Food Politics Beat Overview

My general topic for my political beat is the politics of the food industry in Colorado, especially within the shift towards a vegan diet, how specific farmers, restaurants, and grocers, are being affected. Many restaurants and grocers now carry these products as a response to the growing movement of people who decide not to eat products that come from animals. This includes dairy, eggs, and meat, and some restaurants, books, and grocers now specialize in accommodating to the vegan diet. This issue is relevant in the political sphere as new information about the treatment of animals and chemicals in animal

Specific questions I have for the people I encounter and interview are: How has serving food without meat or dairy affected your business? Are there any politics or activist groups that are helping this cause in Colorado? What advocacy groups are you involved with or depend on? Why is this issue important to you? How can someone living in Colorado support this movement and get further involved? These are political issues that advocacy groups and activists are writing and speaking on in hopes of having an impact for this healthy, animal-friendly lifestyle.

Certain events that will be sources for interviews include farmer's markets, visiting vegan restaurants, and talking with grocers who carry vegan products. These will all serve as great locations where different people who care about this issue to some extent will gather and be able to formulate an answer to a few of the specific questions I have laid out.