Tuesday, 19 November, 2024 Vegan Society Research and Policy Officer, Alexander Huntley, explores the issue of veganism and masculinity Why aren’t more men going vegan – and what is the best way to convince more men to do so? This was the question we asked ourselves when we first started looking into the issue of veganism and masculinity. Getting a complete answer to this question remains elusive. But, we’ve come a long way and gained some invaluable insights. Over the last couple of years, we’ve looked into unpacking the gender imbalance within veganism to find effective ways to encourage more men to make the positive decision for themselves, animals and the planet to go vegan.   We began with an initial Research Briefing which explored the existing findings into this topic. To see the full picture, we decided that our research had to explore, not just the experiences of vegan men, but non-vegan men also. We adopted a mixed-method approach whereby we surveyed 1000 non-vegan men to better understand how willing these men are to go vegan, and to what extent a lack of support is getting in their way. We then gathered long-form questionnaire responses from 94 vegan men which took a deep dive into their vegan journey. Collectively, the data gathered tells a fascinating story of how gender expectations collide with moral values and principled living.    Appetite for Veganism  We found that a key barrier men face to going vegan is the expectation of social stigma or ridicule from friends, peers, family, or society more generally. Furthermore, we found that meat eating is a core part of how masculinity is ‘performed’ and that following a lifestyle that excludes meat can therefore be received negatively from those that place importance on maintaining gender roles and expectations. We wanted to explore these findings further with our  research and see how vegan men overcame this barrier.  Perhaps the most significant of findings from the research was that 41% of the non-vegan men were surveyed either had some interest in going vegan or were planning to go vegan in the future. Our job now is to offer the resources and support needed to tap into this group of non-vegan men and help them to go vegan. 59% of non-vegan men indicated that they had no interest in going vegan. Whilst this may be disappointing to some, I myself would have answered this way only a couple of months before going vegan, so there’s good reason to be hopeful.  Out of the group of non-vegan men who said they have some interest in, or plan to go vegan, 47% said that they were concerned that their friends or family would be unsupportive of their decision to go vegan. The expectation of ridicule, poor support or judgement from people we care about can prevent us from making changes in our lives that are important to us, which was a key finding in our first report on veganism and masculinity. There’s clearly an appetite for veganism amongst the non-vegan male community, but overcoming this barrier can be hard, which is a concern that is in no way exclusive to men.  We asked non-vegan men what other barriers they face when going vegan and concerns over taste, nutrition and cost emerged on top. These are concerns that are commonly expressed regardless of gender.   Overcoming the Barriers  When asked how they could be supported to go vegan, non-vegan men came back to us with a variety of ideas including the need for more recipes, resources, and information on health and access to evidence supporting veganism.   The Vegan Society already has a range of resources for new vegans to use to help them navigate veganism, including recipe ideas and nutritional guidance. And of course, we also regularly promote emerging evidence-based claims that show veganism is an ethical, healthy and environmentally responsible choice. But perhaps the challenge isn’t developing these resources or supplying the evidence, but in promoting our message and getting these resources in the right places to the right people.  It’s one thing to know what the barriers to going vegan are but knowing how people have overcome these barriers and stayed vegan is even better. This research project asked vegan men to elaborate on any strategies or techniques they adopted to overcome the barriers they faced in the hopes that we can use this knowledge to help more men go vegan.   A key piece of advice from some of the vegan men who participated in this research was to stay focused on why they went vegan in the first place. It was important, they felt, to remember their belief in their conviction that they are doing the right thing. Veganism is about aligning our core beliefs about compassion for non-human animals with our actions. For many of the vegan men we heard from, external pressures to conform to mainstream masculinity, regardless of where these pressures came from, had no effect because these ethical beliefs were deeply held and unshakable. Finding ways to have open and honest dialogue with those around you about veganism was also important, although this will come easier to some than others.  Lessons and Opportunities   The results from our quantitative research found that many vegan men had an easier time going vegan when done with partners or with the help of supportive vegans and non-vegans. We therefore believe that there needs to be more opportunities for transitioning vegans to make new connections and find supportive social circles.   Developing a resource on how to effectively communicate with non-vegans would be especially useful, but in most cases, this will be a matter of promoting the support and resources that already exist more widely.  Finally, we learned that there are more non-vegan men who are interested in going vegan or are planning to go vegan in the future than previously thought. This finding will be taken into consideration in future campaign activities. Our Vegan and Thriving campaign, which this research supports, has already emphasised that veganism is inclusive of all and featured a diverse range of vegan male role models to inspire others to go vegan.  We asked five men from the vegan community for International Men’s Day what they thought of our Research Briefing, here are their responses.  Why do you think encouraging more men to go vegan is important?  Brendon: It’s super important to not let stigma or society determine our choices. We all love animals and have the ability to stop using animals as the ‘middleman’. The more men who give it a try the better in my opinion – they will feel healthier, more pure in their heart and contribute to a better environment.   Akil: "Meat is manly" propaganda is literally killing us by shortening our lives. All human health is measured by the condition of the heart second and the gut first. So while yes, fishing and grilling steaks might be the activities associated with being a ‘man's man’, the unfortunate side effect to this besides the destruction of one's body is the societal perception that anything less is at worst unusual and unhealthy, and at best a stigma to power through. Encouraging veganism among men will fight toxic ideologies and make the world a healthier place.  Ryza: Getting more guys to go vegan is a win for the planet and the animals, and it breaks that old-school “meat = manly” mindset.  James: Especially in our society today, I think it’s important to have more positive male role models. Being vegan not only has a great impact on your own life, but it gives you the opportunity to become an inspiration and a role model to people around you.  Sailesh: I think encouraging more men to go vegan is important because, in terms of planetary boundary transgressions, there is a six-alarm fire raging on this planet and veganism is the water hose that we can all deploy to put out that fire and silence all six alarms simultaneously. This planetary fire used to be a three-alarm fire in 2009, became a four-alarm fire in 2015 and a six-alarm fire in 2023 and it is only getting bigger, faster and faster. Therefore, it is just a matter of when, not whether, the entire world goes vegan. I think men should be at the forefront of fire-fighting on this planet, not taking a backseat letting women face the heat on the frontlines.  Our research found that more supportive resources were needed to help non-vegan men go vegan. What kind of resources do you think would be most useful?  Brendon: Most men do not want to look or feel weak. Access to high-protein and easy to cook recipes is super important. Maybe a Survival Guide of facts to tackle any ‘how do you get your protein’ questions too. One of the best resources is friendship with like-minded people. I have a few really great vegan friends who are male and were there at the start of my journey.  Akil: The best vegan resources are the ones that inspire. Vegan bodybuilders, vegan chefs, and vegan influencers that have something more than just their diet or animal activism to showcase can appeal to the world and help normalize it. On a more practical level, stringent laws that require vegan meal options on all food and beverage businesses and grocery stores would be the best resource. It adds to the existing health standards one must abide by to operate legally.  Ryza: Easy and tasty high-protein recipes, no-nonsense nutrition tips, and stuff that proves vegan food isn’t boring would be great. Organiszing community events like potlucks to meet other guys on the same journey wouldn’t hurt either.  James: Sports is a great resource to inspire veganism. Success stories of athletes both male and female and the beneficial impact has on them, who are the height of their physical abilities. Having key sports figures talk about veganism and openly share their stories. I’d love to see vegan, and vegan related brands as sponsors instead of the likes of Coca-Cola and Red Bull.  Sailesh: Typically, most supportive resources to help with the vegan transition don’t include much information about the environmental reasons to go vegan, mainly because surveys indicate that these reasons are not uppermost in people’s minds. However, I think that these environmental reasons need to be highlighted, since they will instillinstil a sense of urgency in the transition as the climate and nature emergency is already spiraling out of control. When we men realize that there is a fire in our home, we take out the water hose and use it without complaining that the water hose is of the wrong colour, size or shape.  In your opinion, what's stopping more men from going vegan?  Brendon: Fear of society and the unknown! Peer pressure and stigma plays a big part.   Akil: The same thing that stops most men from staying vegan once they go it, which is convenience and accessibility. Having to inspect labels for milk content, the surprising number of foods that have cheese and eggs for no reason, and having to wrap your social life and diet around what is edible around you and when. Men are lazy in needing the path of least resistance to their food. It should be within as easy reach as water.   Ryza: A lot of men worry vegan food won’t taste good or meet their nutritional needs, and cultural stereotypes about meat being “manly” don’t help. Add unsupportive friends or family, and it can feel like an uphill battle.  James: I think the deeply engrained social construct around food is the biggest problem, breaking this is always a tall order. Masculinity is still intrinsically linked with the hunter / gatherer mind-set, if we can dissolve this tired idea, we will prevail.  Sailesh: The vegan movement is a full-spectrum justice movement aimed at social, cultural, economic and political change that centers around a collective boycott of an unjust system, while simultaneously erecting the foundations of a just system. Naturally, the existing power structure has been actively impeding the vegan movement through advertising, media propaganda, and scientific distortions, even if it meant an abjectly ineffective response to the climate and nature emergency, as publicly evidenced in the United Nations process for the past three decades.  In your opinion, how important is it to have supportive friends or family when transitioning to veganism?  Brendon: My other half and I went vegan together –- that was huge to our enjoyment transitioning and learning some amazing new recipes to cook! I also know loads of people who are in relationships with people that are not vegan – it still works!  Fundamentally it comes down to respect for other people's values and opinions.  Akil: A supportive family is not at all necessary to be vegan. If your flesh and blood can't respect your cruelty-free lifestyle, you might as well embrace being disowned. If like me, your friendships revolve around eating as a bonding or social activity, friends might be harder to keep on a vegan journey, but they can still be made.  Ryza: Having supportive people makes a huge difference—it’s easier to try something new when you’re not doing it alone. Friends or family who cheer you on (or even join you) make the switch a lot less intimidating.  James: It’s great if you have support from your friend’s family and piers, but you don’t need any external support, changing what you eat, and wear shouldn’t be so difficult that you need support. The changes are very simple, and once you start, this will become very apparent and self-fulfilling.  Sailesh: In my opinion, men who truly embrace their protector role in their family would be taking the lead in transitioning to veganism, not bringing up the rear, when they truly understand our climate and nature emergency. It is always good to have supportive friends and family, but it is not necessary.  Our research found that 41% of non-vegan men are either planning to go vegan or have some interest in going vegan. What is your message to these men?  Brendon: Give it a try! If you get stuck reach out to me or any member of the Green Gazelles Rugby Club. If they use social media they must follow some vegan food content creators like Callum Harris and Sam Jones aka NoMeatDisco. Also if you are a single guy turning vegan and you are looking for love, you just upgraded your CV!  Akil: It's so easy! But waking up to veganism as the default lifestyle has this mental health effect I'd warn about: Imagine being gaslit into being this outcast, anarchist, or eccentric with 'weird/unreasonable' food intolerances when literally everyone else around you is poisoning themselves with cholesterol and animal secretions. A world where people live in the socially acceptable hypocrisy of loving animals while eating them can be frustrating and is lonely over time.  Ryza: If you’re thinking about it, go for it—start small and see what works for you. You might be surprised how good it feels (and tastes).  James: By making these subtle life changes, you are making a lasting impact on your health, the wellbeing of animals and the longevity of the planet, today and for future generations. Don’t ever think you’re too insignificant to make a change, be empowered and make that step.  Sailesh: Thank you for your interest, but could you please take up the water hose of veganism and join the fire-fighters on the frontlines battling for the safety of our planetary home and for the future security of our children and grandchildren? We need you now, before it is too late.  Read our full report; Veganism and Masculinity: Challenging Stereotypes and Embracing Change.  By Alexander Huntley, Vegan Society Research and Policy Officer  Brendon Bale is a rugby athlete and entrepreneur who co-founded ‘the world's first vegan rugby club’, the Green Gazelles. Through this work, Brendon challenges the status quo placed on men to eat meat, particularly for athletes, after experiencing the social pressures of eating meat himself.  You can find Brendon on Instagram, and the Green Gazelles Instagram and website. Akil Goin is a teacher, traveller, and Trinidadian foodie who was raised in Montreal, Canada, earned his Bachelor's of Arts in English Language Studies in the Philippines, and lives in Vietnam. He has been vegan cold-tofurky since 2014 and spends his free time dabbling at creative plant-based recipes.   Connect with Akil on Instagram or Facebook.   Muhammad Ryza is a passionate advocate for health, fitness, and sustainability. As the creator of vegan cakes and meals, he strives to inspire others through his work and personal journey toward a more compassionate and mindful lifestyle.  You can connect with Ryza on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.  James has been vegan since 2016 and is a keen traveller, formulator, multi-media writer, and huge cow and cat lover! He is the co-founder of vegan skincare brand; Loopeco, who’s products are certified by our trusted Vegan Trademark.  You can visit Loopeco’s website here, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.    Dr. Sailesh Rao is the Founder and Executive Director of Climate Healers, a non-profit dedicated towards healing the Earth’s climate. In 2006, he switched careers and became deeply immersed, full time, in solving the environmental crises affecting humanity.   Dr. Rao is the author of four books and an Executive Producer of several documentaries, including Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014), What The Health (2017), A Prayer for Compassion (2019), The Land of Ahimsa (2022) and Christspiracy (2024). His work is featured in the award winning film, Countdown to Year Zero, he was designated a Climate Hero by The Guardian Newspaper in 2023, and he featured in our magazine; The Vegan (Issue 1, 2024).  

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