New research highlights driving factors behind people choosing to live a vegan lifestyle
Pressure from friends and family, and feelings of social isolation, can be the hardest part of living a vegan lifestyle, according to new research.
The report, carried out by Vevolution Festival and One Planet Pizza, discovered almost one third of vegans surveyed identify pressure as the biggest challenge to being vegan in everyday life. One respondent said: “People don’t want to hear the truth. When people know the truth and don’t change it can be very depressing. Especially family.”
A massive 39 per cent said a lack of like-minded friends, partners, family, and potential partners is the biggest social challenge to being vegan. One third felt their friends and family feel threatened by them choosing to live a cruelty-free lifestyle.
Despite the social pressure, many people are finding it easier to find vegan-friendly food and products – with 53 per cent of respondents doing over 75 per cent of their shopping in mainstream supermarkets.
So what motivates people to choose to this lifestyle? Polling released earlier this year shows there are over half a million vegans in GB, a number that is rapidly on the rise.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, almost three quarters (74 per cent) of the vegans quizzed, chose their lifestyle because of concerns for animal rights and welfare, with 44 per cent of respondents citing environmental factors as their secondary motivation for being vegan.
Damien Clarkson co-founder of Vevolution festival says: “These results show that ethics are an important part of being vegan and that people who are choosing to be vegan need the support and understanding of friends and family who may not make the same food choices as they do”.
Mike Hill, founder of One Planet Pizza who carried out the survey with Vevolution and will present the findings of the research in his presentation at the event, adds: “The research backs up the feelings that veganism is growing quickly and that this community needs to be understood and products and services created to serve the community”.
Survey participants will be in attendance at Vevolution festival, an education-focused vegan and conscious living festival taking place on November 5 at the Oval Space Hackney. The festival aims to become the ‘vegan Ted Talks’, and there are limited tickets available ahead of Saturday’s event.