The compelling illustrations highlight the climate benefits of a vegan diet
In conjunction with Falmouth University, we invited third-year students on the BA (Hons) Illustration programme to submit pieces highlighting the climate benefits of a vegan diet. The Veganuary team voted for their favourite pieces.
In total, there were fourteen excellent submissions, but our chosen winner is the talented Abby Mundell, with Jenna French a very close runner-up. Both pieces compel the viewer to grasp the environmental impact of meat and dairy products and the positive difference eating plant-based foods can make.
As COP26 failed to prioritise sustainable alternatives to animal agriculture, climate change is a prominent theme of Veganuary 2022, and the students’ submissions reflect this important message.
Students on the BA (Hons) Illustration course at Falmouth University are passionate about environmental issues and enjoy using their work to raise awareness of the climate crisis. Senior Lecturer Natalie Hayes, head of the Third-Year course, thought Veganuary 2022 was the perfect opportunity for students to showcase their work on environmental issues and promote plant-based eating.
She told us, “I had the idea that if students could produce evocative artworks to help promote Veganuary’s campaign, the students would also gain valuable publicity as they prepare to launch their careers in illustration.”
All the submissions were fantastic, but the Veganuary team chose Abby Mundell as the winner. In her piece, she decided to avoid scaremongering, instead focusing on the health benefits of a plant-based diet to empower people to take action.
Speaking about her piece, Abby said, “This project inspired me to think how people could be encouraged to reduce their impact on climate change through positive lifestyle change. Veganuary provides an inspirational vision of veganism which I wanted to come through in my design.”
She also explained her piece in further detail: “The woman’s bowl of food is representative of all the positive impacts a vegan diet can have on the climate – purifying the air, conserving water and protecting endangered species. In contrast, the meat-eater with a platter of the most consumed meats in the world – beef, pork and chicken – along with the huge dairy industry as represented by the milkshake, illuminates their negative impacts on the environment such as deforestation, global warming, methane emissions, acidification and toxic waste.”
Well done, Abby!
“Researching this project has changed the way I think about veganism, and I hope that my illustration will encourage more people to think differently about all the benefits of this way of living.”
Abby Mundell
The runner up, Jenna French, wanted to portray the detrimental impact we are having on the natural world, presenting the climate crisis as a real threat to us all. She believes that Veganuary is a positive way to inspire people to try veganism and reduce their environmental footprint.
Jenna submitted a short animation that shows a warming planet being cooled down as a result of people trying Veganuary and shifting to a plant-based diet. She said, “With everyone working together and making small changes, such as trying Veganuary, we have the chance to undo the damage that we have caused and create the world, that we want to live in.”
Great work, Jenna!
“I was absolutely delighted that Veganuary was able to set our students a project, with the winners to be featured on their social media platforms. I hope that the featured artworks will help support Veganuary’s campaign and help to encourage positive changes in people’s food choices towards a vegan lifestyle.”
Natalie Hayes, Senior Lecturer at Falmouth University
We would like to say thank you to the students at Falmouth University who submitted their brilliant pieces. You can view all the artwork here. You can also find out more about the BA (Hons) Illustration course on Falmouth University’s website.
