Milestone moments from 2018

We’ve come a long way over the past twelve months, and with a new year upon us, thoughts turn to what lies ahead.

In 2018, VegFund has supported nearly 1,000 vegan outreach activities spanning more than 45 countries. These activities ranged from film screenings and video outreach to food samplings, medical conferences, research projects, vegan challenges, online veg pledges, and more. Together, let’s surpass this mark in the new year!

Of the many fantastic VegFund grantee events that took place in 2018, here are just a few of note, demonstrating the power of our actions:

• Veganuary 2018 broke all records — nearly 170,000 people worldwide pledged to try vegan for the month of January! This campaign has built on its successes each year since its inception in 2014. We look forward to what 2019 will bring. Read more about Veganuary’s 2018 online campaign.

• The Bull City Vegan Challenge is a unique event that enlists Durham-based restaurants to introduce one new 100% plant-based item on their menus and encourages residents to attend each establishment during a one-month period to try out these vegan dishes. Read about the successes of this year’s Bull City event — both in the public’s participation and the tremendous popularity of the vegan menu offerings.

• During 2018, distributors of the award-winning documentary, Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story conducted a rural outreach program in Australia’s regional communities, inspiring influential audiences to think differently about kangaroos. This beloved icon is subject to the largest land-based wildlife slaughter in the world and under threat from exploitation and mistreatment across Australia. Read more about the impact of this ambitious rural outreach film-screenings program.

This year, we’ve found ourselves coming under increasing pressure to act before it’s too late, posed with the question of how we, as individuals and part of the global community, can step up to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing humankind to date — from human health crises to urgent calls for climate action and a growing concern for animal welfare. Every outreach activity from vegan food at your school or church to city- or country-wide campaigns makes a difference.

As 2018 draws to a close, we’re reflecting on some key moments from the year that stand out and inspire action into 2019.

• The 2018 Animal Rights National Conference helped VegFund strengthen current connections and build new ones. Animal advocates from around the globe gathered at this year’s conference to share and strategize for greater impact. Read more and get inspired!

• In 2018, clean meat made the leap from curiosity to a reality, with predictions that the first commercial products could be available as early as next year. This technology has the potential to make an enormous impact on our world by reducing our dependence on industrial-scale animal agriculture. “Clean meat” will soon enter our everyday language, and we should be prepared to discuss it. Check out VegFund’s advice and guidance on how to talk about clean meat!

• The urgency to find sustainable solutions to how we exist on this planet is greater now than ever. VegFund is supporting environmental and food policy organizations in their efforts to raise awareness of the need for sustainable food and farming systems. This year’s Global Climate Action Summit brought together an international community on one main platform to discuss worldwide climate action efforts. See how one of VegFund’s grantees is influencing the climate agenda.

• How do we actually achieve an animal-free food system? This year’s Reducetarian Summit brought together people and perspectives from all corners of the globe to explore strategies and tactics for reducing societal consumption of animal products. Read about how we are working towards an end to factory farming.

• Documentaries such as Dominion, Kangaroo and The End of Meat, shown widely in 2018, have the power to move hearts and minds. VegFund supports community screenings of a number of documentary films that ignite change in their audiences. Learn more about the support we offer.

This year has set us up for an active 2019 creating change for animals, people, and the planet. We’re excited to get started!

Will you join us?

Check out VegFund’s grant programs to find out more about the support on offer to kick-start change in 2019!

VegFund looks forward to continuing to help inspire and empower individuals and organizations around the globe in their efforts to create a more just and compassionate world for all.