Paul Ibirogba
Planet Vegan, a documentary series exploring the global growth of the vegan movement, is set to premiere this October.
The five-part docuseries examines the key figures in the rapid growth of the vegan movement and also aims to provide an informative and non-judgmental platform for individuals who are curious about veganism.
Planet Vegan features top athletes, nutrition experts and medical professionals in the vegan movement, including How Not to Die author Dr. Michael Greger, Tennessee Titans Chef Charity Morgan, ultra-endurance athlete Rich Roll, pro surfer Tia Blanco and Beyond Meat Founder Ethan Brown.
Veganism is seeing explosive growth around the world. In Canada, a record 1.5 million plus people have eliminated meat from their diets, the US saw a 600% increase in veganism between 2014 and 2017, and researchers estimate that the Chinese vegan market will grow by 17% between 2015 and 2020.
Planet Vegan’s film crew spent the past year documenting this worldwide shift toward veganism, visiting more than 10 countries.
“I trekked through the cork forests of Portugal, marched alongside 10,000 animal rights activists through the streets of London, tasted artesian vegan cheese in Switzerland, and so much more,” Planet Vegan Director James Hoot told Vegan News.
“The filming took me to Australia, The US, UK, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Norway, and more.”
Broken down into five episodes, each one explores a unique aspect of the vegan movement.
Episode 1 examines the vegan marketplace and features organizations like vegan meat company Beyond Meat, Europe’s first vegan supermarket chain Veganz and Stray Dog Capital, a venture capital firm supporting vegan businesses.
Episode 2 delves into the health aspect of veganism, interviewing experts like Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit advocacy group, of over 12,000 doctor members, that advocates a plant-based diet.
Episode 3 explores global vegan events such as a fully-vegan cruise in Cambodia.
Episode 4 focuses on some major players in the vegan movement, examining what they do and how they are making a difference, including fitness YouTuber Jon Venus, who, ironically, stated that he is no longer vegan last month.
Episode 5 dives into vegan activism and features individuals and organizations fighting for the animals, such as PETA, Mercy for Animals, and vegan activist Earthling Ed.
The Planet Vegan team has completed filming thanks to a crowdfunding campaign.
However, they are seeking more funds in a current crowdfunding campaign in order to finance the post-production phase, meet a target premiere date of October 5, 2019 and try to get the docuseries picked up by companies like Netflix.
