Is Veganuary a Big Missed-steak?

The month of January isn't over yet, but the Veganuary movement can already celebrate widespread participation. For those unfamiliar with the challenge, participants must commit to eating a strictly vegan diet throughout the month of January. That’s right. Absolutely no meat, dairy, eggs, or other animal by-products for an entire month. Students might recognize the trend’s source of inspiration, Dry January, wherein those who partake are alcohol-free for the whole month.

Launched in 2014, a record number of participants have opted-in to this now-viral challenge. According to The Independent, 610,000 registrations were accounted for in this 2023 edition—an optimistic increase from last year’s impressive 580,000 registered participants. Of course, we can’t determine how many people actually committed to their vegan pledge. But the movement is undeniably gaining awareness and support for the vegan community.

Veganism is dedicated to animal welfare and the meat industry’s harmful impacts on the environment. Considering that many New Year’s resolutions are health-oriented, people can consider Veganuary as a good starting point for improving their diet. Nutritionists have been encouraging the public to consume less meat and eat a more plant-based diet for years, after all.

Additionally, the environmental advantages of going vegan are undeniable. A study conducted in 2021 by researchers at the University of Oxford concluded that eating a vegan diet could be “the single biggest way” a person could reduce their environmental impact. Incorporating vegan meals into their week is an impactful way for people looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

Unfortunately, I don’t think this challenge can be reasonably done at StFX. While discussing veganism with fellow students, the consensus reached was that going vegan was impractical for first-year students dependent on Morrison Hall. While there are technically vegan options, I, for one, would struggle with the diet of soup, salad, and the occasional stir fry that Morrison offers for vegan students.

Barriers to Veganuary also persist off-campus. Most daunting: Eating vegan is expensive. You’d think the big V on the packaging stands for “very expensive” when you discover that vegan burgers are $9.99 for a mere two patties. Most students rely on Sobeys for their grocery shopping. When the price of blueberries can be more expensive than an entire rotisserie chicken, it is unreasonable to guilt strapped-for-cash university students into buying food they can’t afford.

Finally, is participating in Veganuary even sufficient for the environment’s sake? Suppose you commit to a vegan diet for January. In that case, you still contribute to climate change, pollution, and the depletion of our planet’s resources for the remaining eleven months of the year. Of course, the effort is commendable. But one should not use it to justify their behaviour for the rest of the year.

I’m not suggesting that those participating in Veganuary must commit to veganism for the rest of their lives. But participants should continue their efforts to be environmentally conscious year-round. It may do more harm than good if you consider completing this challenge as effectively “letting you off the hook” for the rest of 2023.

So, is participating in Veganuary a good idea? If you have the interest, resources, and passion for undertaking the challenge, by all means, go for it. I applaud your commitment! However, we should acknowledge that Veganuary is exceptionally difficult for university students. Those who opt out should not be judged and can still be considered environmentally conscious.

And a reminder as the month wraps up: this challenge is just the veganning!