What do you mean by Vegan?
A critter who consumes food only from plants such as vegetables, grains, nuts, and fruits. They avoid non-vegetarian food & other dairy products like milk, egg, etc. are called Vegan aka strict vegetarian
A vegan diet excludes all meat and animal products (meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, and eggs), whereas a vegetarian diet excludes meat, poultry, fish, and seafood.
In 1944, vegetarians who consume no animal or dairy products began calling themselves vegans.
Based on the most recent United Nations estimates the world population in 2021 is 7.9 billion. Therefore, as of January 2021, the total number of vegans in the world is approx. 79 million.
Israel has the highest percentage of vegans globally, with an estimated 5 to 8 percent of the entire population being vegan, an estimated 400,000 people and growing whereas France is at the last in the list of vegetarians.
Is vegan and vegetarian the same?
Vegetarians eat a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables, dairy products, and eggs.
And Vegetarians who also don't eat eggs, dairy, or any other animal products, are vegans.
Or in simple words, Vegetarians only avoid meat, while vegans avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs.
Veganism in India
India comprises a 30% vegetarian population and is the largest country in terms of vegetarian food consumption.
The history of veganism in India can be traced back to ancient times. Early ‘moral vegetarian’ such as Mahavira, Acharya, etc are some names from India.
Jains the disciples of Mahavira incited the vegan revolution in India long ago.
The context of veganism in India is also mentioned in the Holy book Bhagwat Gita as:
“When you feel the suffering of every living thing in your own heart, that’s consciousness”
Veganism in India is largely driven by conformity to traditional social norms. India is known as a land of spiritualism which binds it with some form of vegetarianism. Hinduism lays great emphasis on the notion of ‘holy cow’, which automatically eliminates the animal from becoming a part of the diet.
The concept of veganism in India is deep-rooted in diverse traditions and cultures
The term ‘veganism’ in itself is broad and can be divided into several categories
· Ethical Vegans
· Raw Food Vegans
· Whole Food Plant-Based Vegans
· Environmental Vegans
However, veganism in its purest form is now on the rise in India due to the influence of the western world, celebrity endorsements, and growing consumer awareness
According to the recent survey of 2021 the growth of Veganism in India is growing rapidly, people started eating plant-based diet understanding the health benefits, after Covid pandemic & awareness of zoonotic diseases is also a reason to rise of vegans in India Covid pandemic around awareness