As we’re about to enter 2023, another wave of compassionate individuals are about to become vegan as they make new years’ resolutions to respect animals. In 2022, over 620,000 people took Veganuary’s pledge to ditch animal products during the month of January, with 83% sticking with it indefinitely. This trend is only set to rise, with 10 million participants predicted to give Veganuary a go in 2027! 

Almost half of Veganuary’s participants this year named concern for animals as their motivation for eating plant-based, following a growing trend away from speciesist attitudes amongst the general public. In 2021, 3% of the UK population identified as vegan, increasing from 1% in 2019. The proportion of vegans increases exponentially when examining younger generations, with over a quarter of ‘Gen Z’ refusing to eat animals and over half intending to ditch dairy over the next year. 

It’s clear that attitudes towards the practice of eating animals are changing, but we need to understand how to motivate people to translate this into real behavioural change. A recent YouGov poll asking existing vegans why they made the lifestyle change found that 88% believe it is immoral to eat animals and their products, and 89% do not want to fund the cruelty inherent in ‘farming’ and slaughtering animals. 

Another survey by ecological organisation Treedom has revealed a very telling statistic: a fifth of consumers in the UK claim to have left animals off their Christmas dinner table this year! 21% of those opting for vegan alternatives over the bodies of exploited turkeys attributed this decision to guilt, caused by empathy for these beings. 

Trust in farmers is falling year on year, with only 52% of consumers now believing farmers are considerate of animals’ wellbeing, as the routine abuse and neglect rife in all sectors of animal agriculture has been shown time and time again in undercover investigations. Every single exposé reveals the immense physical and emotional suffering inflicted onto innocent animals on a mass-scale, which simply can not be ignored. 

Combined, the UK’s 600,000 vegans now prevent over 22 million animals from miserable lives in ‘farming’ systems and frightening deaths in slaughterhouses. Whether it’s by whistleblowing unjust situations, funding the undertaking of more investigations, or sharing their findings with others, it is imperative that we continue to uncover the rights violations experienced by animals and do whatever we can to maximise the number of people who resonate with their interest in living a happy life. 

By encouraging others to live a cruelty-free lifestyle, we as activists have the power to reduce the number of people contributing to the exploitation and deaths of animals. Let’s make 2023 count for animals, by ending the system that harms them! 

‍

‍