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The Vegan Society ( www . vegansociety . com ) suggests that if the entire world went vegan , it could save eight million human lives by 2050 , reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by twothirds and lead to healthcare-related savings and avoid climate damages of £ 1.2 trillion . The organisation focuses on four key factors that veganism can benefit : animals , the environment , our health and socio-economic / living conditions for humans themselves . In Jonathan Safran Foer ’ s critically acclaimed book first published in 2009 , Eating Animals , he claimed back then that ‘ approximately 800 million chickens , turkeys and pigs are factory farmed in the United Kingdom every year - more than 10 animals for every human . ( If this number were to include cows and fish , for reasons difficult to qualify it would be dramatically larger .)’ Fast-forward over a decade after Eating Animals was published and ‘ There are more than 1,000 US-style mega-farms in England , Wales and Northern Ireland , including some holding as many as a million animals ’, according to a new investigation by Philip Lymbery author of Sixty Harvests Left : How to Reach a Nature-Friendly Future . Although exact numbers are difficult to pin down , one thing can be certain : veganism is very much on the rise , as are the number of free-range and more animal-welfare focused farms . But The Vegan Society argues that vegetarianism is simply ‘ not enough ’, with the calves of milk producing cows and surplus chickens from laying hens still being used for meat .
But where did it all begin ? Although the term ‘ veganism ’ wasn ' t used until the 1940s , the concept can be traced back to ancient Indian and eastern Mediterranean societies . According to The Vegan Society , evidence of people choosing to avoid the consumption and use of animal products can be traced back over 2,000 years , but the phrase was coined sometime in the mid 1940s when the first modern day vegans began to meet and discuss their lifestyles . Since then , especially in the last five years , veganism has come on leaps and bounds . I have already touched on the generational thing . According to research carried out by Frontier Economics ( www . frontier-economics . com ) this rise in veganism has been unsurprisingly down to avocadoon-toast loving Millenials and TikTok fanatic Gen Z ’ ers , with the latter generation making the biggest difference by ‘ reducing their outlays on meat quite substantially since 2013 . In 2017 , they spent less than 2 % of their income on meat – the lowest proportion of any age group this century .’ And with the future in their hands , it can be assumed that veganism and vegan substitutes will be the future too .
So , how can we embrace veganism , even if we don ’ t go completely vegan forever ?
Even my grandmother , who would stoically serve up Linda McCartney sausages to my vegetarian aunt , has heard of Veganuary , and even she , the ever-creative cook embraces the variety that vegan meals bring to her table as well as the benefits they bring to her health . Veganuary is a great time to do just this and add some variety to your own diet . Whether for health reasons , ethical reasons or simply just to embrace a different way of living , as a marketing campaign Veganuary has made finding vegan alternatives and exciting plant-based foods even more easy for those not used to it . For those looking to get more creative , January is also great for some motivational cooking and experimenting with vegan recipes . Veganuary itself began in 2014 and participation since then has increased each year . 400,000 people signed up to the 2020 campaign and it is estimated that this number represented the carbon dioxide equivalent of 450,000 flights and the lives of more than a million animals .
As with everything food based , it comes as no surprise that Kent is at the forefront of vegan foods and dining experiences , but being home to so many orchards and fields of vegetables , that ’ s hardly a surprise . Today ’ s veganism goes far beyond just fruit and veg , however . Vegans no longer have to forfeit treats as changes are being made to the things they were once expected to give up because of their diets and this way of life that confectioners and food producers previously ignored - veganism is thankfully now being embraced as an alternative new normal .
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