Have you read about the death of veganism in the mainstream press recently? Well, the funny thing about that is the latest report on UK diet trends by Finder showed over a million new people turned vegan in the UK alone in 2023 – meaning that almost 5% of the UK adult population currently follow a vegan diet.
People might try to convince you that 5% is an insignificant percent of people, but by comparison: in the last national census 1.5% of the population described themselves as gay or lesbian; 5% is also the same percentage as the number of people who attend church in the UK. And how well are gay rights and religious rights respected, accepted and fought for in our society? A 5% demographic is hugely significant, it means that if you gather twenty random people together, then, statistically, one of them will be vegan.
But the same study estimated that an extra 2 million people in the UK were planning to change to a vegan diet this year, and that 50% of generation Z (ie adults under 27) might be eating meat-free by 2025. The vegan diet is no longer seen as a fringe or extreme way of life, especially by people under thirty. And if Gen Z might become 50% meat-free over the next few years, imagine what Gen Alpha following behind them will become. That ‘Alpha’ label might come to represent the first predominantly vegan generation.
All of this is, in part, because of you. Many people decide to turn vegan and that’s as far as their journey goes. But you decided to bring together your ethics with how you make a living. By creating a business you create a platform, and by creating a vegan business (even if you don’t shout about that fact) you create a platform for change. So even if your business has only influenced one person towards changing to a more compassionate lifestyle, then you are responsible for that extra growth in vegans in whatever country you operate in.
That’s why I do what I do. Just as your business is your activism, VBT is mine. So if you need any support or help at the moment, or if you just want a chat, reach out, email me, message me on Slack and let’s see how we can help your business have an even bigger impact.
David’s thoughts from the week, published every weekend for members only.
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