Celebrating World Vegan Day with 10 Powerful Facts

We’re celebrating World Vegan Day at The Friendly Fig, and we want to celebrate with all of you lovelies!

According to Wikipedia, “World Vegan Day is an annual event celebrated on 1 November, by vegans around the world. The Day was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then President & Chair of The Vegan Society UK to commemorate its 50th anniversary. Vegans across the world join together to celebrate animal rights.” Can I get a fuck yeah?!

Whether you are a vegan or not, today is a great day to educate yourself on the impact that veganism can have on our planet. So, I’m here to share 10 powerful and fun facts about veganism – you may be surprised by what you read!

#1: According to the Water Education Foundation, it takes an estimated 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef in California. Just ONE vegan meal could save 2,500 gallons of water!

#2: More than nine billion (9,000,000,000) land animals die each year in the U.S. alone to produce meat, dairy, and eggs, according to A Well Fed World.

#3: According to this PETA article, “the average cholesterol level of an American meat-eater is 210, while the average cholesterol of a vegan is 133.”

#4: To quote this Huffington Post article, Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn found through her research that “a vegan diet caused more than 500 genes to change in three months, turning on genes that prevent disease and turning off genes that cause cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses.”

#5: 6 million farm animals die each hour to produce meat.

#6: Going vegan means that you are automatically “going green,” in a big way. In its 2006 report, the United Nations said raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined.

#7: More than 70% of the grain that we grow in the United States is fed to farm animals, waiting to be slaughtered. If only we could give this grain to countries who NEED IT!

#8: Contrary to popular belief,  vegan diet is actually less expensive than a meat-eaters. Don’t believe it? Here are some ways to save. BONUS: It also reduces the likelihood of needing medicine and medical attention due to illness and disease in the future.

#9: Save the rain forest! According to Wikipedia, livestock production has been responsible for 70% of deforestation in the Amazon region of Latin America. Our rain forests are being cleared to create new pastures – aka the place that contributes at least 20% of the world’s oxygen!

#10: Plants yield 10 times more protein per acre than meat. That’s for all those people who wonder about protein ;)

Hey, we’re not done here! We want to celebrate with YOU! Tell us in the comments what you are doing to recognize this day, whether you are baking a vegan treat, enjoying a meatless meal, or spreading the kind word. Share recipes, pics, fun facts, and more with us. Let’s get a discussion going – we want to hear your voices loud and proud! xx Bianca