Veganuary and why a vegan lifestyle is so important

You may have heard of January challenges, such as Dry January. People give up something for a month or want to do something every day for a month to start the year in a positive way. Since 2014, Veganuary has been added: Veganuary is a British non-profit organization that challenges people to follow a vegan lifestyle for a month. Since 2014, more than 2 million people have officially signed up for Veganuary.

Does a month-long challenge make sense?

Many people wonder whether a month-long challenge, and then going back to their old lifestyle, makes sense. 'What nonsense', you often hear, just go vegan, or not, but doing something for a month is pointless. But veganism is a big step for many people and a stick behind the door in the form of a challenge helps people take this step. It is a fun way to get acquainted with a vegan lifestyle for people who are interested in it.

What exactly does 'vegan' mean?

What is the definition of vegan? The Van Dale defines vegan as follows:

ve·ga·nis·tic (adjective)

1 not eating or otherwise using animal products

According to The Vegan Society, veganism is a lifestyle that avoids all animal foods such as meat, dairy, eggs, and honey; animal products such as leather; and, to the extent possible, products tested on animals.

A vegan lifestyle is therefore broader than just a plant-based diet. Someone who follows a plant-based diet does not eat any animal products and someone who is vegan does not use any animal products at all.

Why veganism?

There are many different reasons why people go vegan, and every reason is a good reason. At its core, veganism is about compassion: compassion for animals, for the planet, for ourselves, and for our fellow human beings.

For the animals

This is perhaps the most traditional reason for not eating or using animal products. People love animals and taking away their freedom for our own gain goes too far for many people. Even if you are vegetarian and do not eat animals directly, this does not mean that animals are not slaughtered and that they live a good life. Not even in the case of organic or free-range conditions. The slaughter of animals that are not (any longer) productive, animal abuse and the testing of products on animals is widespread. Veganism is the answer for a compassionate life with the animals that have often been on this planet much longer than we have ourselves.

For the environment

The problems of climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification and water scarcity are greater than ever and the time to do something about them is now. As David Attenborough so eloquently said in the Blue Planet documentary:

“We are at a unique point in our history. Never before have we been so aware of what we are doing to the planet, and never before have we had the power to do something about it.”

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, farm animals contribute 14.5% of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. That’s more than the fuel that powers every car, plane, truck and train on the planet. Going vegan is the ultimate way to combat climate change.

In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, the agricultural sector encompasses a multitude of environmental problems.Large areas of wild nature are being lost and the animals that live there are threatened with mass extinction. Also, an enormous amount of fresh water is used, agriculture causes water and air pollution and fishing is the biggest polluter of our oceans.

Scientists from Oxford University have therefore concluded that avoiding meat and dairy is 'the most important way' to reduce your impact on the planet.

For your health

A plant-based diet usually includes lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, legumes, and soy products. Doesn’t that sound healthy already? A good plant-based diet contains all the nutrients our bodies need and is suitable for people of all ages and stages of life.

What does vegan eating do to your body? Several studies have shown that a vegan diet can lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, a lower risk of heart disease, a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. In addition, vegan food can help people lose weight and many vegans report having more energy since switching to a plant-based diet. Better digestion, healthier skin and better sleep are also health benefits associated with plant-based eating.

And if you just fancy a tasty snack every now and then, there are more than enough vegan cakes, cookies, chips and snacks to satisfy your cravings.

Enough reasons to switch to a plant-based diet!

For humanity

There are currently almost 8 billion people on earth and they all need to get enough nutrients. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates that one in nine people is chronically undernourished, that is almost a billion people.

The world population is expected to increase exponentially in the coming decades and food and water shortages will become increasingly severe. Animals consume more protein, water and calories than they produce and the amount of land required to provide the entire world population with the meat-rich Western diet simply does not exist.

A plant-based diet uses much less land and water, so if we want to prevent global famines it is essential that we change our lifestyle.

I'm not perfect

And you don't have to! It's not about never making mistakes again. Animal ingredients are in so many products that it's inevitable that you'll make a 'mistake' at some point. Learn from it, laugh about it, and move on. It's not the end of the world, and if everyone does their part and is imperfectly vegan or even just tries to eat less animal products, the world will be a much better place.