Veganuary 2024 campaign – driving global change with a plant-based challenge

New Delhi: Veganuary, a global non-profit organisation that encourages people worldwide to try vegan for January and beyond is gearing up for their highly anticipated 2024 campaign.   

The Veganuary movement encourages individuals worldwide to try a vegan diet for the month of January, aiming to create a global mass-movement championing compassionate food choices for protecting the planet, improving human health and saving animals.  

Says Prashanth Vishwanath, India Director at Veganuary, “In 2022 and 2023, more than 1,50,000 Indians officially signed up and tried vegan with Veganuary. Globally, more than 3 million people have tried vegan with us since our launch in 2014. The way I have witnessed vegan food becoming popular with the masses and going by the results of a recent all India survey on Indians choosing vegan food, we are expecting a major increase in the number of individuals who will try vegan during January.” 

Further sharing his thoughts on the upcoming campaign, Prashanth says, “For January 2024, our theme is ‘Vote for Vegan’ This is because a vote for eating vegan is a vote for better health, a better climate, lesser carbon emissions, lesser food waste, lesser contribution to global warming, and kindness to animals. We are in the election season when political parties promise a lot of things, but we don’t need to wait for the election benefits to start voting for a better world. We can choose to try vegan for a month now and take action on many of these pressing issues that affect our lives. Plus, it is an extremely fun way to make your everyday meals interesting! Change starts with us, and with what’s on our plates.”

Veganuary is also drawing the crowds in India with the innovative and witty poster campaign in Bengaluru metro trains (Green and Purple lines) from December 10 to January 10. Visually appealing and thought-provoking posters with messages such as ‘Abki baar Gobhi Sarkar’ or ‘They deserve Acche Din’ are sure to catch the eye and imagination of the metro travelling citizens of Bengaluru.

Registrations for the campaign are now officially open. Anyone can choose to Vote for Vegan (meaning, to try vegan for 31 days in January) on the Veganuary India website at https://veganuary.com/en-in/partner/ahimsa-trust/.  People signing up will receive a whole package of free resources and materials from Veganuary to make it super easy to try vegan. 

The impressive list of free goodies for subscribers of Veganuary 2024 campaign include-

1. An email every day for 31 days with information on nutrition, shopping guides, fitness, alternatives to meat and dairy, vegan sources of the most important nutrients, guide to best vegan restaurants, recipes, how to talk to friends and family and lots more. Two interesting vegan recipes are included in each email.
2. More than 10 free meal plans, from Gluten-free to Quick and Easy. Participants can choose the one that suits them the best. The newly developed meal plans with Indian nutritionists (Gluten-free and Millets meal plan, and the Fuss-free meal plan) are this year’s attractions.
3. A digital celebrity cookbook, with vegan recipes from your favourite Indian and global celebrities.
4. A complete vegan starter kit, with comprehensive answers to any and all questions you have on trying a vegan diet.
5. Access to a global Facebook community, with other people trying vegan for the first time, so that you can share your experiences and find answers to any questions you have. The group will also include experts from Veganuary who will answer any questions participants have.
6. Access to Veganuary’s podcast series, where hosts speak to popular personalities about their vegan journey.
7. Access to the Veganuary Youtube series, with 31 supportive videos, from how to get over dairy and how to ensure intake of important micronutrients like Omegas and Vitamin B12.
8. Access to the Veganuary special offers page, where you can find information on all the offers that brands are introducing for Veganuary. People can take advantage of this to shop for vegan groceries/ essentials and save money. This also has information on which restaurants have Veganuary special menus, so you can try these when going to eat out.
9. Supportive content from 10 Indian vegan celebrities, who are professional athletes, actors, creative professionals and more, that will show how easy and enriching it is to be vegan. Actors Arvind Krishna and Sneha Ullal; mountaineer Kuntal Joisher and music composer Anushka Manchanda have shot supportive videos for participants this year.
10. Informative blogs and recipes on the Veganuary website to answer the most common vegan questions + to find inspiration in the kitchen.

The upcoming campaign, as revealed by Veganuary, is poised to see massive public and corporate participation across the country. Many Indian brands are participating in the campaign with new product launches, special offers, exclusive vegan menus and more. Yoga Bar is launching new vegan pancake mix and running offers on their vegan range of products. Suhasini Sampath, CEO of Yoga Bar says ‘Yogabar is thrilled to be a part of Veganuary and offer delicious, cruelty-free, plant-based options that empower individuals to make mindful choices. Here's to a month of flavourful discoveries and a lifetime of conscious living!’.

Vijay Makwana, CEO of Blue Tribe Foods- the leading plant meat brand in India- says ‘Blue Tribe is excited to unveil our brand new range of plant based treats that give you one more great reason to try vegan this Veganuary. Our new melt in your mouth, fully vegan marinated Soya Chaap will leave you hooked forever. Available in twisty achari, fiery hariyali and succulent afghani flavours on our website, vegan heaven is just one click away.’

Sonal Barmecha, Founder of Sante Spa Cuisine- the national chain of fine dining restaurants- says ‘Veganuary 2024 resonates deeply with our values at Sante Spa Cuisine, reflecting our unwavering dedication to health, taste, conscious dining. And being a part of it, we are proud to introduce a collection of exquisite vegan creations.’

The Hatti Kaapi chain of cafes has launched new products for Veganuary including Gingerbread Cookies, Millet Cake, Millet Cookies and Plum Cake. “Looking at the flooding at Chennai and other climate change issues, it’s time we embrace ways to go planet-friendly by opting for a plant-based diet. That's exactly why Hatti Kaapi is promoting sustainable eating choices for the better good of the planet. We are proud to be celebrating Veganuary again this year”, says Dr. Vidya Chakravarthy, Director – Innovation & Technology.

Arvind Dadu, MD, Anand Sweets, which has a range of vegan mithais for New Year’s celebrations says "At Anand Sweets, we've always believed in the goodness of nature. From Badam Barfi to Kaju Roll, our timeless mithais have always been crafted with love and authenticity, making them inherently vegan. Join us on this sweet journey as we embrace the vegan movement along with Veganuary, celebrating the pure joy of indulgence that's always been kind to the planet. At Anand Sweets, we're proud to be a part of the delicious revolution." 

Even more noteworthy is the resounding endorsement of Veganuary by 98% of past participants surveyed*, who expressed their willingness to recommend the campaign to friends and family- a testament to its effectiveness and impact.

*These survey results only reflect the feedback from official sign-ups. Veganuary sent the survey to 79% of the 706,965 people who signed up during the 2023 campaign. It had a response rate of 3% (16,829 respondents).