Organization: Domino's Pizza, Inc.

Year: 2015

Resolved: Resolved: That in order to advance animal welfare, reduce its ecological footprint, expand its healthier options, and meet a growing demand for plant-based foods, shareholders encourage the board to have Domino's expand its menu offerings to include vegan cheeses and vegan meats.

Supporting Statement:Supporting Statement: According to Google Trends,' the Huffington Post notes, 'public interest in a vegan diet is higher than ever before.' Surveys and rankings continue to list vegan foods as a top trend. In the National Restaurant Association's 2014 'What's Hot' survey of top food trends as perceived by leading chefs, 74 percent of those surveyed say that vegan entrees are either a 'hot trend' or a 'perennial favorite.' As a result, pizza chains across the country, such as zpizza, Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint, PizzaRev, Mellow Mushroom, RedBrick Pizza, Brixx, Your Pie, and Blaze Pizza, have responded by adding vegan cheese, and many offer vegan meats. Heated competition is now coming from the surge of fast casual brands, many with big backing, and it's common to find them leading the way with premium vegan toppings. Premium vegan toppings can also expand Domino's healthier menu offerings. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that vegetarians and vegans enjoy a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes, and a lower body mass index as well as lower overall cancer rates. Younger generations are more likely to be vegetarian or vegan, and Domino's could bring in these customers while also enhancing its healthier options for its Smart Slice School Lunch Program. More adults are also becoming vegan, and public figures ranging from former president Bill Clinton to Ellen DeGeneres are raising awareness of the health benefits of vegan eating. Vegan foods are also best for the environment. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has declared that the 'livestock sector is one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most environmental problems at every scale from global to local.' Animal agriculture is a leading contributor to climate change-accounting for 18 to a staggering 51 percent or more of global greenhouse-gas emissions, according to reports published by the United Nations and the Worldwatch Institute, respectively. Plant-based foods also contribute to food security and price stabilization as we face major droughts. As David Pimentel of Cornell University noted, producing one pound of animal protein requires about 100 times more water than producing one pound of grain protein. Domino's received great media attention when it launched a vegan pizza in Israel, and its current pizza sauce and thin crust are apparently already vegan. By offering premium vegan toppings, Domino's cannot just keep up with the growing public interest in animal-free foods but also promote operations that are less detrimental to the environment, public health, and animal welfare. We urge shareholders to support this socially and ethically responsible resolution.