Veganuary is picking up speed!

Veganuary has been promoting a vegan lifestyle since 2014 and is starting to make positive changes to our lifestyles, businesses and our planet!

Before 2014, vegans were often viewed as a little strange. Many assumed that they only ate salads and were unhealthy with little energy. Fast forward to 2022 and veganism is a lifestyle choice which is now viewed as hip and trendy as well as a healthy and unselfish way to live. This change of attitude has been helped by the increase in new and innovative food products which provide new and interesting ways to eat meat alternatives. Restaurants such as Wagamamas, Burger King and KFC have led the way with colourful, tasty and exciting alternatives.

Eating less meat, or none at all, is an excellent way of reducing the world’s carbon footprint and releasing less CO2 into the atmosphere. This is because raising animals for meat takes a lot of land and energy. As well as 80% of all farmland being used to graze animals, according to a Greenpeace report* in 2019, 63% of farmland is used to produce food for farmed animals to eat. If this land was used to provide food for humans to eat, we would go a long way towards being able to eradicate hunger in the world.

This campaign has raised awareness about the importance of eating less meat – directly influencing people to have meat-free days or give up meat all together. The BBC reported that 17% of people in the UK now eat less meat than they did a decade ago**, but there is still a long way to go.

TALKING POINT

Have you started to eat less meat? Are you a vegan and if so what are your reasons?

*https://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/issues/nature-food/1803/feeding-problem-dangerous-intensification-animal-farming

**https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58831636

Click here to find out more information about Veganuary and how you can involved!