Would you go vegan to save the planet?
With only a few days left until 2020, some people might be thinking about their new year’s resolutions already.
The non-profit organisation Veganuary is trying to get more and more people to ditch meat for the first 31 days of the next decade to help fight the climate crisis.
The UK-based charity – which lines up among their ambassadors the likes of artist Paul McCartney, actor Joaquin Phonenix and comedian Sarah Pascoe – has already involved 500,000 people from 178 different countries in the campaign since it started in 2014.
There are many reasons that push people to go for a vegan January, according to Veganuary.
One of the most common ones is the desire to protect animals and prevent them from being killed in “factory farms” and slaughterhouses.
Contributing to fight the climate crisis is also very important for those who go vegan, as animal farming is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, according to Veganuary.
Improving health and losing weight is another key factor for choosing to go on a plant-based diet, particularly after Christmas indulgences.
The initiative has proven to be quite successful.
Veganuary’s international head of communications and marketing Toni Vernelli told Euronews that 65% of the participants found going vegan easier than expected. In fact, almost half of the participants chose to become fully vegan afterwards.
The campaign has been promoted by more than 500 brands, restaurants and supermarkets.
An increasing number of Europeans is looking for an alternative to meat, particularly in the UK, where at least 1.3 million people gave up animal products in 2019 alone.
Food brands are riding the vegan wave as well and have come up with an increasing number of vegan products. Last year, more than 200 plant-based products and menus were launched, including Pizza Hut’s jackfruit pizza, Marks & Spencers’ Plant Kitchen range and Gregg’s sausage roll.