British Google searches for Veganuary matched those for Dry January for the first time this year, according to The Economist.
Dry January, which encourages people to ditch alcohol for a month, had its first outing in 2013 – one year before Veganuary.
Both initiatives have seen huge success since their launch. Veganuary had more than 3,000 participants in 2014. In 2015, 12,800 people signed up, with numbers increasing to 23,000 in 2016, almost 60,000 in 2017, 168,500 in 2018, and 250, 310 in 2019. This year, the numbers topped 400,000.
‘Surging interest’
“This January, for the first time, there were about as many British Google searches for ‘Veganuary’ – in which participants adopt a vegan diet for a month – as for ‘Dry January’ in which they don’t drink,” The Economist wrote on a social media post.
?”If Google searches are any guide, interest in the plant-based diet has surged in recent years across much of the rich world.”
Veganuary
“With the link between animal farming and the climate crisis making headlines nearly every day, we expected Veganuary 2020 to be the biggest yet, but it exceeded all of our expectations,” said Toni Vernelli, Veganuary’s head of communications, who described the number of sign-ups as ‘astounding’.
“We’re grateful to all of the businesses embracing Veganuary and making it easier for more people to eat more plant-based food more often. Together we are making an enormous difference for animals and the planet.”??