Singapore aims to outrank Taiwan as the most vegan-friendly Asian nation — and that starts with Veganuary. As of writing, 350,000 have registered with Veganuary to participate worldwide. Here’s how you can take part in Singapore.
Welcome to 2023. It’s a new year, a new decade in fact, and since our pants might be a little tighter after the holidays, it’s a good time to commit to all those intentions that you have been trying to set over the last decade. For most people, in some way, shape, or form, that usually means eating healthier, and even more recently, it means eating more ethically. While it might be tough to go full-on vegan 365 days a year (we totally get that), one month is a great challenge that eases the post-holiday blues and helps to teach you a thing or two about conscious living that you can carry with you all year. That’s where Veganuary comes in, which is the month of January dedicated to eating vegan.
Singapore is looking to step up its commitment not just to Veganuary but to being more vegan in general. In Asia, PETA has ranked Taiwan as the most vegan-friendly city in Asia — until now. Singapore is poised to tip over top contender for its title. Does Singapore stand a chance? It sure does, and this is how you can take part….
What is Veganuary?
Veganuary is a month-long pledge to try eating vegan for January that started in the UK and has since become global. In 2019, a record-breaking 250,310 people from 190 countries registered for the month-long vegan pledge. This year, the numbers are approaching double and it’s only the 6th of the month.
Participating in Singapore
In Singapore, the charity Centre for a Responsible Future is running Singapore’s campaign through its Animal Allies program. Those who sign up for Veganuary will receive daily e-mails containing delicious recipes, meal plans, inspirational videos, and helpful tips on nutrition, how to stock your cupboards and much more. They also receive interesting information about the impact of what we eat on our health, animals and the environment.
This year they have teamed up with a billionveg, a Singapore start-up that is building a global community that aims to catalyze millions of people and businesses to embrace plant-based living. In the app, people are able to find vegan dishes in Singapore and access exclusive discounts and deals — as well as some Veganuary partner restaurants for 2023.
Where to eat this Veganuary
Several restaurants around Singapore have decided to partner up and highlight the vegan dishes at their restaurant. Here is a shortlist of where to eat:
Artichoke, Bayswater Kitchen, Employees Only, Everyday Vegan, Fairmont Singapore, Jamie’s Italian, Nature Cafe, Papi’s Tacos, Pizza Express, Pollen, Privé Tiong Bahru, Saladstop!, Simpliigood, Smoocht, Swissotel The Stamford’s, The Lokal SG, Udders, Well Dressed Salad Bar and Cafe, Wild Honey & more.
Does Singapore really have a shot at the title?
Absolutely. And here’s why:
1. Veganism is a trend growing fast in Singapore, and it reached new heights of interest in Singapore in 2019 according to Google Trends. We like to think that’s in part due to Singapore’s first Vegan Festival all the way through to the launch of plant-based chicken by Heura at Grand Hyatt. From there we’ve seen the word vegan etched onto menus all over the city and it’s become clear that Singapore is fast becoming a hotspot for veganism in Asia.
2. In March 2019, the Environment and Water Resources Ministry announced that Singapore is aiming to home-produce 30% of its food demand by 2030 (as of 2020, the island city-state was importing 90% of their food supply).
3. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in Singapore’s state-owned wealth company, Temasek Holdings. From there, money has gone to plant-based beef maker Impossible Foods, vegan bio-fabricated leather making biotech startup Modern Meadow, Perfect Day — a company that employs cellular technology to manufacture dairy proteins — and lastly, plant-based protein producer Just Inc. who makes vegan egg substitutes, mayonnaise and more.
We might already be well into January, but that doesn’t mean you can’t jump on the Veganuary bandwagon — conscious living should never be limited to a single date anyway. Register for the Veganuary initiative in Singapore here and follow the pack on Facebook here.