Maui Vegan News for May 2026
EVENTS
Sunday, May 24, 12 noon. The Vegan Society of Hawaii presents a free, online talk, “Whole Plant Foods Nutrition to Radically Improve Planetary Health,” by Irana Hawkins, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D.N. More information here.
Saturday, June 13, 9 am - 3 pm. ‘Aha Niu: Maui Nui Coconut Celebration Festival. Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, 150 Kanaloa Avenue, Kahului. Free, but registration required.
Ongoing: The Vegan Society of Hawaii hosts in-person and live presentations. Check here for the latest.
Moku Rootsoffers farm-to-table brunches and dinners in Kula. Email mokuroots@gmail.com to be placed on the mailing list.
NEWS AND TRENDS
Cutting meat and dairy: Vegan diets could reduce GHG emissions by 35% … Simple menu tweak can boost vegetarian choices and cut carbon
160 Sanctuaries Just Took an Historic Stand Against the Industry that Kills Animals
New plant-based cooking show to premier on PBS in 2027
HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Eating more plants linked to lower risk of dementia, even in older age
Fermentation boosts anti-inflammatory power in dairy alternatives
How to Boost Your Life Expectancy by 12 to 14 Years
Regular consumption of coffee ‘significantly’ boosts mood and reduces anxiety
RESOURCES
12 must-have vegan apps every vegan needs to download
CONNECTIONS
Three Maui vegan Facebook groups are Vegan on Maui, Maui Vegans and Maui Vegan Life. The Vegan Society of Hawaii occasionally holds in-person presentations in Wailuku.
THIS MONTH IN VEGAN HISTORY
Parla backs the Plant Based Treaty. Parla becomes the first city in Spain and the 40th city worldwide to endorse the Plant Based Treaty, marking a notable political milestone for plant-based climate policy in Europe. (May 24, 2025)
Nova Lima makes Latin American history. Nova Lima becomes the first city in Latin America to endorse the Plant Based Treaty, extending organized plant-based climate policy into a new region. (May 24, 2025)
A foundational animal-rights classic is updated. Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation Now is published, updating one of the most influential books ever written on animal ethics, veganism, and the modern animal-rights movement. (May 23, 2023)
Greta links climate action and plant-based eating. Mercy for Animals releases the short documentary For Nature, featuring Greta Thunberg urging a global shift toward plant-based food production and consumption as part of the climate response. (May 22, 2021)
Oatly reaches Wall Street. Oatly’s IPO is priced in May and the company begins trading on Nasdaq, a landmark moment for the plant-based dairy sector and a sign that oat milk had moved firmly into the economic mainstream. (May 2021)
Maui gains another vegan option. Earth Aloha Eats is licensed to do business, marking the arrival of a vegan Maui food business that begins as a food truck and later a restaurant in Kīhei. (May 17, 2019)
UN report spotlights the ecological damage tied to animal agriculture. The IPBES global biodiversity assessment warns that land and sea use change, including agriculture and animal husbandry, is driving mass species loss on a planetary scale. (May 6, 2019)
Alternative protein investment hits a major milestone. The Good Food Institute reports that investments in plant-based meat, egg, and dairy companies reached $16 billion in 2018, underscoring how quickly the sector was maturing. (May 6, 2019)
Beyond Meat goes public. Beyond Meat begins trading on Nasdaq, becoming the first plant-based food company to list there, a major food-industry milestone for vegan products in mainstream finance. (May 2, 2019)
A Lahaina vegan café is born. A‘a Roots, a vegan café serving West Maui, is granted a business license, adding another dedicated vegan destination to Maui’s food scene. (May 30, 2017)
Maui gets a new choice. Choice Health Bar, a small mostly vegan Maui restaurant chain, is licensed to do business, helping establish what would become one of Maui’s best-known plant-forward brands. (May 11, 2011)
Film premieres: Forks Over Knives. The documentary Forks Over Knives premieres in West Hollywood and goes on to become one of the most influential mainstream films promoting whole-food, plant-based eating. (May 2, 2011)
Maui Kombucha enters the picture. Maui Kombucha is licensed to do business in Haʻikū, adding an early, mostly vegan food enterprise to Maui’s local landscape. (May 7, 2005)
The first vegetarian society is proposed. A letter published in The Truth Tester proposes creating a vegetarian society, helping set in motion the organized vegetarian movement that soon takes shape in Britain. (May 1847)