January 2016 was a turning point for Veganuary…
In just two years, we’ve gone from being something few people knew about (and even fewer knew how to pronounce!), to being the one word on seemingly everybody’s lips. This year felt like a tipping point, as newspapers, bloggers, fashionistas, celebrities and school kids jumped on the vegan wagon and proclaimed that if they weren’t already taking part in Veganuary, then they were most definitely supporting it.
But what’s the reality behind this excitement? Does our campaign genuinely propel thousands of people to start the New Year with a dietary clean slate?
Well, we’re absolutely delighted to publish the official Veganuary 2016 results and answer that question with a resounding yes!
We had 23,000 participants officially register to take part in Veganuary 2016 via this website. Anecdotally we know that thousands more took part ‘unofficially’ – via social media, work teams, and friendship groups – but for the purposes of surveying and reporting, we only refer to those who signed up to our website and received our tailor-made support package.
This year we turbo-charged our support in response to feedback from the January 2015 follow-up survey, and sent daily emails to those who signed up. These support messages were designed to make the transition to plant-based eating as easy and healthy as possible; covering the basics in the lead-up to January – label reading guides, shopping lists, meal plans etc. – and ensuring that our participants felt confident in all areas of vegan life.
The beauty of being such a young and vibrant campaign is that we can shift with the tides, so if we receive feedback that you want something more from us then that’s what you’ll get! Veganuary 2016 was even more ‘hands-on’ than previous years, and it’s more than apparent that this has had a positive impact…
81% of 2016 survey respondents confirmed they are intending to maintain the changes they made during their vegan month! What a life-changing response rate. Couple this statistic with the fact that we’ve increased participant numbers by almost 600% in only two years, and it looks like this vegan campaign is now a force to be reckoned with. (Please scroll down…)
So what about our ultimate goal – reducing the suffering of animals? Such impact is difficult to calculate, but we like to provide our participants with something tangible to feel proud of after every campaign. This year, with the help of research organisation Faunalytics, we estimate as many as 3.8 million animals* could have been spared from a life of misery as a result of January’s efforts. A statistic that everyone involved in Veganuary 2016 can deservedly shout about. Well done everyone!
Please note: there are some important limitations and assumptions involved in this estimating number and it should be used with caution.
*Read the Veganuary 2016 report
(Scroll down for more results…)
Keep scrolling for more Veganuary 2016 results…
- Which countries took part?
- Who took part?
- Diets of participants before taking part in Veganuary 2016
- The majority of you felt better!
- Diets of omnivore participants after Veganuary (first week of February 2016)
- How much we’ve grown!
Still not sure what Veganuary is and what we’re all about? Find out more!
