History of Veganism
The history of veganism spans ancient traditions of abstaining from meat, the founding of the Vegan Society in 1944, and the rapid growth of plant-based eating in the 21st century.
The history of veganism extends from ancient philosophical and religious traditions that discouraged eating animals, through the organised vegetarian movement of the 19th century, to the coining of the word “vegan” in 1944 and the growth of veganism as a mainstream lifestyle in the 21st century. For the modern definition, see veganism.
Ancient and pre-modern precedents
Abstention from meat has been advocated in many cultures for thousands of years, though complete avoidance of all animal products was rare.
- Ancient Greece. The philosopher Pythagoras (c. 570 – c. 495 BCE) and his followers are associated with avoiding meat, partly in connection with a belief in the transmigration of souls. Until the word “vegetarian” became common in the 19th century, a meatless diet in English was often called the “Pythagorean diet”. Later writers such as Plutarch, in his essay On the Eating of Flesh, and the Neoplatonist Porphyry, in On Abstinence from Animal Food, made ethical arguments against eating animals.
- South Asia. The principle of ahimsa (non-violence) in Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism led to long traditions of vegetarianism. Jain dietary practice in particular is highly restrictive regarding harm to living beings, though it traditionally includes dairy.
- Medieval period. The Arab poet and philosopher al-Ma’arri (973–1057) is often cited as an early example of someone who avoided not only meat but also milk, eggs and honey on ethical grounds.
The vegetarian movement
The modern organised movement began in Britain. The Vegetarian Society was founded in 1847, and the word “vegetarian” came into widespread use around that time. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some vegetarians debated whether dairy and eggs should also be excluded, and a minority avoided them.
Founding of the Vegan Society
In November 1944, Donald Watson, Elsie Shrigley and a small group of non-dairy vegetarians met in London and agreed to form a new organisation. Watson proposed the word vegan, formed from the first three and last two letters of “vegetarian”. He published the first issue of a newsletter, The Vegan News, that year.
In 1949 Leslie Cross, a member of the society, argued that the movement needed a clear statement of principle, and the society subsequently described veganism as the emancipation of animals from exploitation by humans. The Vegan Society became a registered charity in 1979, when it adopted the formal definition still widely quoted today. In the United States, the American Vegan Society was founded in 1960 by H. Jay Dinshah.
Later 20th century
Through the 1970s and 1980s, veganism became connected with the growing animal rights movement, influenced by philosophical works such as Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation (1975) and Tom Regan’s The Case for Animal Rights (1983) (see speciesism and ethical veganism). Health food shops and wholefood cooperatives made foods such as tofu, tempeh and seitan more accessible in Western countries.
In 1994, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vegan Society, the society’s then chair Louise Wallis established world vegan day, held annually on 1 November.
Growth in the 21st century
Veganism expanded considerably during the 2010s. Factors commonly cited include:
- Social media and online communities that made recipes and information widely available.
- Documentary films such as Forks Over Knives (2011), Cowspiracy (2014) and Dominion (2018), which addressed health, environmental and animal welfare themes.
- Growing public attention to the environmental impact of animal agriculture and its role in veganism and climate change.
- Commercial investment in meat alternatives, plant-based milks and vegan cheese, including companies such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.
- Campaigns such as veganuary, founded in the United Kingdom in 2014, which encourages people to try a vegan diet during January.
Supermarkets and restaurant chains in many countries introduced dedicated vegan ranges, and the term “plant-based” became widespread in marketing (see plant-based vs vegan). In 2020, an employment tribunal in the United Kingdom ruled that ethical veganism qualifies as a philosophical belief protected under the Equality Act 2010.
Despite this growth, surveys suggest that self-identified vegans remain a small minority of the population in most countries, and estimates vary widely depending on methodology.