PETA to Hormel and Smithfield: Go Vegan Like Italian Meat Giant—or Fail Like Big Tobacco Farmers

For Immediate Release:
September 30, 2024

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Get out while you still can. That’s PETA’s message to Hormel Foods, Cargill, Smithfield Foods, Tyson Foods, and Oscar Mayer today after one of Italy’s oldest meat producers, Gruppo Tonazzo, announced that it will stop selling environmentally destructive meat products in favor of animal-free proteins.

In letters sent to the companies’ CEOs, PETA points out that they’ve all seen the vegan writing on the wall and started offering some vegan products, from Oscar Mayer’s Not Hot Dogs to Smithfield’s meat-free meatballs with dairy-free Parmesan. But with the value of the global vegan food market projected to grow to $103 billion by 2032—and consumers increasingly outraged by the animal agriculture industry’s torment of animals and destruction of the environment—companies that don’t make a big shift to vegan food will be left behind. The group also plans to place sky-high ads in each company’s hometown calling on the meat producers to learn from tobacco farmers and “Get Out Now!” 

“Not that long ago, tobacco farmers decided to stick to business as usual instead of envisioning what was ahead and switching to other crops, and now meat producers are in danger of making the same mistake,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is calling on this country’s leading companies to follow Gruppo Tonazzo’s lead, stop peddling animals’ body parts, and provide today’s consumers with the vegan proteins they want.”

PETA notes that animal agriculture is a leading cause of water pollution and land degradation, and the United Nations reports that a global shift toward vegan eating is vital in order to combat the worst effects of the climate catastrophe. Each person who goes vegan lowers their food-related carbon footprint by up to 73% and spares nearly 200 animals every year. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out thatEvery Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Cargill follows. The other meat companies received similar letters, which are available upon request.

September 30, 2024

Brian Sikes

Board Chair, President, and CEO

Cargill

Dear Mr. Sikes:

You may have heard that Gruppo Tonazzo, Italy’s oldest meat producer, has announced its decision to stop selling meat and shift to vegan proteins. On behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters worldwide—I’m writing to urge you to join this forward-thinking movement. Not that long ago in U.S. history, tobacco farmers fought to continue business as usual, instead of envisioning what was ahead and switching to different crops. Today, we know that massive changes are already occurring when it comes to the world’s diet.

Since your product lines already include vegan options, it’s not news to you that the consumer demand for vegan foods is skyrocketing. The value of the global vegan food market was $33.14 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to $103 billion by 2032. The U.S. vegan market alone soared from $3.9 billion in 2017 to $8.1 billion in 2023. With 33% of U.S. adults actively reducing their meat intake and 66% of global consumers between the ages of 16 and 44 planning to spend more on vegan alternatives, the message is unmistakable: The public is ready for a shift, and the demand has never been greater.

Consumers are increasingly outraged by the cruel treatment of animals in the meat industry. Like us, other animals experience joy, pain, and fear. Consumers and companies are recognizing more and more that we can nourish ourselves without slaughtering animals and without inflicting devastating damage on the environment. Albino Tonazzo, CEO of Gruppo Tonazzo, said that his company’s transition was due to “a deep responsibility to future generations.”

The future is vegan, and now is the time for Cargill to take a bold step toward that compassionate, sustainable future. We hope you’ll join the ranks of visionary leaders who are reshaping the future of food and responding to the urgent and necessary call for change. May I hear your thoughts? Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Ingrid Newkirk

President