Plant Based News has released its highly-anticipated film Vegan 2020 on YouTube – and has garnered more than 50,000 views in just hours.
The documentary is the sixth installment in the popular ‘Vegan’ series, which launched in 2015. The films track the rise and challenges faced by the vegan and plant-based movements over the last 12 months.
As PBN‘s Klaus Mitchell – director and presenter of the film points out – in 2020, the global devastation means rising consciousness around the dangers of animal agriculture ‘has been unrivaled’.
Vegan 2020
The film covers a range of issues – looking at how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the meat and dairy industries and encouraged more people to try plant-based foods. It features some of the key stories around the growth of plant-based meat alternatives – like the major success of the UK’s first vegan butcher.
It also considers how the emergence of zoonotic diseases (diseases that originate in animals) like the coronavirus now joins the compelling arguments for a widespread shift towards a plant-based diet.
As well as being presented by Mitchell, Vegan 2020 features interviews with prolific figures within the movement, including advocate Earthling Ed, philanthropist and PBN investor Prince Khaled, and Emmy-winning journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell among others.
They all discuss the dangers animal exploitation poses to humanity – issues which have been firmly under the spotlight throughout this year.
Animal agriculture
Speaking in the film, Prince Khaled says: “If we continue to farm animals the way we are doing, if we continue with the wet markets, if we continue with factory farming, we are going to destroy this world and destroy ourselves.”
Mitchell adds: “At what point do we say enough is enough? Because each month we see these viruses one step away from disaster. If an infectious disease from one of these factory farms or wet markets turns into a pandemic once every five, 10, or 20 years, at what point do we reconsider this industry?
“Can we afford the cost of a pandemic like this again, and if we can’t, how can we justify continuing to eat animal products?”
‘Another exceptional film’
The documentary has already won praise from viewers. One said: “My favorite film to come out every year! Amazing job on this, its always so inspiring.”
Another added: “Another exceptional film Klaus, Thank you so much to you and everyone at PBN.”
One commentator wrote: “This was a sobering review of the year and yet hopeful outlook on the years ahead. Thank you PBN for all you do. I’m sharing this wide and far. Cheers.”
Vegan 2020 is kindly sponsored by a billion – an awesome app that helps you find the best vegan food and products near you.