Plant Life :Veganuary 2022
With record sign-ups and big brand backing does Veganuary actually make a difference?
Motivations for doing Veganuary
Veganism started initially as a movement based on animal rights. Although this is still an important motivator, people go vegan for many different reasons.
Health and growing concerns about the environment are now common reasons. Data published by Veganuary shows that 46% signed up in 2021 due to concern for animals but for one in five, concern for the environment was their primary motivation.
Reasons for signing up to Veganuary
Source: Veganuary (www.veganuary.com)
Brands have invested heavily in veganism and Veganuary
It is not just individuals who have bought into the veganism movement: major food providers have invested heavily in vegan products. For Veganuary 2021, around 560 new vegan products were launched and 259 vegan menus were added by chain restaurants. All the major UK supermarkets now provide a vegan range. With increasing numbers of people looking for vegan food it is no surprise that brands are looking to get in on the action.
In previous years some brands, such as Greggs, released permanent items such as the vegan sausage roll and vegan steak bake, while others only provided plant based products for the month of Veganuary. This is now beginning to change. In January 2022, KFC announced that its vegan burger would become a permanent menu item and Burger King added vegan nuggets to its menu as part of its commitment to have half its menu meat free by 2030.
So brands are getting on board but is this due to corporate health and environmental concerns or is it all down to following the money? In one sense the answer is: does it actually matter? The key question really is whether Veganuary itself encourages people to take up veganism.
Does Veganuary make a difference?
The vision behind Veganuary is to have a vegan world with compassionate food choices, an end to animal farming, protection of the planet and improving health. The vision is really about changing human behaviour and the effectiveness of the initiative should be viewed in that context.
A behavioural change model often used in market research is the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavioural change. The TTM, sets out a number of stages of change that take people along a pathway from having no intention to do something - in this case go vegan - to actually trying it (taking action) to maintaining the change. The stages as applied to going vegan can be seen in the graphic below.
Initiatives like Veganuary have an important role to play in moving people along the pathway. There are two points in particular where Veganuary could have an influence: (i) motivating people who are open to going vegan (Pre-contemplation) to find out more about the dietary choices available and (ii) providing support, encouragement and advice to those planning to go vegan so that they make the step to actually trying it (Action). This is also where the social media community surrounding Veganuary could also be helpful.
We posed the question earlier whether brands are jumping on the Veganuary bandwagon to make a quick buck. Big Food is motivated by sales so there is clearly an element of profiteering in this. But it could also be argued that there is a sort of symbiotic relationship between food producers and Veganuary. Vegan items on the menu in fast food outlets helps raise awareness of veganism and could help people make that jump from Planning to Action and beyond. At the same time food producers get more sales.
A key question is how likely are people to maintain a vegan lifestyle at the end of the month? A follow up survey of participants by the organisers of Veganuary found that 40% of those doing Veganuary 2021 intend to carry on being vegan. Even if this number is an overclaim (which is usually the case with polling on intended actions), it does still show that Veganuary plays a part in helping people change to a healthier, more sustainable and animal friendly lifestyle.
In conclusion, veganism is a dietary choice which is increasing in popularity. Veganuary helps to promote the vegan diet. For some, Veganuary is just a month-long challenge, for others it is to test a potential new diet and the first step in a long-term behavioural change.
With more people following a vegan diet and brands producing new ranges to meet growing demand, Veganuary has become an established event in the calander.
Its challenge is to be more than just an annual try out for a month.
