,000 people found a healthful plant-based diet tied to a 21% lower dementia risk, while an unhealthful, plant-heavy diet raised it 24% [16].
A crossover feeding trial found a whole-food, plant-based diet cut LDL cholesterol 17.9% more than a standard American diet in adults with a genetic high-cholesterol disorder [6].
A small trial found a vegan Mediterranean diet lowered LDL cholesterol 21 points more than a standard Mediterranean diet in women with fibromyalgia, alongside less reported pain [3].
Italian university students said they'd try cultured meat mainly if they trusted its safety and cared about animal welfare, not out of general comfort with new food tech [55].
A precision-fermented enzyme used to make inulin-type fiber from sugar passed genotoxicity and 28-day rat toxicity testing with no adverse effects found [61].
Innovation
Taiwan's SINGTEX makes a waterproof textile membrane, AIRMEM, replacing 26% of its petroleum content with bio-based oil recovered from spent coffee grounds [78].
Law & Policy
The FDA proposed closing the self-affirmed GRAS loophole that lets companies clear new food ingredients without notifying regulators, part of the administration's broader ultra-processed-food push [96].
One Good Thing
Kiera Smith went vegan the day she moved out to university in 2021, before she'd even picked up a barbell. Five years later, in May 2026, she took Silver at the All England Open Powerlifting Championships with a 427.5kg total, her first national podium, and earned a reserve spot on the 2026 Commonwealth team. "I feel like there are so many of us proving that we can get strong without contributing to animal cruelty," she said [106].
This Kale Salad Recipe is fresh, crunchy, hearty, and packed with flavor! Made with finely shredded kale, a zippy lemon Dijon dressing, chewy dried cranberries, crunchy almonds…
15 min4 servings12 ingredients
See the ingredients
1 large bunch kale (stems removed and very finely shredded)
⅓ cup dried cranberries (or golden raisins)
⅓ cup toasted almonds (or pepitas)
½ cup crispy roasted chickpeas (or vegan croutons)
Vegan parmesan (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil ((plus more for massaging the kale))
vegconomist the vegan business magazine