Inside Hong Kong’s growing appetite for veganism
Local millennials’ values, social media buzz and food scandals all contribute
Veganism is rapidly growing globally and Hong Kong is no exception, its local advocates claim, as dabbling in or adopting the plant-based lifestyle gains popularity.
In the United States, six per cent of the population, or roughly 20 million people, now identify as vegan. The figure represents a 500 per cent surge since 2014, according to a report by research company Global Data.
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In contrast, Hong Kong residents in 2015 consumed the highest amount of meat and seafood in the world, at 140kg per capita, a study by global market research company Euromonitor found. Yet in the five years from 2015 to 2020, China’s vegan market is expected to rise by more than 17 per cent – marking the fastest growth rate internationally in that period and offering proof the trend has filtered into the region in recent years.
Millennials in the city are using social media to spread awareness of the lifestyle, local advocates say. And in light of food scandals and a cultural background rooted in Buddhist vegetarianism, many are finding that moving from a Chinese to a plant-based diet is hardly drastic.
What might have started off as a diet closely bound to animal-rights movements is now a lifestyle associated with good health and environmental sustainability, these advocates add. Although celebrities such as Titanic director James Cameron, American billionaire Bill Gates, and 12-time grand slam tennis champion Novak Djokovic all promote veganism, the Hong Kong rise is strongly led by millennials.
Sonalie Figueiras, founder of local health and wellness website Green Queen, described the young adults as “driving the plant-based and vegan movement”.