Veganism is rapidly growing in popularity but how are vegans supported by our laws and equality measures or the regulations and polices that they influence? Whilst the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission states that veganism comes within the scope of protection of human rights and equality measures, veganism in other countries is regarded to be largely exempt from such protection.

In the recent past, vegan lawyers have successfully litigated in cases concerning discrimination against vegans and some countries, such as Italy and Portugal, have made attempts to obtain legal protection for the dietary aspect of veganism.

In 2016, an All Party Parliamentary Group was established in the UK to give a voice to the demands of vegans; Jeanette Rowley published a chapter in Critical Perspectives on Veganism arguing that veganism is transformational for the exclusivity of human rights; Italian Carlo Prisco published The Right to Vegetarianism and Ralf Müller-Amenitsch published Vegan im Recht in Germany.

This growing area of interest is critical to the development and well-being of the global vegan community and has enormous potential for animal rights. In 2017 and onwards, we expect to see more vital and informative work in this area.

Building on our first international Symposium on The Right to a Plant Based Diet, and our concluding Declaration that veganism comes within the scope of various human rights principles and provisions, this Symposium asks further questions about veganism in law. Its aims are to examine the strengths and limits of international and regional laws for veganism and vegans, to highlight the value that legal protection for veganism can bring to nonhumans and to explore how vegan rights can contribute towards the end of speciesist prejudice. For more detailed information on the call please see http://www.theivra.com/symposium-2017.html