Watch out vegetables – veganism is on the rise. According to the Vegan Society, there are now over half a million vegans living in the UK, marking a 350% increase since 2006. Why are so many people ditching the omelettes? Apparently it’s young people who are leading the vegan boom; almost half of the vegans in blighty are aged between 15 and 34. In a Guardian survey of vegan readers, 67% were under 34 and more than one-sixth were still teenagers.
Reading stories from young people who’ve adopted the vegan lifestyle, a notable trend quickly emerges; the internet. (Well come on, what did you think I was going to be talking about?) From browsing and coming across animal rights information, statements from vegans on Facebook to YouTube videos, it seems like a lot of the vegan momentum is snowballing from social media.
The power of influence is shifting in a way we can already recognise. Brands now know that consumers are a little less interested in your traditional celebrity and more influenced by the “realness” and accessibility of online personalities on social media. In the same way, young vegans report to be less influenced by celebrity role models and more inspired by YouTubers and bloggers who share recipes and health tips to support the lifestyle, as well as sharing their own stories. New video: my kale and supplements haul!!
I know quite a few vegans now and really admire their willpower. Yeah, you can still eat chips, but plenty of other delicious treats are well and truly off the menu. The day I resist a custard cream is a sure sign of the apocalypse – I just don’t think I have it in me. However, with the rise of veganism on social media and in our lives, food manufacturers and restaurants are tapping into this ‘trend’ and making more options available. Think back five years ago and you wouldn’t see ‘gluten free’ splashed across every menu, but now that people have decided it’s something they’re into, the possibilities are endless. I think this is what’s happening with vegan food – people are investing more money into making it viable because the market and demand is now out there. A few weeks ago I went to a new vegan ice cream place in London’s Soho and I have to say it was bloody lovely – what a happy day when vegans and friends of vegans can all eat frozen things together. If only the weather would keep up.
I can’t see myself going vegan any time soon. I was vegetarian for about a year in my teens, but to be honest, I didn’t really eat much of anything except pasta and cheese. I didn’t know enough about recipes and was more interested in MSN and passing my exams – my mum eventually tempted me back to the dark side with my favourite chinese takeaway. It was for my own good. With social media the way it is now, maybe I would have tried going vegan instead; there’s so much information available now I think it would have been a lot easier to see it as sustainable and not get bored with what I was eating.
The environmental impact of eating meat and raising livestock is well documented. It’s inefficient compared to plant farming, is bad for us and is also a lot more expensive than veggies. Without going full vegan or even vegetarian, making small changes can really make an impact on our environment; World Meat Free Day is coming up on Monday 13th June and they have loads of information to help you calculate how much you could help by skipping a couple of bacon butties. For example, skipping meat for just one meal could save enough carbon emissions to boil a kettle 388 times!
If you’re thinking about going vegan and want some more information, you could try PETA’s ‘Vegan Starter Kit’, a leaflet available for free either by post or environmentally friendly download. Remember: hummus is your friend.
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**Photo: Matilda Hill-Jenkins **
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.