While perusing the website of The Namibian, Namibia's primary newspaper, I came across an interesting opinion piece published in February of 2018. The article can be found here: https://www.namibian.com.na/174271/archive-read/An-argument-for-veganism-in-Namibia. The author of the piece strongly advocates for a large-scale switch to plant-based diets for the sake of ethics and environmentalism. It's interesting to note that the author wondered why Namibians consume so much meat and considered that tradition might play a role in this pattern of consumption.
I was curious about how big the vegan scene might be in Namibia, so I conducted a few google searches and came across this list of the best vegan restaurants in Namibia:
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| https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g293820-zfz10697-Namibia.html |
A scroll through this page revealed glowing reviews of restaurants with vegan options. However, I noticed several things. 1) These reviews seemed to all be written by tourists. 2) The restaurants with vegan options were all in the expensive range, with symbols of $$-$$$ denoting more expensive dining. 3) Many of these restaurants were cross-listed as "international" in their food type and many were hosted in hotels, lodges, and resorts. All of which insinuates that in Namibia there may be a series of barriers and class associations when it comes to vegan cuisine.
It is an inherent fact that with privilege comes the ability to make more specific food choices. I wonder how the rhetoric of veganism in Namibia may come into conflict with broader, important questions of the ethics of economic equality, tourism, and more.
- Cecilia A
I wonder if the lack of vegan options is less of a reflection on monetary privilege, and more a result of cultural norms that make veganism just not that prominent in this country. There are religious reasons to be vegan or vegetarian, but Namibia is primarily Lutheran. Though there may rightly be a privileged aspect to this issue, I think vegetarianism just may not be a cultural phenomenon like it is in America. (see this link: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/VegetarianismMappedPlain.svg/940px-VegetarianismMappedPlain.svg.png) - Elizabeth
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