VEGAN CAMPAIGNS

By Global Vegans

We are calling for The Vegan Society to withdraw its Vegan Trademark from the new vegan KitKat in support of the former child slaves seeking justice in the cocoa slavery lawsuit against Nestlé. 

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As the world’s most prestigious and pioneering vegan organisation, The Vegan Society has played - and continues to play - a pivotal role in shaping veganism as we know it. Modern-day veganism and its many successes would not exist without The Vegan Society and its unwavering championing of the vegan lifestyle.

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A huge part of this is the essential role it plays in making vegan-approved brands and products more accessible and easily identifiable for vegans across the globe. Since 1990, the internationally-recognised Vegan Trademark has given ‘brands the confidence to shout about their vegan credentials’.(1)

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Yet, The Vegan Society’s recent decision to accredit Nestlé’s new vegan chocolate bar, the KitKat V, is alarming - given that Nestlé has a long and unsettling history of supporting cocoa bean plantations using child labour. Nestlé is currently embroiled in a child slavery lawsuit that sees eight former child slaves detail the abhorrent treatment they received on Ivory Coast cocoa plantations. 

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So, we ask The Vegan Society: which ‘vegan credentials’ does Nestlé embody? What is vegan about a chocolate bar that exists to the detriment of children’s safety and freedom? What is vegan about ignoring this clear violation of human rights?

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Compassion and kindness lie at the very core of the vegan movement. To continue fighting for a fairer and more just world, we must make advocacy for both human and animal rights a crucial pillar of veganism. 

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The Vegan Society is in a position to stimulate tangible change and inspire other leading vegan organisations and manufacturers to do the same. Here is an opportunity to set a precedent within both the animal rights and human rights spheres.

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By withdrawing the Vegan Trademark from the KitKat V, The Vegan Society will send a clear message to corporations like Nestlé: until you prioritise the wellbeing of the cocoa plantation workers implicated in your chocolate production, you do not have the support of the vegan community. 

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Please help us show that there is no place for the Vegan Trademark on the KitKat V by signing the petition below. With The Vegan Society’s support, we can continue fighting for a better future. 

1.    "The Vegan Trademark", The Vegan Society<https://www.vegansociety.com/the-vegan-trademark> [Accessed 28 March 2021].