Today's blog is all things Veganuary!

We will be covering the history, the reasons behind it, the evolution of the challenge and the benefits… So when we say everything, we mean everything! We hope this blog post can be a reference guide to come back to, as well as a possible source of inspiration for continuing the challenge beyond January…

What is Veganuary? 

Veganuary is creating a global mass movement and a worldwide conversation by inspiring people all over the world to try out Veganism for the first time. Participants pledge to become vegan for the entirety of January for a whole host of reasons including- animal welfare concerns, helping the planet and improving their health. 

History 

Veganuary began as a conversation between husband-and-wife-team Matthew Glover and Jane Land in 2013 because they wanted to inspire people to stop eating animals.  

Since January 2014, participation numbers have drastically increased over the years - with over 2 million people having signed up since then!

Fun facts 

Sometimes the best way to express the impact of a project is through numbers. Based on YouGov surveys, 25 million people tried going vegan in January 2024. More specifically, 1.8 million people received Veganuary materials specifically! 

It doesn’t just affect individual decisions either as more and more brands are getting involved in Veganuary. More than 2,100 new vegan products and menus were launched for Veganuary 2024. Some restaurants have even gone 50% plant based - like Wagamamas! 

You don’t have to give up your favourite fast foods either, with McDonalds, KFC, Burger King and more all offering plant-based options - being vegan has never been easier! 

Benefits 

There are many common misconceptions about the vegan diet, including: lack of variety, boring food and insufficient protein intake etc. However, if managed well, the vegan diet can be richer in certain nutrients due to the heavy reliance on other food groups (fruits, vegetables, legumes), and may help you lose weight.

It also has benefits for the globe, being a great way to help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. 

If you choose to stay Vegan

Ultimately, Veganuary is more than just a one month pledge. After all, the founders’ vision is to see a Vegan world. Their aims are to: 

• Increase participation 
• Reach out to corporations 
• Raise awareness 
• Grow the global movement 

And the impact of Veganuary can certainly be seen; whether that’s through global stories, vegan products and corporate initiatives, the change is clear. Veganuary is inspiring people to stay vegan as the challenge proves it is not as hard as one might think. 

One thing we are sure of- if you choose to stay vegan, you won’t be leaving great tasting chocolate behind! 

Statistics and information provided by Veganuary (https://veganuary.com/)

2024 statistics provided by Veganuary 2024 campaign report (https://veganuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Campaign-Report-2024-UK.pdf)