Eveliina, medical doctor
When I was a student, I became aware of the health and ecological benefits of the plant-based diet. My first encounter with vegans was a vegan classmate. I went straight from an omnivorous diet to a vegan one, and I’ve slowly transitioned to using animal-free cosmetics and hygiene products. Later, I also understood the ethical side of veganism.
Roope, law student and activist
As long as I can remember, I’ve been hesitant about the idea of killing for food. The basis for my vegetarianism was a general respect for life, and I became a vegan when I learned about the horrific living conditions of farm animals. Since then, many of these injustices have started to seem like inevitable conditions for animal agriculture.
Visa, physical activity councilor
I no longer wanted to be part of the quiet mass that, through their thoughtlessness, enabled the widescale exploitation of animals. After becoming familiar with the vegan world, I’ve noticed that there is no need whatsoever for the use of animal products. Food, clothes, cosmetics – everything is available plant-based!
Juho, student of classical singing and future class teacher and philosophy teacher
For me, the vegan lifestyle is about all individuals’ – both humans’ and animals’ – right to life and freedom. It is a consistent step in striving away from hierarchies and towards equality and genuinely sustainable development. And most importantly, it has also enriched my life enormously!
Elina, entrepreneur, food blogger and cookbook author
I became a vegetarian at age 13 after reading an article about broiler farming. A couple of years later, I also cut out all other animal products. As I’ve grown older, I’ve started considering environmental and health reasons in addition to animal rights. The older I get, the more convinced I am of my lifestyle.
Tiina, special education teacher
In ninth grade, I read an article about plant-based eating and asked for more information from The Finnish Vegan Association. This opened my eyes to health and environmental considerations in addition to animal rights. My primary reason for becoming vegan was love for animals. I started appreciating the health benefits when, among other things, my poor hemoglobin levels finally improved.
Oskari, engineer working in the environmental sector
I started questioning the justifications for factory farming, and after a while, animal agriculture in general. I looked for information on animal production, animal rights, and plant-based eating. I began to see that dividing animal species into ones we eat and ones we don’t is hypocritical and that the exploitation of animals is wrong. I no longer had grounds or justifications for continuing to use animal-based products.
Aale, student
I became a vegetarian mainly through my partner’s influence, but later I couldn’t close my eyes to the atrocities of dairy and egg production, so becoming a vegan was inevitable. Watching documentaries has opened my eyes to all the evil in the world, and I don’t think I could ever go back to eating meat.