VEGANuary – up for a challenge?

Considering going Vegan this Veganuary? We look at the movement and try to decide if we can do, if just for one month.

What is Veganuary?

Our team were deciding whether we should participate in Veganuary 2024. When we realised we needed to know more about what it. So here’s what we found out.

Veganuary is a campaign and movement that encourages people to try a vegan lifestyle for the month of January.  It was founded in the United Kingdom in 2014 by Jane Land and Matthew Glover.

The goal of Veganuary is to promote veganism, by raising awareness about the:

• ethical
• environmental, and
• health benefits

of a plant-based diet. 

According to the Drawdown Project, “If 50–75 percent of people adopt(ed) a healthy diet of an average 2,300 calories per day and reduce(d) meat consumption overall, …. at least 54.19–78.48 gigatons of emissions could be avoided from dietary change alone”. We are hoping that Veganuary will help us expand our plant-based repertoire and, combined with food waste reduction measures, our overall carbon footprint.

Origin Story

Here’s how Veganuary came to exist and its subsequent growth:

• In 2014 Jane Land and Matthew Glover, inspired by the idea of a vegan challenge, established Veganuary.
  
  They recognised the need for a dedicated campaign to:
  • educate people about the positive impact of a vegan diet and
  • to provide support for those looking to make the transition.
    
• The campaign provided resources, recipes, and tips to help participants make the change.
  
• Veganuary quickly gained popularity and attracted participants from around the world.
  
• The campaign’s success led to its expansion beyond the UK, with increasing global support.
  

Veganuary not only promotes a vegan diet, but also raises awareness about:

• the ethical treatment of animals,

• environmental sustainability, and

• the potential health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.

One way to find out more about the vegan movement and plant based diets is to watch documentaries on such as:

Cowspiracy – a pretty hard-hitting look at the agricultural industry

The Game Changers – a look at how even top athletes can benefit from a plant based diet

Forks over Knives – an older documentary looking at how a plant based diet can benefit health

• Over the years, Veganuary has garnered support from celebrities, influencers, and organisations, further spreading the message and encouraging more people to participate. This support has led to an increase in the number of people taking the pledge.
  
• Veganuary encourages participants to track their experiences and the positive effects they notice during the month. This data helps demonstrate the real-world impact of a vegan diet on health, the environment, and animal welfare.
  
• The increasing popularity of Veganuary has influenced the food industry. Many restaurants, food manufacturers, and retailers now offer vegan options – Vegan meats, Vegan fish, Vegan cheese, Vegan milk, Vegan Chocolate. During January all supermarkets promote plant-based products to cater to the growing demand.

What happens the other 11 months?

While January remains the flagship month for the campaign, Veganuary’s organisers work throughout the year to provide resources, support, and encourage vegan living beyond the initial month.

The growth and success of Veganuary demonstrate the increasing interest in and acceptance of veganism as a lifestyle choice. 

It has become an influential platform for people to explore the benefits of a plant-based diet, reduce their environmental footprint, and make more ethical choices regarding animal welfare. 

Fancy joining in this Veganuary?

This year, the Black Skies Blue team are participating in Veganuary, join us as we explore a more plant-based diet and try new recipes, we might even save some money.

For more information please contact Jayne Saywell, one of our Business Advisors. Her knowledge, experience and ideas can help your company thrive in a wellbeing economy, and find joy in a sustainable future.