First Caribbean Vegan Conference ready to focus on the legal rights of vegans
Members of The Vegan Society’s International Rights Network (IRN) are set to meet in the Caribbean in order to attend a court case and participate in a conference co-hosted by The Vegan Society and the Caribbean Vegetarian and Vegan Community.
The conference is the first in the Caribbean to focus on veganism and the legal protection of vegans.
IRN members from Germany, Peru, Brazil, Canada and the UK will join Barbados-based lawyer, Lalu Hanuman, to discuss the legal protection of vegans and offer their support by attending a court hearing in Barbados involving a vegan client who was denied a vegan diet while in detention on the island.
Lalu is the founder and trustee of the Caribbean Vegetarian-Vegan Charity and is bringing a constitutional motion on behalf of the vegan. The court hearing takes place in Barbados on 27 and 28 October 2025.
“This case is the first of its kind in the Caribbean, so it is historic and jurisprudentially groundbreaking,” says Mr Hanuman.
“If successful it will not only benefit vegans, but also people in governmental institutions in the region who are on a special diet for ethical reasons.”
Chair of the IRN, Dr Jeanette Rowley, who has provided information and support for the hearing and who will speak at the conference, adds:
“The human right to adequate and acceptable food recognises ethical convictions and there is a well-established and implemented international legal principle that a person’s chosen diet can be a direct expression of their beliefs and conscience. These principles are particularly important in contexts where individuals are in the care and control of state bodies.”
Conference speakers also include dietitians from Barbados and The Vegan Society. Emily Angus, one of The Vegan Society’s registered dietitians, will share information about the society’s vital collaboration with the UK’s National Prison Catering service, which led to the roll out of a vegan menu for prisoners and access to vitamin supplementation.
The conference on 25 October will be closed by Qian Zephaniah, the widow of the much-missed writer, poet and vegan campaigner, Benjamin Zephaniah, whose father was from Barbados. Qian will speak of the connection between Benjamin’s Rastafari faith, his Caribbean heritage and his ethical beliefs and offer a message of support for the rights of detained vegans.
The event will raise the profile of veganism in the Caribbean and provide a platform for discussion among the vegan community, lawyers and policymakers.
The Vegan Society would like to invite you to attend the conference. For more information, please respond to jeanette.rowley[at]vegansociety[dot]com or caribbeanvvcom[at]gmail[dot]com.
