Frequently Asked Questions

In previous campaigns, we measured participation based on how many people opted into our 31-day email series via our website. However, we know that this does not reflect the true number of participants, as many people take part without officially registering through the website.

As we learn from the success we’ve seen in the UK and expand to new countries, our priority is measuring global participation. Since Veganuary launched its first pledge in January 2014, millions of people – coming from almost every country in the world – have taken part.

To better understand and measure participation around the world, we now commission surveys in our core campaign countries* to establish the percentage of people who report having taken part in Veganuary during the month.

Based on the survey results and the current population estimates for each country, we calculated that roughly 25.8 million people worldwide chose to try vegan in January 2025.

*Read more about the Veganuary 2025 results and surveys here.

Check out the Veganuary 2025 Campaign Review for more details about the campaign.

Since launching in 2014, millions of people all over the world have taken part in Veganuary. For more information about participation, official Veganuary survey results, product launches and global media coverage, check out our Campaign Reports and Press Releases.

In recent years, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have been a topic of intense scrutiny and debate, with plant-based meat and dairy alternatives being singled out by some segments of the media and social media influencers.

The lack of nuance in these conversations has led to unfounded fears and myths about consuming plant-based meat and dairy substitutes or transitioning to a plant-based diet. In our article on ultra-processed foods, we explore the issue in greater depth and address common questions surrounding UPFs and plant-based diets.

Palm oil – as the name suggests – is an oil that comes from palm fruit. It is found it many processed foods including biscuits and crackers, margarines and instant noodles, and it is vegan.

At Veganuary, our aim is to share information about vegan foods to make the transition to an animal-free diet as easy as possible. For many people, especially when first becoming vegan and options suddenly seem more limited, this may mean eating products that contain palm oil.

Unfortunately, all food production requires damage to habitats, animals being killed and a contribution to climate change, so none of us can claim sainthood.

Animal agriculture is by far the biggest contributor to these problems and that is why ending reliance on meat, milk and eggs is crucial. A move to organic, and away from palm oil, would also help animals and the environment.

Read our full thoughts on the palm oil vegan debate.

Honey is an animal product, so vegans (by the official definition) don’t eat it.

Bees do make honey naturally, but they make it because they need it, not because they are worried about what humans are going to have on their toast.

Read more about why honey is not vegan.

This is a topic of great debate. Rescued hens could continue to lay eggs for years, but if she doesn’t want the eggs and just leaves them, what harm does it do if a person eats them?

Well, it doesn’t do any harm to the bird, of course. But vegans don’t eat animal products, and we don’t need to. All the nutrients we need are available from plants, and all the treats we could ever want can be baked egg-free.

Read more in our blog on whether it’s okay to eat eggs from backyard hens.

Cultivated meat – also known as lab-grown, cultured, in-vitro or clean meat – is meat made from the same animal tissue that makes up conventional meat.

But rather than farming and slaughtering whole animals, it is made using a small number of animal cells placed in a nutrient-rich medium inside an incubator where they multiply rapidly.

The result is an edible product that looks, cooks, and tastes like animal meat because, biologically, it is animal meat. The major difference is that an animal does not need to be killed to make it.

However, animals are currently still involved in the process in very small numbers.

Learn more about cultivated meat technology and how it can help end animal suffering and protect the planet.

Please email corporate@veganuary.com with your updates and requests and our team will be in touch with you shortly.

Drop an email to our Corporate Outreach team on corporate@veganuary.com and our team will review your request. If it piques our interest, we’ll get back to you shortly.

Check out our information on Corporate Collaborations and the Veganuary Workplace Challenge.

Veganuary is not a medical organisation and we are not medical professionals, so unfortunately we cannot provide any type of medical advice to our participants.

If you have a concern about your health, we strongly suggest speaking to your GP or a registered dietician who is sympathetic to plant-based eating. You can also find information on vegan-friendly doctors and dieticians here.

All vacancies can be found on our Jobs page and we advertise roles on our social media channels, so keep your eyes peeled for opportunities.

We are a charity and run purely on donations. If you have a special skill or profession that you feel could help us – thank you!

Please email your CV and an overview of how you would like to support us to hr@veganuary.com and we’ll get back to you when your skills are needed!

Whether you already donate to Veganuary or you’re interested in learning more about supporting our work, please email us at fundraising@veganuary.com and we’d be happy to help.

We can assist you with any questions about donations, including how to cancel a regular gift or adjust the amount you currently give. Thank you so much for your support.