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Veganuary 2022 sees the largest number of participants ever

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3 min read
AUTHOR: Fiona Holland
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Peter Egan with pig

Over 600,000 people have been recorded to be taking part in Veganuary this year, the annual challenge to go vegan for one month in January.

This figure marks an increase of over 3% since the 2021 edition of the challenge, when 580,000 people took part.

As we reach the halfway mark in January, signups continue to increase, suggesting the number of participants will have grown more by the end of the month.

In response to this news, Head of Communications at Veganuary, Toni Vernelli said: “It is incredibly exciting to be marking the biggest Veganuary on record with two weeks of January still to go, but it is not surprising. As more people become aware of the incredible impact our food choices have on the health of our planet, attitudes towards eating vegan are changing and so are our diets.” 

Prior to the start of this year’s challenge a range of celebrities showed their support for the campaign including Joanna Lumley, Benjamin Zephaniah, Dr Jane Goodall, and Peter Egan, who is currently starring in the third series of Ricky Gervais’s much acclaimed Netflix series After Life.
These stars have been encouraging others to sign up by sharing some of their favourite vegan recipes.

Another celebrity who joined the cause was Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden. She commented: “Taking part in Veganuary helped me change how I eat, and now my diet is the best for animals, the planet and for me. If the climate crisis, animal suffering or the loss of wild places and species concerns you, sign up, take part and let Veganuary help you, too.” 

New vegan products have also hit the shelves this month, coinciding with Veganuary, including a plant based Babybel, and Philadelphia cream cheese spread.

Several major food brands, such as Harrods, M&S and Quorn have also encouraged their employees to go vegan for January in a Veganuary Workplace Challenge and have promised to provide more vegan options for their employees in the future.

Vernelli added: “Making planet-friendly food choices is also becoming much easier thanks to the businesses embracing Veganuary and providing delicious and accessible plant-based alternatives to familiar foods. Together we are making an enormous difference for animals and the planet.”

A poll conducted last month by YouGov in collaboration with Veganuary revealed that 34% of adults in the UK would try a plant-based diet, with 8% of them already following a vegan diet, and 35% of them saying their view of a plant-based diet was more positive now than it was two years ago.

Veganuary has had over 2 million people sign up to take part since the campaign first launched in 2014.

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