Could ‘shroomdogs’ and ‘veggie ribs’ be modern emblems of British innovation? These were two of the meat-free delights on offer at Sainsbury’s ‘vegan butchers’ – the UK’s first – which opened its doors to Londoners in late June. As one of the country’s largest supermarkets, Sainsbury’s recent animal-friendly zeal exhibits veganism’s gradual growth from hipsterish novelty into mainstream cuisine. That growth, combined with challenges it has yet to overcome, make it a perfect target for some activist policymaking.
Many vegans and vegetarians will have heard the complaint that abstaining from meat remains unaffordable for many families and households – with veganism in particular sometimes being labelled as ‘classist’. While it may sting one’s moral sensibilities, this largely misses the point. New habits and technologies have to pop up somewhere before they become widely adopted. If plant-based alternatives develop and familiarity with dietary alternatives spreads, these concerns should subside. Fresh economic thinking suggests how the state could help make that happen – through an industrial ‘mission’ for vegan innovation.
A paradigm for economic policymaking theorised and championed by Mariana Mazzucato and UCL’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, industrial missions are enjoying a moment in the sun. The EU has drawn on this thinking for its R&D framework from 2020, Horizon Europe, while the Commission on Mission-Oriented Innovation and Industrial Strategy at UCL reviewed the UK government’s industrial strategy and the missions directed at achieving its ‘grand challenges’.
