Christopher Hollmann from Veganuary Germany
Vegan for the new year? A good resolution for animal welfare, health and the climate. We think Veganuary is really good and asked managing director Christopher Hollmann our three questions.
What do film star Joaquin Phoenix, musician Billie Eilish and YouTuber Rezo have in common? They are involved in Veganuary to raise awareness about veganism. Veganuary is a non-profit organization that encourages people around the world to eat vegan in January - and beyond. The organization was founded around ten years ago in Great Britain, when vegan nutrition was still a niche topic.
According to an online survey by the market research institute YouGov, nine percent of adults in Germany used Veganuary as an opportunity to try out a purely vegan diet. In Germany, three percent of adults say they are vegan. According to a study by the Federal Environment Agency, for most participants, namely forty percent, animal protection is the top priority when taking part, followed by health aspects (21%) and environmental protection (18%).
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the direct connection between vegan nutrition and climate protection through such campaigns. According to independent studies, over thirty percent of greenhouse gases could be avoided by replacing half of all animal products worldwide with vegan alternatives. We, at Good Travel, find it Vegan really good and asked Christopher Hollmann (Managing Director) our three questions.
1. What was or is your motivation behind “Veganuary”?
With Veganuary, we support people and companies alike in switching to a plant-based diet - in January and for the rest of the year. This offers immense potential for a better future: a plant-based food system saves billions of animals from suffering and death, promotes biodiversity and global health, protects our environment and makes a massive contribution to overcoming the climate crisis and ensuring the world's population is fed. The way our food system is currently designed, it has the complete opposite effect - but it is already changing for the better: and it is precisely this development that we are driving forward, together with millions of people who are trying vegan with us, and with companies that are increasing their efforts put herbal products.
2. What advice would you give our readers? What can you specifically do for a better future?
Become a part of Veganuary and try out a plant-based diet with us - it's very simple and has so much impact: Our individual eating habits have the greatest impact on the environment and climate, as numerous studies and the Federal Environment Agency confirm. In Veganuary you are anything but alone: millions of people and thousands of companies take part all over the world every year. And anyone who registers with us will receive 31 days of support in getting started with a plant-based diet. By the way, 28 percent of our participants continue to eat vegan six months after Veganuary, almost two thirds report health benefits and 98 percent would recommend the challenge to others. Taking part is worth it in every way for the animals, the planet and you, and it's also fun - you can register at veganuary.de/jetzt-mitmachen/.
now! HERE Register for Veganuary
3. HOW DO TRAVEL AND SUSTAINABILITY GO TOGETHER FOR YOU?
There are so many ways and means to get to know the world in an environmentally friendly way. And the opportunities to discover culinary delights from the plant kingdom while on vacation or while traveling are growing all over the world. We are pleased that vegan options and concepts are increasing in hotels, tourism and long-distance transport and that more and more companies from this industry are taking part in Veganuary. For Veganuary 2023, for example, Deutsche Bahn introduced three new plant-based dishes in the on-board bistros - and kept all of them on the menus permanently. It's becoming easier and more attractive for people to choose plant-based options no matter where they are, and that's having a huge impact.
Kerstin Landsmann (actress)
"Don't look away any longer! What is happening in the meat/dairy industry is cruel. Is “It tastes so delicious” worth all this suffering and torment? If you don't do it for the animals and the planet, then do it for your body. And open yourself to all the new wonderful tastes. Use Veganuary for yourself!"
Alec Baldwin (actor):
"During the pandemic, we cooked all our meals at home and transitioned to a purely plant-based diet during this time. It's interesting to see how the taste changes when you cook your own food. All animal products become less appetizing if you prepare them yourself from start to finish."
© Photos: JUNE Veganuary, Kerem-Bakir, Veganuary
Geraldine Voss
Geraldine works as a freelance writer for Good Travel and has just completed training as a sustainability manager. After twenty exciting years in film, she now devotes herself full-time to her other passions - travel, food and design.
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