THE RISE AND RISE OF VEGANISM

In our meat and dairy-heavy culinary culture, removing the items that typically make up the biggest percentage of one’s diet can seem like an overwhelming challenge. But many people are doing just that.

A 2018 study by Ipsos, a global research and consulting firm, estimated that 8 per cent of the world’s population eats a vegetarian or vegan diet (Israel boasts the largest vegan community – more than 5 per cent of its population eats entirely plant-based foods). But what’s more indicative of the movement’s impact is its recent and incredibly swift rise in popularity. One need only look at the last 10–15 years to see how quickly this ethical and intentional way of eating has proliferated. According to data analytics firm GlobalData, the number of self-identifying vegans in the U.S. alone has jumped from 1 per cent called veganism one of Britain’s ‘fastest growing lifestyle movements’, and cited an online survey that counted 3.5 million self-identified vegans there.