The Vegan Society, the world’s oldest vegan charity, is celebrating its 80th anniversary today, marking World Vegan Day. The society was founded in 1944 by Donald Watson and five other non-dairy vegetarians, who sought to create a movement distinct from vegetarianism and coined the term “vegan.”

Over the past 80 years, the vegan movement has grown significantly, with veganism now recognized as a protected philosophical belief in the UK. Vegan options are available in supermarkets, restaurants, fashion, and cosmetics in Europe and North America, and the offer is slowly increasing in other continents.

To celebrate its 80th anniversary, the charity is launching a virtual reality campaign, “The Future is Vegan.” The campaign features an AI-created avatar of co-founder Donald Watson, guiding users through a virtual world to explore the implications of a vegan future, including the fate of formerly farmed animals and environmental improvement.

Claire Ogley, Head of Campaigns, Policy, and Research at The Vegan Society, shared, “Eighty years ago, veganism was a bold vision shared by a handful of people who believed in a more compassionate way of living. Today, millions in the UK are embracing plant-based diets, with this shift being led primarily by younger generations.”
 

Armored Fresh

Armored Fresh,  a South Korean food tech based in the USA, produces plant-based alternatives to cheese using traditional cheese fermentation. The company has developed almond and oat-based products that are said to replicate the taste and texture of dairy cheese and are infused with nutrients to provide a comparable protein content. Since its launch last year, Armored Fresh has significantly expanded its retail footprint in the USA.

The company’s success relies on a patented technology that allows plant-based milk to go through a natural fermentation process with the help of lactic acid bacteria.