Veganism and Plant-Based Diets | Vibepedia

Veganism and plant-based diets represent a fundamental shift in human consumption, moving away from the animal-industrial complex toward a nutrition model centered on legumes, grains, and bio-engineered alternatives. While often used interchangeably, 'veganism' is a socio-ethical philosophy codified by [[donald-watson|Donald Watson]] in 1944 that seeks to exclude all forms of animal exploitation, whereas 'plant-based' is a dietary descriptor popularized by [[t-colin-campbell|T. Colin Campbell]] to focus on health outcomes. The movement has scaled from a niche counterculture into a dominant market force, with the global plant-based food market projected to reach $162 billion by 2030. This transition is fueled by a convergence of climate anxiety, advancements in food technology from firms like [[impossible-foods|Impossible Foods]], and a growing body of longitudinal research such as the [[adventist-health-studies|Adventist Health Studies]]. Today, the movement sits at the intersection of environmental justice, cellular biology, and late-stage capitalism, challenging the very definition of what constitutes 'meat' in the 21st century.