The Impact of Veganism on the Environment, Health, Animal-people, and Spirituality, Part 2 of 3

On today’s show, we look at the impact of this giant food revolution in Asia, particularly in two countries, India and China. China and India alone have more people than all of Africa, Europe, North America, and Australia combined.

India – Majorities In All of India’s Religious Groups Abstain From Eating Animal-people Meat Approximately 24% of the population is vegetarian. Our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) attributes this to their strong belief in God. “It boils down to the point that they really have strong faith in God over there. […] They always have very deep devotion inside. […] I think it’s deep-rooted in their tradition, also. They were taught since they were kids about the value of spiritual faith.” India has the highest number of vegans globally accounting for 9% of the nation. Religion has a strong effect on Indian food culture, with even those not practicing regularly having been exposed to different dietary habits since childhood.

China – Will China Take The Lead in the Vegan Trend? In 2016, China declared a plan to cut back on the consumption of animal-people proteins by 50% by 2030 in an effort to reduce the rate of obesity and diabetes. Vegan plant-based meat alternatives are gaining recognition among younger people who have become increasingly concerned about issues such as COVID-19 that are connected to food. As reported in 2021, as many as 62% of the Chinese population were ready to switch and buy vegan plant-based alternatives. Following a growing trend of veganism in China, in May 2021, Jian Yi founded a second nonprofit called, the China Vegan Society (CVS), also a subsidiary of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation. Working with a seven-member team of vegan advocates and community leaders, CVS held the first edition of China VegFest in October 2021 and the first annual MANG China Vegan Summit in December 2022. According to 2022 statistics, about 5% of China’s population is now vegan. Vegan plant-based proteins are becoming fashionable and can make it easier to embrace veganism.