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A new report surveyed hundreds of U.S. and Canadian consumers who are in the process of becoming vegan. According to the findings, people are using multiple strategies to transition to veganism and vegetarianism. Nearly 80% of individuals take anywhere between several days to months, rather than switching to the diets “overnight.”
Conducted by research organization Faunalytics, the Going Vegan Or Vegetarian report is a part of the firm’s original research collection. The collection aims to educate people about the animal protection movement.
It is supported by VegFund and is first in the series of research that the organization is releasing on the experiences of new vegans.
Gradual but successful transition
Findings revealed that 79% of people might take longer time than others to make the switch. 38% decided to transition over a few days or weeks and 34% took a few weeks to several months.
Despite this, they are equally likely to follow their new diet against those who make the transition overnight(21%).
Irrespective of transition speed or any obstacles, participants recorded an average 88% success with their new diets at the end of six months.
No one single method
However this same 88% recorded 6.1 more monthly servings of animal products than they planned. Furthermore, just 28% of participants felt 100% successful, even though 57% had achieved or surpassed their consumption goals.
The report highlights that it can be a tricky road when individuals are trying to be vegan or vegetarians. There is no such things as “perfect method” or timeline to make the switch. For instance, some gradually decided to take out these meals. For others, they decided to quit one animal product at a time.
Given the well-documented benefits of reducing meat consumption, we hope our study will show these individuals that they can make a substantial and lasting change, even if it isn’t perfect and takes a while
Dr. Jo Anderson, research director of Faunalytics and lead author of the report
The report proposes having a curated plan for each individual depending on their needs. The average individual slashed their animal product consumption by 42.1 monthly servings in just over six months of becoming vegan.
Apart from this, newly transitioned vegetarians reduced their 15 servings of animal-based products to under 6 in just over a week. New vegans, on the other hand, limited their average of 12 servings a week to just 1.5 weekly servings of meat foods.
Read: ‘Happiness & Sustainability Go Hand In Hand’: Survey Shows Vegans Are Happier Than Meat Eaters
Research director of Faunalytics and lead author of the report, Dr. Jo Anderson said that the ethical and health implications of animal agriculture “rose to the top of the public agenda during the COVID-19 pandemic, and with more time on their hands, many people are currently experimenting with vegan and vegetarian cooking. Given the well-documented benefits of reducing meat consumption, we hope our study will show these individuals that they can make a substantial and lasting change, even if it isn’t perfect and takes a while,” Anderson said in a statement. “Validating and supporting people’s efforts will motivate them to continue experimenting and moving in the right direction.”
Veganism or vegetarianism?
Out of those surveyed, 41% of people were interested in veganism and 59% were inclined towards vegetarianism (1.4 times as many).
Comparing it to their 2014 study, there were 3 times as many vegetarians as vegans.
Read: Google Trends 2020: Interest In Veganism At Record High According To Report
Impact of Lifestyle and family demands
Married people and those with children are more likely to steer away from their diet goals after six months. This however is not the case with unmarried people or those without children.
Furthermore, the study suggests to support people who are making this shift. For instance, animal advocates should promote early commitments. This will help people who were driven at the start about their diet change to maintain the same enthusiasm after a few months.
Validating and supporting people’s efforts will motivate them to continue experimenting and moving in the right direction
Dr. Jo Anderson, research director of Faunalytics and lead author of the report
Read the complete list of Faunalytics’ recent and upcoming original studies.
Read: 50% of Food Delivery Orders Contain Vegan Milk, Meat, or Eggs, Platforms Reveal
Lead image courtesy of Taryn Elliott/Pexels.
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