Except the major increase in demand isn’t coming from vegan diets? It is coming from the popularity of the nuts as a snack in the Asia-Pacific region, with India being the largest consumer nation. These countries have been and are still the largest importers and consumers of the nuts, and their demand has been steadily increasing over the last few years. While some demand comes from alternative milks and cheeses, the overwhelming majority is strictly for traditional foods and snacks.

We can call out human rights abuses without demonizing a group that is more likely to buy from reputable sources that don’t participate in human rights violations. I see a lot of people quick to blame vegans for any increase in demand for a plant product, even when it is factually untrue or at best heavily biased.

Sources for my claim, btw:

https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/global-cashew-market

https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/processed-cashew-market