The first PETA UK Farming Awards took place recognizing ten farms across the country for their contribution to ethical, animal-free farming. Among the winners are a seafood farmer, a soybean grower for tofu and a former cattle farmer who sent his cows to a sanctuary.
The award winners are as follows:
- Aweside Farm — Grower of organic edible flowers, leaves and herbs. The farm is also working to create habitats for wildlife, such as ponds, meadows and hedgerows.
- IC mushroom — Making oyster mushrooms, shiitake and more using sustainable raw vegan ingredients. Mushroom cultivation courses are also offered at the farm.
- Northwood Farm — A former cow farm, Northwood sent its cows to a farm sanctuary and now produces beans and grains using vegan organic methods. Northwood Farm has been certified to the Biocyclic Vegan Standard since October 2022.
- Richard Cole and Tofurei — Farmer Richard Cole grows soybeans, which local producer Tofurei transforms into tofu-based food. The products – which include vegan cheesecake – can be sampled at Tofury Cafe in Norwich.
- Sailly Organics — growers of organic fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers, which can be purchased at farm market stalls.
© SHORE/PETA - SHORE seaweed — A Scotland-based producer is growing ten species of organic seaweed, which is then used to make products like pesto, snacks and ramen broth. Last November, SHORE raised a six-figure contribution from its largest shareholder
- Artisan farmer — Cultivation of vegetarian, organic and seasonal crops such as microgreens using hand tools and simple technologies.
- Tomato stall — Organic tomatoes grown on the Isle of Wight and delivered to customers.
- Tolhurst Organics — UK’s largest vegan organic farm, also working to regenerate soil and support wildlife. The farm supplies boxes of fresh vegetables to local customers.
- Vertical future — A vertical indoor farm that grows crops without herbicides, pesticides, or animal-derived fertilizers.
“The Sower of Compassion”
PETA emphasizes that vegan and organic farming practices benefit the planet as well as the animals. This is supported by a report published last year, which found that replacing animals with plants can reduce agricultural methane emissions. Other studies have shown that enough plant protein is already produced to feed the entire world, but most of it is currently fed to farmed animals. In July 2022, WWF claimed that two-fifths of the UK’s arable land is used to grow livestock feed.
“Everyone needs farmers, but farmers don’t need to keep animals for meat, eggs or dairy,” PETA UK says on its website. “PETA launched our first Agriculture Awards to celebrate farmers at the forefront of ethical, animal-free farming. We are happy to recognize these sowers of compassion, and we encourage all farmers to grow plants and leave behind the heartbreak and violence of raising animals for food.”