02 Nov 2023 — With veganism permeating the mainstream, The Vegan Society will prioritize the male demographic this World Vegan Month, November, in a concerted effort to keep the momentum going. In addition, ProVeg reports there are around 79 million vegans worldwide, while the US observes a 30-fold increase.

According to the latest research by The Vegan Society, 41% of non-vegan men in the UK have expressed an interest in going vegan or say they are planning to go vegan in the future. The interest is mainly in younger men between 25–35 years. However, despite the upward tick of veganism in the last decade, only 37% of the UK’s vegan population are men.

“It has come up in our previous research that a refusal to eat animals or animal products is sometimes viewed as a ‘gender role violation,’ meaning that there is a societal expectation for men to eat meat. We challenge the negative idea that eating animals is masculine in our Research Briefing on Veganism and Masculinity,” Alex Huntley, research assistant for The Vegan Society, tells Nutrition Insight.

Tough crowd to please
One thousand non-vegan men from a nationally represented sample were surveyed using the Attest platform. Many of the non-vegan men say they are not going to give up meat, according to The Vegan Society. 

“The narrow, normative and mutually exclusive meanings of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ fail to capture the dynamic nature of gender identity. Not only may a more dynamic, contested and plural understanding of masculinity make vegan practice more likely, but it also offers a much broader emancipatory pathway for men in other parts of their lives,” Huntley cites from the research.The Vegan Society will prioritize changing male attitudes toward plant-based diets this World Vegan Month.

“For example, improvements in emotional literacy, self-care and well-being may come from rejecting narrow and mutually exclusive understandings of masculinity and femininity. Veganism may be a pathway for men to break free from some of the pressures to conform to toxic ideas of masculinity and by doing so may open up the possibility of cultivating more ‘ecological masculinities’ that are more empathetic to all species.”

The survey helps The Vegan Society to develop effective campaign strategies. It showed that 30% of non-vegan men cited health and nutrition as a barrier to going vegan, with specific concerns over nutritional deficiencies, lack of energy, or an impact on their long-term health. 

Heightened vegan nutrition
Eating meat is still perceived by many as connected to masculinity. The notion enters the cultural debate on conceptions of traditional masculinity, with meat associated with strength, high performance and dominance over other species.

“As with any diet, nutritional planning is key and balancing the main food groups is just as important for vegans. This includes choosing quality protein sources with your meals such as chickpeas, beans, lentils and tofu, which are often great sources of iron and zinc too,” Huntley explains.

Choosing calcium-fortified dairy alternatives can help achieve calcium targets and consuming rich sources of essential omega 3 fat daily from walnuts, hemp seeds, flaxseed or chia seeds diverts any nutritional pitfalls.

“Selective supplementation is also key for any vegans to obtain nutrients that are less abundant in plants. The Vegan Society promotes a vitamin and mineral supplement (Veg 1) to provide the nutrients vitamin B12, iodine, selenium and vitamin D,” Huntley says.

According to ProVeg, the plant-based segment grew by 27% during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization cites a study by the University of Oxford, which found that if the world went vegan, it could save 8 million human lives by 2050 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by two-thirds.

Veganism could also facilitate significant healthcare savings and divert climate damage of around US$1.5 trillion. ProVeg recommends its Veggie Challenge for World Vegan Month to guide participants through 30 days of plant-based eating.

Myth-busting health campaignPlant-based eating is being encouraged as a significant contributing factor to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate damage. 
The Vegan Society has launched its health campaign, Vegan and Thriving, to celebrate World Vegan Month with a short film and interviews featuring vegan men who share their journey. 

The survey is designed to inform the campaign, which is focused on showing that veganism is a lifestyle for everyone and that there is no “typical vegan.”

“A lot has been written in the past few years about the gender imbalance in veganism — that there are significantly more women than male vegans. In light of this, we decided to investigate the attitudes of non-vegan men to understand this phenomenon better,” says Huntley.

The men will talk about the vegan diet in relation to masculinity, challenging stereotypes and sparking a meaningful conversation about positive versions of masculinity. The campaign shows that a vegan diet can fuel an active and healthy lifestyle. It offers resources, recipes and information from health practitioners and The Vegan Society’s in-house dietitian, to support a vegan lifestyle.  

“It’s encouraging to learn that a significant proportion of men are interested in going vegan, but we are aware there is still work to be done, not only to support the general public in adopting a healthy vegan lifestyle but particularly men who are exposed to the pressures of traditional masculinity,” says Hannah Montgomery, campaigns manager at The Vegan Society.

Vegan and Thriving aims to dismantle negative views about veganism and masculinity.  

“We also have a variety of resources with stories from a diverse range of people covering topics from key macronutrients and ‘superhero’ vegan ingredients to help fuel an active lifestyle to supporting optimal athletic performance and supplements for exercise,” Montgomery concludes.

By Inga de Jong

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