Veganism, it seems, is becoming increasingly popular around the world. The number of people who participated in “Veganuary”—where participants decline to eat meat during the month of January—increased by a factor of 25 between 2024 and 2025. Last year, 25.8 million people signed up for the annual global campaign.

As someone who once adhered to a vegan diet for a period of 12 years, I find this profoundly concerning. My Damascus-like conversion occurred in the early 2000s, after medical tests and scans revealed major health issues—including anemia and a loss of bone density. At the time of my adventure with veganism and its consequences, the fad was just a soybean-sized blot on the cultural landscape. Aside from the occasional public ecstasies of a few dedicated hippies and eco-warriors, the diet remained largely obscure.

Another factor that kept the diet out of the mainstream was the costs of maintaining it. Because market forces obey the iron law of supply and demand—high prices indicate scarcity—veganism seemed accessible only to the affluent middle class. But that also gave it a certain sort of allure. Unfortunately, luxury beliefs have a way of spreading like farts at a Grateful Dead concert.

So, what explains the uptake in veganism? The cult surrounding the diet reminds me of René Girard’s theory of mimetic desire, which holds that desires do not emerge spontaneously but are imitated by the desires of others. The increase in interest in veganism is driven by what Girard calls “models of desire”—that is, influencers and celebrities—who indicate that a plant-based diet is a status-enhancing lifestyle.

Girard used the term “conspicuous non-consumption” to describe how what you refuse to consume signals your social status. Restricting one’s diet is a strong competitive signal. As social media accelerates this “mimetic contagion,” e-celebs and activists are reaching millions and preaching their messages.

There is another issue at hand. Most of those enrolling in “Veganuary” are concerned about animal cruelty. But this is not your grandma’s version of animal cruelty. It seems the “animal cruelty” is now extending beyond fussy standards for animal comfort or the ethics of slaughtering animals for human consumption. Instead, in 2024, nearly one-fifth of signatories (18 percent) cited the environment as a determining factor in their decision, up from 12 percent in 2019.

Evangelism for environmental protection is a pillar of any 21^st century movement. The farming industry has become the bête noire of veganism. Already burdened with crippling debt due to the cumulative impacts of regulations and tariffs, farmers now face the further challenge of veganism, which threatens to deliver the fatal blow to parts of that industry.

Although cows are the primary contributors to methane emissions, rice cultivation is responsible for approximately 10 percent of agricultural emissions globally. Ruminants such as cows play a crucial role in the biogenic carbon cycle. Methane emitted from grazing cows is absorbed into the soil and subsequently taken up by grass, offsetting most of the gas produced. Additionally, their manure serves as a natural fertilizer, further contributing to this regenerative process.

Rice is grown in flooded fields, and unlike the grassland used by the beef and dairy industries, these fields do not absorb that methane, which is then released into the atmosphere. At present, no solution exists to this problem. However, advancements in science and technology have made it possible to reduce emissions from cattle by up to 40 percent by incorporating seaweed into their feed.

The pictures of quaint farms and idyllic fields on the packaging of some of these ersatz meat and dairy replacements do not mean that the products are eco-friendly. Indeed, many store-bought dairy replacements harm the environment. Almonds are among the most water-intensive crops on the planet, requiring 2,000 liters of water to produce 1 kg of the nut. Moreover, Soy is useless for mechanical extraction. The Sustainable Food Trust conducted a 2020 study that found that a kilogram of soybeans produced just 13 pints of soy milk, but 150 pints of dairy milk when fed to cows. The trust suggested that those who drink soy milk would “do better to switch to milk from cows, especially cows traditionally grazed on grass, if they want to help make a more sustainable planet.”
 
Professor Frank Mitloehner, an expert in air quality at the University of California, calculated that if the entire United States went vegan for a year, the overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be just 2.6 percent.

When it comes to changing the country’s diet, it is time for some realpolitik. In times of inflation, ethical dietary decisions are a luxury most people cannot afford. The number of Americans who identify as “strict” vegans has been relatively stable over the last decade. Vegans make up about one percent of the population, roughly equivalent to the number of people who participate in bizarre competitive outdoor activities such as snowshoe racing.

A burger made from mashed hemp and tofu, laden with salt and sugar, even when heavily promoted online, is unlikely to convince the average American that it tastes better than a Big Mac. Your hot dog may not contain shredded pig trotter gristle, but that does not mean it’s healthy.

The consumption of meat and dairy will not destroy the planet, but a lack of B12, zinc, iron, and Omega-3 and Omega-6 will damage your body. Fortunately, you will not cause too much damage over the next few weeks. As for the ideological capture of 26 million sheep? That’s another matter.