A recent poll has revealed that 32% of us are eating more vegan food since the COVID-19 lockdown began in March.
Nearly three quarters (73%) of those eating more vegan food say that their health was the main reason for doing so, with 43% saying it was because they had more time to cook.
COVID-19 has once again highlighted the link between farming methods and pandemics, with Sars, bird flu and swine flu all reportedly being passed on from animals to humans. More than four out of ten (41%) of those surveyed gave this as the answer for eating more vegan food.
The poll was carried out by the UK charity Veganuary, whose annual campaign challenges hundreds of thousands of people around the world to go vegan for the month of January. The charity saw a huge increase in the number of people pledging to go vegan this year, with more than 400,000 people signing up compared to 250,000 in 2019.
The charity has capitalised on a growing global trend to switch to a plant-based diet, following high-profile documentaries such as What the Health and Game-Changers, which have highlighted the benefits to the environment as well as our health. A recent report by the UN last year claimed that switching to a plant-based diet would help to fight climate change.
Toni Vernelli, Head of Communications at Veganuary, said:
Although the Covid-19 pandemic has caused much heartbreak and hardship, these results offer hope that we will embrace this opportunity to change and build a better future.
A plant-based diet is one positive step each of us can take to protect our health and our planet, as well as help prevent future pandemics.