Last week, fake meat makers THIS released a video showing vegans taste-testing what they were told were animal products for a “social experiment”. The bizarre advert was the latest in a disturbing anti-vegan marketing trend, following in the footsteps of plant-based brand Oatly, but was there something even more sinister going on? Andrew Gough writes.

We don’t review many films here at Surge, but on watching Cow - which had the potential to be one of the most important portraits of a farmed animal ever to be made - we’re left with the feeling that justice wasn’t done to its star, Luma the mother cow. Spoiler alerts are not necessary, writes Andrew Gough.

NEWS: Level 10 vegans rejoice! Now your physical acts of self-romance or partnered playtimes can be certified, and most definitely bonified, vegan-friendly. The Vegan Society has breathed an emphatic sigh of approval to sex toy maker Vibio.

Was it all just another marketing ploy? With its once-iconic pro-vegan slogans and graphics, the former darling of plant-based milk lovers everywhere inexplicably decided to turn on those who helped raise it up. Claire Hamlett wonders where it all went wrong.

Bringing you a digest of news and opinion pieces you might have missed from the past week, covering all things animal agriculture, animal protection and environmental justice.

OPINION: Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness got to grips with insects and arachnids on their new Netflix spin-off show. What Van Ness failed to get a hold of so well, however, were the many inconsistencies in their message. Should we love insects or eat them, asks Claire Hamlett.

REPORT: Britain’s pig farm crisis is getting worse, driven by the perfect storm of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the industry is proposing new ways to slaughter pigs on farms and launching desperate attempts to lure back migrant workers. Claire Hamlett updates us on the current situation.

With more and more children and young people becoming interested in veganism, here is a selection of non-fiction books on veganism and animal rights for young adults, whether they are already vegan or considering a more plant-based lifestyle.

Vitamin B12 is essential for us to consume, but it is not naturally found in plant-based food. Here, we answer questions you may have on B12 and the vegan diet.

OPINION: Is it time to give speciesism a serious makeover? For all its woke generation appeal, the new season of the rebooted Queer Eye fails to be entirely unproblematic when it comes to non-humans. Claire Hamlett writes.

To mark the release of our Veganuary 2022 video, here is our list of the five best books, films and documentaries to help humans shift their perspective to some of those who we exploit by not going plant-based. Do you know someone taking the Veganuary challenge? Send them our essential viewing and reading to help them make the ethical connection.

OPINION: Today marks the start of ‘Regenuary’, a month-long campaign founded by the dubious Ethical Butcher in response to Veganuary’s “overly simplistic narrative” regarding animal agriculture. Emotions always run high, but is regenerative farming truly incompatible with veganism, or is there common ground rooted in very sensible dialogue?