OPINION FEATURE: Does Veganuary promote plant-based diets or is it another cash-grab?

Everyone is familiar with monthly ‘challenges’ throughout the year such as Movember and dry January, and one rising in popularity in recent years is Veganuary. Throughout the month of January, people are tasked to adopt an entirely plant-based diet, cutting out meats, dairy and animal products completely.

These challenges are often seen as a bit of fun and a test of endurance for the person taking part, however they also hold a deeper meaning and aim to spread awareness for a cause or raise money for an issue. For example, Movember is in support of men’s mental health and Dry January is raising awareness of alcohol dependence – in this case, Veganuary is ultimately giving a platform to animal rights and environmental concerns with the meat and dairy industries.

Since the challenge began in 2014, the number of participants has increased from 1,500 to over 700,000 in 2023. This year, companies like Greggs, Aldi, Frankie & Bennies, and even KFC introduced a whole new range of plant-based foods. From affordable and high-end supermarkets, to fast food, to popular restaurants, many chains introduced new vegan sweet treats, ready meals, and meat-alternative dishes. In 2022, more than 1,540 new vegan products and menu options were launched.

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An increase in vegan products, especially ‘breakthrough’ ones that haven’t been seen before, shows the vast option that there is within a plant-based diet and challenges the stigma that ‘all vegans eat is salad and vegetables’. There is more choice than ever for vegans and gone are the days of choosing a restaurant with a group of friends and having to settle on a bowl of chips as the only thing you can eat. This in turn could encourage more people to finally take the leap and go vegan, or veggie, or even just add more plant-based alternatives into their diet (known as a flexitarian).

Even those who choose to return to their normal diet at the end of the month are still making a difference to the environment - according to the Vegan Calculator, someone who has been vegan for a month has saved approximately 30 animal lives, 620 pounds of harmful carbon dioxide emissions, 913 square feet of forest, and 33,481 gallons of water. If you multiply this by the hundreds-of-thousands of people who are taking part we can see that one month alone could have a massive positive impact on our planet.

However, it can appear that the challenge is at best performative, and at its worst an attempt by big businesses and companies to make money off a trend.

Many of the new products released in January are discontinued after the month has ended with some stores only stocking up on vegan specials at the beginning of the month and not refilling the shelves once it has sold out. For example, Krispy Kreme introduced a vegan glazed donut in January 2021, but it was not available after the month ended (though it has since relaunched in 2023 and looks like it might be here to stay). This implies that the reason behind companies taking part in Veganuary is to cash in on an influx of people trying out plant-based items, and not to promote people sustaining a vegan lifestyle.

Also, though sales of vegan items in supermarkets have increased, there is no corresponding reduction in meat sales when looking at the average weekly sales in January 2021. This suggests that supermarkets aren’t paying much attention to the demand for vegan products over meat and dairy, and aren’t lowering the supply of meat in response. This could hint at their true intentions of making money off more products, and not committing to making their store more eco and animal-friendly.

Overall, Veganuary is a positive challenge as it encourages people to attempt veganism and even has a beneficial effect on animal and environmental welfare. Not only is it exciting for people who are giving it a go for the first time, existing vegans also look forward to the new products and foods that they get to try each year.

The motive behind the ‘trend’ from big businesses may not align with the ethics of the cause and be more self-serving, but the more profits and engagement that they see the more plant-based items they will release - hopefully attracting more people to a vegan diet and causing a greater change.

Edited by Caitlin Hart