Turkey Sales Plummet as Vegan Thanksgiving Options Expand

As sales are rising for vegan foods, the animal agriculture industry is feeling the pressure. Approaching Thanksgiving, turkey sales are already down, with companies claiming an excess of birds. Or in other words: too much supply and too little demand.

Luckily, it’s easier than ever to have a compassionate, vegan Thanksgiving.

Hain Celestial’s poultry arm, Hain Pure Protein, was operating at a $19.5 million loss in the first quarter of the 2019 fiscal year, which ended on September 30. The previous quarter, Pure Protein’s parent, Hain Celestial Group, which sells organic and natural products, reportedly experienced a $69.9 million net loss, mostly due to the Pure Protein chicken and turkey line which it plans to sell in 2019.

This certainly isn’t the only poultry company that is fighting slumping demand ahead of Thanksgiving, as consumers flock away from meat. Well-known brand Butterball also suffered a $19 million loss during fiscal year 2018’s third quarter. These Butterball losses can be attributed more to the market than even to the impact of Hurricane Florence on turkey operations–the company lost 0.2% of their farmed birds in North Carolina in the storm.

As turkey sales decrease, the sales of plant-based foods continue to rise. Companies like Kraft Heinz’s meatless line, BOCA, are starting to shift toward fully vegan product lines as a result of consumer demand and an ongoing Compassion Over Killing campaign urging Kraft Heinz to drop cruel dairy from its BOCA foods.

BOCA released a vegan turk’y burger this fall, which we gobbled up with a Trveg.com taste-test!

Watch the video to get the recipe for a burger full of Thanksgiving flavor.

Around 45 million turkeys will be slaughtered this year for Thanksgiving alone, and more for Christmas. In the 

United States, a grand total of about 300 million turkeys will be slaughtered every year. But like any other animal, these turkeys

are social, intelligent, affectionate — and they feel pain.

Did you know? Turkeys make a soft “purring” sound when they’re content–just like cats.

Fortunately, compassionate diners who choose to safeguard these adorable animals have no need to feel deprived of a flavorful and filling Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Meatless companies continue to innovate, offering a cornucopia of vegan holiday roasts for your table. Try a Gardein Holiday Roast, Savory Stuffed Turk’y, Tofurky Feast, or Field Roast Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En Croute!

Then head over to TryVeg.com for all kinds of delicious recipes for sides, drinks, and desserts for your vegan Thanksgiving.