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This is a list of vegetarian and vegan organizations situated in various locations worldwide. Their primary aim is to advocate for vegetarianism and veganism, while also providing support and networking opportunities for individuals and groups who practice, promote, or endorse these practices.
The largest organizations are the International Vegetarian Union (IVU) and the Vegan World Alliance (VWA), which serve as connecting umbrella organizations.
Name (English / local (abbreviation)) | Founded | Region served | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
American Vegan Society (AVS) | 1960 | ![]() | |
Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA) | 1999 | ![]() | Founded in the United States |
Dutch Society for Veganism / Nederlandse Vereniging voor Veganisme (NVV) [1] | 1978 [1] | ![]() | Previously known as Veganistenkring and Vereniging Veganisten Organisatie |
Earthsave | 1988 | ![]() ![]() | |
European Vegetarian Union (EVU) | 1988 | ![]() | Founded in the Netherlands, currently based in Austria |
French Vegetarian Society / Sociéte végétarienne de France (FVS) | 1882 | ![]() | Founded in Paris, dissolved in 1921. |
Hare Krishna Food for Life | 1974 | ![]() | Founded in India, currently based in Slovenia |
International Vegetarian Union (IVU) | 1908 | ![]() | Founded in Germany, currently based in the UK |
Jewish Veg | 1975 | ![]() | Previously known as Jewish Vegetarians of North America |
North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS) | 1974 | ![]() | |
Peepal Farm | 2014 | ![]() | |
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) | 1985 | ![]() | |
ProVeg Germany / ProVeg Deutschland [2] | 1892 | ![]() | Founded as Vegetarierbund Deutschland (VEBU), renamed in 2017 when joining ProVeg International [2] |
ProVeg Netherlands / ProVeg Nederland [3] | 2011 | ![]() | Founded as Viva Las Vega's (VLV), renamed in 2018 when joining ProVeg International [4] |
ProVeg International [2] | 2017 | ![]() | Based in Berlin, serves as umbrella of all ProVeg organisations. [2] |
Swissveg [5] | 1993 [6] | ![]() | Known as Schweizerische Vereinigung für Vegetarismus until 2014 [6] |
The Vegan Society | 1944 | ![]() | Founded and based in the UK |
Tibetan Volunteers for Animals (TVA) | 2000 | ![]() ![]() | |
Toronto Vegetarian Association (TVA) | 1945 | ![]() | |
Vegan Awareness Foundation | 1995 | ![]() | Also known as Vegan Action |
Vegan Outreach | 1993 | ![]() | |
Vegan Prisoners Support Group (VPSG) | 1994 | ![]() | |
Vegetarian Society | 1847 | ![]() | |
Vegetarian Society (Singapore) (VSS) | 1999 | ![]() | |
Viva! Health | 1994 | ![]() | |
World Esperantist Vegetarian Association / Tutmonda Esperantista Vegetarana Asocio (TEVA) | 1908 | ![]() | Founded in Germany |
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a vegan.
The International Vegetarian Union (IVU) is an international non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote vegetarianism. The IVU was founded in 1908 in Dresden, Germany.
World Vegetarian Day is observed annually around the planet on October 1. It is a day of celebration established by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977 and endorsed by the International Vegetarian Union in 1978, "To promote the joy, compassion and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism." It brings awareness to the ethical, environmental, health, and humanitarian benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle. World Vegetarian Day initiates the month of October as Vegetarian Awareness Month, which ends with November 1, World Vegan Day, as the end of that month of celebration. Vegetarian Awareness Month has been known variously as "Reverence for Life" month, "Month of Vegetarian Food", and more.
Vegetarian and vegan dietary practices vary among countries. Differences include food standards, laws, and general cultural attitudes toward vegetarian diets.
Meat-free days or veggiedays are declared to discourage or prohibit the consumption of meat on certain days of the week. Mondays and Fridays are the most popular days. There are also movements encouraging people giving up meat on a weekly, monthly, or permanent basis.
The American Vegan Society (AVS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes veganism in the United States. It was founded in 1960 by H. Jay Dinshah. The date of the earlier The Vegan Society (UK)'s founding, November 1, is now celebrated annually as World Vegan Day.
Michael A. Klaper is an American physician, vegan health educator, conference and event speaker, and an author of articles and books of vegan medical advice. Graduating from medical school in 1972, Klaper became a vegan ten years later and subsequently became active in the area, publishing three books advocating veganism and serving as a founding director of the Institute of Nutrition Education and Research.
Jewish vegetarianism is a commitment to vegetarianism that is connected to Judaism, Jewish ethics or Jewish identity. Jewish vegetarians often cite Jewish principles regarding animal welfare, environmental ethics, moral character, and health as reasons for adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Swissveg, previously known as the Swiss Association for Vegetarianism, is a Swiss association in the legal context of article 60ff of the Swiss civil code (SCC), where members are exclusively vegetarians. Swissveg runs campaigns, organizes events with the goal to reduce the consumption of animal products.
Veganmanias are annual vegan festivals held in numerous locations around the world.
VeggieWorld is annual vegan food and clothing festivals held in numerous locations around Europe and Asia. VeggieWorld is one of the biggest Vegan/Vegetarian festivals in the world, and one of the biggest such fairs, with on average 8,000 visitors. The first VeggieWorld festival was held in Wiesbaden in 2011, hosted by ProVeg Deutschland.
HappyCow is a mobile app and website that lists vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants and also a passionate community of over one million vegan-focused members. Aside from listing restaurants it also lists farmers markets, health food stores and all types of businesses with a vegan focus.
The Nederlandse Vereniging voor Veganisme or NVV is a Dutch association which strives to promote the vegan lifestyle, and to end animal exploitation.
ProVeg Deutschland is a German non-profit organisation whose goal is to reduce the consumption of animal products. ProVeg Deutschland is part of ProVeg International, which serves as an international umbrella for a group of nationally operating organisations.
ProVeg Nederland, known as Viva Las Vega's (VLV) from 2011 to 2017, is a Dutch foundation that aims to accelerate the transition towards a plant-based food system. The foundation's stated goal is to make it easier for consumers to eat plant-based more often and also to help companies address the growing demand in plant-based products. ProVeg Nederland is a member of the international ProVeg International.
Tobias Leenaert is a Belgian animal rights and veganism activist, author, and educator. He promotes a pragmatic approach to activism. Leenaert has co-founded vegan and vegetarian advocacy organizations, including the Center for Effective Vegan Advocacy, ProVeg International and Ethical Vegetarian Alternative. He authored the book How to Create a Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach in 2017 and writes the blog The Vegan Strategist.
ProVeg International is a non-governmental organisation that works in the field of food system change and has ten offices globally. The organisation's stated mission is to reduce the consumption of animal products by 50% by 2040, to be replaced by plant-based or cultured alternatives. Instead of increasing the share of vegetarians and vegans, ProVeg's focus is on reducing animal product consumption in the general population.