As the annual Veganuary campaign draws to a close for another year, why leave veganism behind?
As each January rolls around, New Year’s resolutions are a chance for renewal and betterment. Whether it’s broadening your horizons or cutting out a bad habit, the New Year tends to bring with it an air of optimism that’s particularly effective in encouraging self-improvement.
January’s ‘blank slate’ is something which UK non-profit Veganuary has diligently been taking advantage of since its 2014 launch, and has since been on a mission to direct all of those well-intentioned resolutions towards giving vegan a go. The plant-based diet has enjoyed a dramatic surge in the past few years as many have been waking up to the ethical, environmental and health-related implications that our daily food choices are having.
In considering Veganuary’s impact alone, the numbers indicate a growing phenomenon; with just 3,325 having signed up back in 2014, the rate of participants rose to over 400,000 in 2020 and is set to keep growing. It’s a campaign advocating for a greener, kinder and healthier life-style and is actively endorsed by big names including Joaquin Phoenix, Mayim Bialik and Evanna Lynch.
With its 31 day vegan challenge Veganuary has to date, taken on 1 million participants from 192 countries in their mission towards a vegan world. This one-month period of plant-based eating is embraced by thousands every year, however as it inevitably draws to a close, why stop there? Here are 10 reasons why you should continue Veganuary for the rest of the year.
1) Fighting climate change
According to Joseph Poore, a lead researcher at Oxford University, a vegan diet is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth and further research reveals that going plant-based could reduce your food emissions by up to 73%. As the climate crisis becomes more evident by the day, with rising sea levels, wildfires and increasing amounts of greenhouse gasses, now is the perfect time to make a few small lifestyle changes in contribution to a larger and incredibly urgent cause.
2) Animal Rights
Animals undoubtedly pay the biggest price for our consumption choices. In picking up a plastic-packaged steak at the supermarket, it’s easy to forget that in doing so we are trading in the life and freedom of a sentient being. 70 billion animals are slaughtered each year for human consumption, 10 times the population of people on the planet at any one time. Farmed animals are subjected to horrific methods of slaughter including gassing, electrocution and shooting by captive bolt pistol. On route to their deaths, it’s legal to transport them for up to eight hours at a time in vehicles that are often cramped and overcrowded.
Killing is not only an immoral prerequisite to meat production, but is also an embedded part of the process for eggs and dairy. Male chicks are shredded alive and male calves shot in the skull, often on their first day of life as the industry dismisses these sentient beings as waste products simply for not producing milk and eggs.
Though the life of a factory-farmed animal is almost always cut short for our consumption, its lived existence is often a miserable one. Factory farms are unaccommodating places for animals as they’re designed for profit over welfare. Within these cramped conditions, female farm animals are forcibly impregnated throughout their lives to feed supply and demand for milk, eggs and meat before they reach the end of their ‘productivity’ and are killed. For dairy cows, this is just five years, despite a 20-year natural life expectancy, for a laying chicken who would otherwise live for 15 years, a mere 20 months and for pigs, it’s less than three years before slaughter, despite being able to reach 20 years of age.
3) Aligning your values to your actions
According to a survey run by Future Normal and The Vegan Society last year, 40% of meat-eaters actually feel guilty for their food choices. In response to this shocking rate of cognitive dissonance, Future Normal spokesman Matt Turner was quick to point out that whilst many claim to be animal lovers, their actions “often contradict that very statement”.
Humans have always been arbitrarily selective when it comes to the animals that end up as our pets as opposed to on our plates. Unfortunately, this baseless system of discrimination between species has become an embedded part of our psyche. Research has found that pigs are actually equal to our canine companions in terms of intelligence, yet are simply dismissed as a live product for human convenience.
It’s a powerful perspective to consider, however, it is best put by the renowned 18th-century philosopher and vegetarian Jeremy Bentham. “The question isn’t can they reason, nor can they talk, but can they suffer?” The answer is of course obvious and the solution is simple- go vegan.
4) Fighting future pandemics
The link between deadly disease and human/animal contact is something that has been widely researched. Whilst COVID-19’s origins have been traced back to pangolin trading in China, it would be a mistake to dismiss this as a one-off incident only occurring in far off ‘exotic’ creatures that many of us have never heard of. COVID-19 falls into the category of zoonotic diseases, meaning it’s transmitted from an animal host to humans and our current food system does little to prevent this. Animal agriculture has been linked to a number of past pandemics and if we fail to make a change, it’s a trend that’ll continue to wreak havoc.
Back in 1918 the influenza pandemic spread worldwide and caused the lowest possible estimate of 21 million deaths. Despite being dubbed ‘the Spanish flu’ some researchers have suggested that it actually began in a British military base in France during World War I, where the disease spread due to 100,000 soldiers sharing close proximity to a number of farms in which pigs, ducks and geese were raised as an army food source.
The link between livestock farming and the spread of disease is a concern that still stands a century later; according to Dr. Shireen Kassam, “More than 90 per cent of the meat we consume is produced in industrial-scale factory farms, which provide the perfect conditions for the generation of novel infections with epidemic and pandemic potential.” This is something which Dr. Gemma Newman has cited as a “ticking timebomb” and is calling for an urgent change. Going vegan is a great way to boycott the source of what experts have identified as a potential danger and thus won’t only save thousands of non-human lives, but could save yours too.
5) Building awareness
Ignorance is bliss, but it certainly isn’t change-making, something that’s desperately needed within our current food systems. Though most people are mildly aware of what goes on behind closed doors in order to produce their food, many are reluctant to confront the realities of modern animal agriculture. Closing your eyes and ears to enjoy the momentary bliss of a hamburger or three cheese pizza means allowing animal abuse, environmental damage and human health risks to continue- be the one to make a change rather than being part of the problem.
There are many great resources that you can use to increase your awareness of where your food comes from including vegan activist and Harvard guest lecturer Earthling Ed, acclaimed documentaries ‘Cowspiracy’ and ‘Dominion’ and of course the Veganuary website. Knowledge is power so get informed and share what you’ve learned with others too!
6) Taste! All the great new vegan products to try in 2021
With the plant-based food market set to reach $74.2 billion in value by 2027, companies are cashing in and experimenting with an array of new flavours to meet this growing demand. Pizza Hut, the internationally loved fast-food chain is one such example and has come out of top, providing a number of vegan options across the US, UK and Australia. Some of its plant-based offerings include a pea-protein-based ‘pepperphoni’ topping, southern fried nuggets and ‘I can’t believe it’s not cheesecake’ for dessert to name just a few.
They’re just one of the many internationally recognized brands catering to this growing customer base are joined by KFC, Ben & Jerry’s and Burger King. Going vegan in 2021 certainly doesn’t mean living off salads and raw tofu: it can be indulgent and tasty too!
7) Budget: How veganism could save you money
In many cases, veganism can be a welcome addition to those on a budget. The stereotype of the prestigious plant-based diet that costs an arm and a leg simply isn’t true. In fact, it’s a false idea that has been perpetuated by top-of-the-range non-essential products capitalizing on the ‘vegan’ label.
Whilst there’s been a dramatic drop in prices for vegan specialty products like non-dairy chocolate and meat substitutes, you can cut costs even more by swapping your usual shopping list items for whole foods. For example, 1lb of ground beef at Walmart will cost you around $5.24, however, switch that for a 15 oz. tin of lentils and you’ll get almost just as much quantity for just $0.92, meaning you can make a great spaghetti bolognese or shepherd’s pie for a fraction of the price.
You could even switch chicken for mushrooms or bacon for carrots with the right recipe. You can get creative with your swaps at the supermarket and come up with your own ideas whilst saving money!
8) Variety: Forcing you out of your culinary comfort zone
In going vegan, there’s a world of new foods to discover. Jackfruit, for example, an obscure cousin of the fig, native to the Western Ghats (an area parallel to the west coast of India) may never have had the chance to become a well-loved pizza topping, curry base or sandwich filling had veganism not taken off. It’s become a popular alternative to chicken, having reached peak status with the Pizza Hut BBQ Jackfruit topping introduced in 2019, and its demand continues to grow.
Since then, experimentalism within vegan cooking has given way to all sorts of plant-based possibilities. With sweet potatoes being used as an egg replacement for brownies and chickpea water transforming into mayonnaise, there’s no limit to what a plant-based diet can achieve in the kitchen.
9) It’s easier than ever
As the number of vegans continues to steadily rise, the world is becoming more accommodating to the plant-based way of life. With a recent study reporting a massive 9.6 million vegans in the US alone (a 300% increase over the last 15 years), businesses are rushing to fill the gap, meaning the shelves of almost every major store are stocked with readily available vegan options to go.
Walmart has been cited as an especially accommodating plant-based haven. With a dedicated selection including dairy-free coffee creamer and vegan ‘toona’ to suit every budget, it’s a clear marker of changing times. With so much on-budget choice at your finger-tips, the best time to go vegan is now. Head down to your local supermarket and see what’s on offer- it’s never been easier!
10) Discovering a new community of change-makers
In going vegan to make a positive change, you’ll never be alone; there’s a growing global community standing in solidarity for veganism’s potential to change the world. This won’t only provide you with critical motivation on your journey, but you may even discover a great social network of like-minded people.
There are so many different ways to get connected, from Facebook groups to outreach schemes. If you’re looking to join a community of active change-makers, why not check out your local Anonymous for the Voiceless or Earthlings Experience chapter and team up with those sharing in your mission.
In going vegan, there’s no limit to what you might achieve. With scientific, ethical and even gastronomical benefits at hand, making the switch can be an all-around rewarding experience.
Although Veganuary is concluding, there’s no reason to lose out by leaving plant-based eating behind. Why not make it a permanent part of your life and join an amazing movement that can make a global positive change?
