The key findings from the research on veganism are: - The number of vegans in the UK has increased 350% over the past decade, with over half a million vegans currently. - Young people aged 15-34 make up 42% of vegans, indicating further growth as ethical and health concerns drive more people toward plant-based diets. - Research showed 55% of respondents to a survey became vegan for ethical reasons related to animal welfare and the environment, while others cited health or family upbringing.

1. VEGANUARY

2. Secondary Research

3. Facts

4. Vegan Life Magazine
http://www.veganlifemag.com/veganis
m-booms/
In 2006, 150,000 people in the UK opted for a plant-based diet. Today,
542,000 do. That’s a 350% increase.
According to the research there are over half a million vegans in GB.
This is an increase of over 350% since the last estimate of 150,000 ten years
ago, making veganism one of Britain’s fastest growing lifestyle movements.
“To have over half a million vegans in Britain is fantastic. More people than
ever before are acting upon the health and environmental benefits of
veganism, and finding out what really goes on in the meat and dairy
industries and deciding they do not want to contribute to the pain and
suffering of animals,” said Jasmijn de Boo, CEO of The Vegan Society.
The movement is being driven by young people making more ethical and
compassionate choices – close to half of all vegans are in the 15-34 age
category (42%) compared to just 14 per cent who are over 65 – evidence to
support even greater growth in the future.

5. The Vegetarian Resource Group http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm#what
Summary: This website was very useful as it
gave me a lot of information about the vegan
lifestyle, what you can eat, where to get your
protein from. It gives very detailed answers
which helps people who don’t know much
about veganism.
Tags: Vegan, Vegetarian, protein, diet, nutrition
Quotes: ‘Many vegans choose this lifestyle to
promote a more humane and caring world.
They know they are not perfect, but believe
they have a responsibility to try to do their
best, while not being judgmental of others.’
‘The key to a nutritionally sound vegan diet is
variety.’
‘Vegan diets are free of cholesterol and are
generally low in saturated fat.’
Validation of sources: The Vegetarian Resource
Group (VRG) is a non-profit organization
dedicated to educating the public on
vegetarianism and veganism and the
interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology,
ethics, and world hunger. They are still updating
their website now so I know the article will be
up to date.
Further Research: I could research more into
their points and compare their points to other
websites.

6. Huffingtonpost.com 01/08/11 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nil-zacharias/the-inconvenience-of-being-
vegan_b_870014.html
Summary: This article gets their viewers thinking ‘Is there a
difference between my pets and the animals I have eaten
recently?’. It also summaries how easy it is to become
vegetarian or vegan. It explains how being vegan is better for
you and the planet we live on.
Tags: Vegan, Vegetarian, 2011, Planet, Animals
Quotes: “You have a pet and wonder if there’s a difference
between him/her and the pig that turned into the bacon you ate
for breakfast.
“As long as your idea of vegan food is not eating potato chips,
Twizzlers and vegan cupcakes all day, you’ll do fine.”
Validation of sources: The Huffington Post
Further Research: I could look more into the reasons people
become vegan so I could learn more facts.

7. Wikipedia 26/08/2016 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism
Summary: Facts about veganism, the different types there
is, the products they use, the products they can’t use as
well as what they can and can’t eat.
Talking about how popular it has become to be vegan as
well as celebrities becoming vegan.
Tags: Vegan, Vegetarian, Animal products, Dietary vegans,
Ethical vegan, Philosophy, Environmental veganism,
Industrial farming.
Quotes: ‘Interest in veganism increased in the 2010s;
more vegan shops opened, and vegan options became
increasingly available in more supermarkets and
restaurants in many countries.’
Validation of sources: Wikipedia is known for being open
to anyone to edit pages. But luckily, every piece of
information should have a reference behind it which
makes it a lot easier to
Further Research: I can use the website references to do
some more research into what I have found, as well as
comparing them to see if the facts match.

8. NHS 15/10/2015 http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Vegetarianhealth/Pages/Vegandiets.aspx
Summary: Facts about being vegan, what it means to be
vegan and how to be vegan. It fives you healthy tips
when on a vegan diet as well as how it could help you
health wise to become vegan.
Tags: Vegan, Vegetarian, health, NHS.
Quotes: ‘Have high in fat, salt or sugar less often and in
small amounts’
Validation of sources: The NHS are a government
service, so anything on their websites must be correct.
Further Research: I could look more into how to eat
healthy as a vegan and how doing so helps animals and
the environment.

9. Food Nawigator 17th March 2015 15/10/2015 http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Markets/Vegan-is-going-
mainstream-trend-data-suggests

10. Additional Research

11. Vegan YouTubers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnbIGTrcq5A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNzkC6xqn5E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSWx93yTVQc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHTeiuG3100
Lived on a farm, it
opened her eyes to
animal cruelty from a
young age so she
became vegan when
she was 6. She ate
fish but realised ‘not
all screams are
heard’. ‘Egg industry
kills 500,000 male
chicks everyday.
Know where your
meat and dairy is
coming from,
encourages you to
educate yourself
more on the matter.
Doesn’t want the
stereotype of pushy
rude vegan. Thinks
“humans have an
incredible capacity
for change.” Being
vegan is really
healthy. “All vegans
want is for things not
to die.” It’s becoming
easier to be vegan
the longer he does it.
Knock on economics,
competitive farmers,
low price of meat,
more meat sold,
more cows killed.
Became a vegan 2
years ago for
animals,
environment and
health. Raised to
respect animals.
Didn’t think she had
the right willpower
to become vegan
before. Gets tired of
the same boring
questions she gets
asked. “Every time I
eat meat, I know
something died for
me to eat it.”
He’s a personal
trainer. Before he
didn’t know what
being vegan meant
but he needed
protein and became
vegan from watching
‘from farms to our
fridges’. Realised he
eats innocent beings.
People judge him a
lot and ask him
questions. “Stop
putting death in my
body.” “We are
being lied to.”

12. Vegan Celebrities
Bustle March 24th https://www.bustle.com/articles/149515-32-verified-currently-vegan-celebrities
Summary:
Ellen Page.
Jessica Chastain.
James Cromwell.
Alicia Silverstone.
Ariana Grande.
Ellen DeGeneres.
Joaquin Phoenix.
Miley Cyrus.
Tags: Trendy, Diet, Motivation, Celebrities,
Beyonce
Quotes: ‘Because when it comes to our
environment, health, and the rights of animals,
adopting a vegan diet is an all-around win.’
Validation of sources: Uses other sources to
show where they got their research from as well
as having trusting contacts.
Further Research: I could check the references
and make sure the lists are up to date.

13. Reddit
Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/vegetarian/comments/3xp9rd/is_it_common_for_people_to_react_negatively_w
hen/
https://www.reddit.com/r/vegan/comments/45hved/who_are_some_positive_depictions_of/
Summary:
Tags:
Quotes:
Validation of sources:
Further Research:

14. The Telegraph 18th May 2016 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/number-of-vegans-in-
britain-rises-by-360-in-10-years/
Summary:
Tags:
Quotes:
Validation of sources:
Further Research:

15. Sant Magazine May 15th 2016 http://santmagazine.com/veganism-becoming-popular-lifestyle-trend/
Summary:
Tags:
Quotes:
Validation of sources:
Further Research:

16. Primary Research

17. Questions
Summary: Leigh Kale’s became vegan
because of her family upbringing,
meaning that she was raised with the
morals to be vegetarian until she
decided to become vegan. She found the
change difficult, such as finding makeup
products that were vegan friendly, as
well as find restaurants with vegan
suited meals.
Leigh enjoys being vegan because she
feels healthy and clean, all with being
animal cruelty free.
Quotes:
‘We only eat ice.’
‘Healthy and clean with no cruelty to
animals.’

18. Questions
Summary: Richard Bradley became vegan
through his own research on the topic. He
found that there was harm being done to
animals that didn’t need to be done. So he
became vegan to stop causing any more
unnecessary harm on his behalf.
Before he was vegan, Richard had an
unhealthy diet and it was based around meat.
Although this was his diet before, he found the
transition into becoming vegan easy, but did
have issues with recipes when he first became
vegan. His main concern with being vegan is
that he has to ask people to make him vegan
meals.
He likes being vegan because he is doing his
bit to stop a little bit of harm. Richard doesn’t
like the stereotype vegans tend to have, such
as being ‘thin, weak or hippies’.
Richard would like more people to become
vegan as it is one step closer to stopping
unnecessary harm. However. He thinks they
need to do a lot of research before becoming
vegan.
Quotes:
‘Stop anything causing unnecessary harm.’
‘We’re all thin, weak hippies.’
‘There are plenty of vegan body builders.’
‘There are far few vegans overweigh.’

19. Questions
Summary: ‘Frank’ became vegan due to
peer pressure, although he doesn’t
elaborate on that statement. He was a
vegetarian before becoming vegan and
he found the actual transition into being
vegan very easy.
He finds eating vegetables hard while
being vegan.
Quotes:
‘Vegans do eat meat, especially bacon,
but they do it in private.’

20. Questions
Summary: Mikey Thompson-Attwell
decided to become vegan for ethical
reasons. He was vegetarian for three
years before, but he ate a lot of dairy
products.
Although he ate a lot of dairy
beforehand, he found the change into
being vegan ‘not difficult at all’ as he
found many online resources and
substitutes for other meals.
He finds nothing hard about being vegan
and enjoys it because he ‘see’s the world
as it is’.
He doesn’t like that people think
becoming vegan is hard and that people
do it for any other reason but to be more
ethical.
Quotes:
‘I see the world, instead of with blinkers
on.’

21. Questions
Summary: ‘Vegan’/anonymous became
vegan for animals and the planet. They
were vegetarian before becoming vegan
but found the transition into being vegan
difficult as there are too many fake
substitutes that aren’t actually nice to
eat.
However, saying that, they like being a
vegan because the meals are delicious
and they feel guilt-free.
They don’t like the misconception that
the vegan meals are inedible and they
wish more people would become vegan.
Quotes:
‘Delicious and guilt-free.’

22. Questions
Summary: Isabel became vegan due to health
reasons and also mainly climate change,
although she also became vegan for the
animas too.
She had an unhealthy diet before becoming
vegan, consisting of bacon and eggs everyday.
When she first tried to become vegan, she
found it difficult due to not being able to get
enough calories in her meals. But the second
time she tried, she found it a lot easier.
Isabel doesn’t like that other people give her
disapproving questions about being a vegan.
Although she doesn’t like that about being
vegan, she does like that she has more
integrity and can influence a few people to
become vegan or eat better for animals and
the planet. She also feels a lot healthier
because of being vegan.
It annoys her that people think vegans don’t
get enough nutrients.
Quotes:
‘I was not getting enough calories.’
‘Questioning me in a disapproving way.’

23. Questions
Summary: Jodie became a vegan
due to her morals and to also help
the environment. She also loves veg
which probably made it easier for
her to become a vegan.
She was a healthy vegetarian before
becoming vegan and she found
actually becoming vegan easy.
Jodie finds getting vegan meals
when eating out difficult and
expensive.
She likes the moral satisfaction from
being vegan, plus it pushes her to
be more healthy.
Jodie doesn’t like that people think
vegans are pushy and annoying.
She doesn’t mind what other
people eat, and she’s rather they
eat what they want. But she
suggests reducing meat intake could
be better also.
Quotes:
‘I love veg’
‘Eating out is expensive’

24. Questions
Summary: Jamie Proctor-Broad
decided to become vegan due to
animal welfare. He was a vegetarian
before becoming vegan but he soon
realised that he wasn’t stopping
animal exploration enough.
He found that at home, it was a lot
easier to be vegan than eating out
as it’s difficult to find the right
meals and to go out, it requires
forward planning.
Jamie doesn’t like that people think
vegan food can’t be tasty. He likes
being vegan because he feels like he
is helping in a small way to stop
exploitation of animals and
sentiment beings.
Quotes:
‘Turn my back on all forms of animal
exploitation.’
‘Eating out requires forward
planning.’
‘Stop exploitation of animals and
sentiment beings.’

25. Questions
Summary: Laura decided to become
vegan due to the benefits for her
personally as well as the benefit for
animals and the environment.
She was a vegetarian for a while before
hand until she finally went vegan,
although she says it took her a long time
as there was a lot of research that
needed to be done.
She found that eating out or staying at
hotels was difficult due to being vegan.
But although it can be hard, she likes
that she is doing her best to stop the
cruelty on animals as well as the
environment.
The things that annoy her about
misconceptions of being vegan is that
people think vegans are pushy.
She would like people to go vegan, but
only if they understand what it means to
be vegan.
Quotes:
‘Benefit animals and the planet’
‘So much research’
‘Doing my best to stop the suffering of
animals’

26. Questions
Summary: Pippa became vegan due to
ethical reasons as she is against the
abuse of animals.
She was a vegetarian before she became
vegan but not a very healthy one. She
also didn’t find the transition into being
a vegan easy, as traveling and eating out
is difficult for her, although she says
cooking at home is no problem.
She finds it hard that people ask her to
justify herself, but she thinks no one
would ask that if she was glutton free
instead. I guess this means people have
different concepts of veganism. She
doesn’t like that people think vegans are
always left liberals. She thinks intensive
farming is bad for animals and for the
consumers.
Quotes:
‘Cooking at home is no problem, but
eating out isn’t easy.’
‘Asked to justify myself.’
‘Clear conscience.’
‘Cheap meant is cheap for a reason.’
‘In my ideal world there’d be no animal
suffering.’

27. What I learnt from my findings
The first thing I found from my findings is that 55% of the people who answered my
survey became vegan due to ethical reasons. Where as the other 36% were due to the
research they did, their family upbringing, peer pressure or for their health.
The next thing I found was that 55% of recipients found the actual transition into
veganism easy, the rest either found it difficult or found the second time they tried a
lot easier. This makes me understand that if you slowly change your lifestyle towards
being vegan, it’s a lot easier than just getting straight into it, though I can see it would
be easier to transition into being vegan if you start off as a vegetarian, 64% of
participants were vegetarian before becoming vegan.
46% find the hardest thing about being vegan is finding places to eat out.
28% liked being vegan because they felt healthier. 28% liked it because they were
stopping animal cruelty, and the other 28% felt like they were doing as little harm as
possible.
28% hated the misconception that vegan food was inedible and another 28% didn’t
like that there’s a negative connotation with veganism.
55% wished more people would become vegan, where as only 10% didn’t want more
people to be vegan. 19% said yes, but only if they researched it before, and another
19% said as long as people eat less meat, they don’t care.