Interest in the vegan universe has grown since 2014 in Brazil – 10/04/2023 – Equilíbrio

The vegan universe now encompasses fashion, cosmetics, ice cream, Easter eggs and is no longer a completely unknown lifestyle. Although it is widespread today, a decade ago it was not quite like that.

Google searches for the words ‘vegan’ and ‘vegetarian’ only started to grow in 2014, and since then they have continued to increase, especially at the height of the pandemic.

Not only in Brazil, but data from Google Trends shows that the increase in interest in veganism is worldwide. The search for the term “vegan” began to grow around the world a little earlier, in mid-2013.

Here, according to Trends, from May to August 2020, searches for ‘vegan’ in the national territory reached the highest number of searches since the beginning of the platform’s historical series, in 2004, surpassing the previous record, registered in March 2019.

The interest in veganism during the health crisis is a reflection of the change in consumption habits, indicates the report by market consultancy Mintel, from June 2020. The study points out that during the pandemic, 25% of young British Millennials (born of 1980 to 1990) say that due to Covid-19, the vegan diet became more attractive.

In fact, the main doubts of people seeking information about the vegan universe focus on foods without animal origin, such as vegan cake, vegan barbecue, vegan ham, among others.

Vegetarian vs vegan

Vegans do not consume any products of animal origin, including food, clothing and medicine, while vegetarians limit themselves to food. Among vegetarians, there are ovolactovegetarians, who usually consume eggs, milk and their derivatives.

Despite the lifestyle being widespread, there is still fear on the part of those who adopt veganism about how to deal with family demands. Report from Sheet shows that young people are increasingly taking the initiative to stop eating meat, regardless of the company they have at home.

There are also flexitarians, who are people who, although they are not vegans or vegetarians, are willing to reduce their consumption of animal protein. This movement has been a trend around the world.

Global report “Rise of Plant Based Eating and Alternative Proteins: Understanding Flexitarians and Growth Trends, from April 2021, shows that almost 1 in 4 consumers worldwide (23%) are trying to limit their meat intake, up from 21 % in 2019.