Less meat more plants - 3rd January 2024

Every January, many people decide to stop eating meat. They choose to be vegans. The name of this idea is 'Veganuary'.

Germans are famous for eating sausages and schnitzel. But now, more Germans are eating less meat. In 1989, each German ate 60 kilograms of meat in a year. But in 2023, they ate less meat. They ate 52 kilograms each.

This is good for animals and the climate. It's healthy for people too. Sebastian Joy's head of 'Pro-Veg International'.

Sebastian Joy: "On the one hand, it's good for the animals in factory farming, it's good for climate change and it's better for consumer health."

People are vegans for many different reasons. Some of the top reasons are animal rights, climate change and the environment. At a vegan festival in Berlin, people had similar reasons.

Britta Lange: "Why do I eat less meat? The main reason is animals, because in recent years we've learned a lot more about how they're killed, how they're treated and where they come from."

Vera: "Animals are living beings. They feel pain just like we do which is why I'm turning away from meat. And then there are all these toxic substances that go into food like antibiotics. I think it's very bad, but it's been like that for decades."

Florian Bussmann: "I think everyone has a responsibility towards the climate. Reducing your meat consumption is a good contribution to protecting the environment and animals too. Plus, it's better for your health."

In 2022, 629,000 people from 228 countries ate meat-free meals for Veganuary. Thirty-six percent of them continued to be vegan after Veganuary. Others chose to eat less meat. Some could become vegans in the future.