A vegan is someone who chooses not to be involved in violence towards animals.

This means that a ‘pure’ vegan won’t eat:

• meat
• fish
• dairy products
• eggs
• shellfish
• honey

and they don’t wear:

• fur
• leather
• wool
• silk.

In other pages, we’ll explore the ‘whys’ of this.

Is it possible to be 100% vegan?

In our modern world, no. Animal products, usually as waste material from the meat-processing industry, crop up in our roads, car tyres, glues, carpets, building materials, paints, medications, cleaning products and many more products of the industrial world (as well, of course, as in cosmetics).

And in England this year (2016) in our new banknotes.

So if it’s impossible to be a perfect vegan, does this mean it’s not worth trying to limit what you eat or wear?

No. At least reducing suffering is a positive step we can take.

‘The greatest problem on earth today is the notion that some lives matter less than others. We imagine that non-human lives hardly matter at all. We live as though our difference from other species entitles us to use them and that they exist for our benefit. This view is not only inaccurate, it is unethical.’ (Sandra Higgins, Go Vegan World Campaign Director)