6 minute read
Veganuary 2021: Powering The Planet With Plant-Based Converts
The success of Veganuary since its inception in 2014 is astounding – absolutely massive shifts in eating habits especially the world over have been inspired by this small team working throughout the year to bring us a huge celebration of all things vegan during the month of January, encouraging millions of people to try a plant based diet.
Offering support and guidance along with an enormous fistful of vital information for people new to plant based living, Veganuary is set to grow and grow, with nearly 600,000 people signing up in 2021, and many many more participating. Veganuary is not without its critics – but there is no taking away from them the consistently impactful outreach Veganuary provides to a rapidly growing audience across the globe hungry for a plant based revolution in their lives.
Plant Powered Planet were thrilled to chat with Toni Vernelli from Veganuary recently about the success of this year’s campaign, and where the future lies.
2021 was a huge success in numbers – close on 600,000. What’s the driving force behind this?
It’s a combination of factors. There is growing global awareness of the devastating environmental impacts of animal agriculture alongside a new appreciation for the pandemic risk that eating animals brings. Vegan food has also become much more available and visible which increases people’s curiosity about trying it but also makes it easier for those who have been contemplating trying vegan to finally bite the bullet and do it.
What countries have you seen the biggest growth in for 2021?
In the Latin American countries where we have offices – Chile, Argentina and Brazil – and also in India where we partnered with a local group to run a campaign there for the first time.
How do you see Veganuary expanding in 2022?
We plan to put more resources into our offices in Latin America and the US so that we can expand our presence there and increase signup numbers as well as the availability of vegan options. We’re also keen to expand our work in Asia either by partnering with local groups or running a small-scale pilot project.
What about 2023 – do you discuss targets?
No, we haven’t set any concrete targets for 2023 but our overall plan is to keep replicating the UK success of Veganuary in other countries – and there are a lot of countries to tackle so that will keep us busy for the foreseeable future!
How has Lockdown affected the team?
We’re really lucky because we have always been home-based so we didn’t have to adjust to online meetings and working on our own. We also stayed very busy throughout all of the lockdowns because interest in veganism continued to grow and our funding was largely unaffected meaning we could meet the increased demand for information, collaboration etc.
Can you see any positives for Veganuary overall from Lockdown?
Yes definitely. We saw an increase in pledge sign-ups shortly after lockdown happened in 2020 and when we surveyed these participants, we found that many signed-up to try and be healthier but also because they had more time to cook. As lockdown went on, people were signing-up to try new recipes and ingredients – and to find ways to use up all the tins of beans and pulses they’d stockpiled! This renewed interest in cooking- thanks to lockdown - also helped drive some of the amazing vegan product launches in the supermarkets last January.
When does planning and work start in earnest for 2022?
It’s already well under way! We had our 2021 campaign evaluation meeting just a week after January ended and events were still fresh in our mind. February and March were spent producing reports on the impact of our 2021 campaign, but since the beginning of April it has been full steam ahead on projects for the 2022 campaign.
How important do you feel films like Seaspiracy are in helping people make a shift?
They play a huge role. People seem to be more willing to believe the facts and information when presented in a documentary format on a trusted platform like Netflix than if they see the same arguments on a campaigning organisation’s website. They also have the potential to reach a much bigger and more diverse audience because people are much more likely to come across these films when browsing for something to watch on a popular streaming site than if they only existed on campaign websites. If I had a penny for every person who has told me they went vegan after watching Cowspiracy I could buy a freezer-full of vegan ice cream!
We are seeing ‘big business’ and major brands buy into veganism and provide for plant based diets mainstream – will this continue?
Undoubtedly. The planet simply cannot support a continuation of current meat and dairy consumption and food manufacturers and retailers know this. They are well-versed in reading future trends and adapting and that is why we’ve seen such a growth in mainstream vegan products and this will only continue to grow.
Do you remain positive that we can initiate change in time to avert major climate catastrophe?
Hmm, I’m not sure about that to be honest. While we are seeing a huge shift in public attitudes to vegan food and a large increase in the number of people reducing their meat consumption, we are seeing almost no government action on this issue – not even messaging about meatreduction being an essential part of tackling climate change. We only have ten years to avert climate catastrophe so we need to see radical government action to make that happen. Each of us can do our bit and that makes a difference, but government has the power to move the masses and make largescale change.
Who would make the best new vegan ambassador and why?
Right now, I think it would be Lewis Hamilton because he is a recordbreaking athlete at the top of his game doing it on a vegan diet – and he’s vegan because he cares about animals. This shatters all the myths about vegans being weak and compassion being unmanly. He’s also active on other social justice causes such as Black Lives Matters which helps highlight the intersectionality of rightsbased movements.
Pictured: Toni Vernelli
About Toni Vernelli
The daughter of a butcher from a small town in Northern Canada, Toni gave up meat in her teens when she learned that we can live and be healthy without it. Now vegan for more than 30 years, she believes passionately that we need a mass shift towards plant-based eating and is proud to be part of organisation fuelling this change. She also holds a PhD in Animal Behaviour.
Quick Quiz!
Favourite Food?
Ready salted crisps
Favourite Drink?
Strong black coffee
Musical preference: Punk
Favourite past-time/hobbie: Dancing (clubs/bars/gigs/my kitchen, not formal dancing)
Exercise? Yes! I run and go to the gym regularly
Dream dinner guest: Anyone who is happy to all of the cooking because I hate cooking!
Most inspirational person? It’s impossible to name just one person! There are so many incredible people fighting injustice in all its forms all over the world – my answer would probably change every day depending on what I have recently seen or read. But it will always be the unseen and unsung heroes that inspire me most - rather than the so-called leaders that make all the headlines and get all the credit. The people happily doing the unglamorous, dangerous or unpopular work necessary to make a movement successful without needing recognition or praise for efforts – they are truly inspiring.
Favourite Movie? Pride
Holiday destination: Costa Rica, but I’ll settle for anywhere warm with exciting wildlife
Vegan for...? Animal Liberation
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