Basics
What is veganism?
Short answer
Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude — as far as possible and practicable — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.
The word “vegan” was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson and the founders of The Vegan Society. Leslie Cross proposed the first definition of veganism in 1949, and today’s wording dates from the 1980s. It covers more than diet: vegans avoid meat (including fish and insects), dairy, eggs and honey, and also leather, wool, silk, animal-tested cosmetics and entertainment that uses animals – “as far as is possible and practicable”.
A plant-based diet is only part of the picture. Someone may eat plants for health reasons and still buy leather shoes — that is not veganism in the ethical sense, even if the food is vegan.
People usually arrive through one of three gates: animal ethics, climate and land, or health. The definition stays ethical; the other two are common starting motives.