I’m happy to see there’s a column called “Vegan Alert,” but I don’t understand the purpose: to discourage members from buying vegan (plant-based) products? To advocate a rhetoric of apology for being vegan? To entertain? 

We deserve better. Most of us shop at Weavers Way because we care about how consumer choices affect not only personal health, but also the health of local communities and the global environment. Why not honor this fact in your column? 

Instead of writing off vegan foods like Beyond Burger, why not explain why someone would choose to buy a plant-based burger? Instead of focusing on the sticker price of vegan analogs, why not discuss the real cost of food choices on personal health, the environment, the well-being and lives of animals, and so on? 

Criticism of processed food is understandable. But not everyone eats an all whole foods diet, so vegan food technology is an important development in helping people make healthier, more ethical choices. Like it or not, these technologies will play a major role in the future of sustainable foods. 

The Co-op’s commitment to the community and the environment is apparent in serious articles discussing water quality, plastic bags, and organic gardening. Let’s also honor this commitment with serious discussion about veganism and the ethics of food. 

- Dan Featherston