Vegan News for November 2025
PAY IT FORWARD
“Superstars will be doing a pay it forward meal system for anyone who needs it this November. All tips I make will go to the pay it forward system. Any proceeds that don’t get used for meals will be donated to Maui Food Bank. Please let your family and friends know who could benefit from this. Whether you depend on SNAP benefits, whether you just need the help — no questions asked.”
HELP PLAN AN URBAN FOREST
The County of Maui Department of Management encourages residents to help shape an urban forest management plan for Maui island — titled He Nohona ʻUlu: Maui’s Community Forest Plan — by attending in-person events in Kahului and completing an online survey at www.henohonaulu.org.
Community pop-up events are as follows:
• Nov. 8, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Arbor Day Garden Expo and Tree Giveaway at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, Kahului
• Nov. 15, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: County of Maui Senior Fair at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center, Kahului
• Nov. 15, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Mālama the Trees at University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, Kahului
Events will offer more information on the project, time to talk story with planners and opportunities to complete the survey. The survey covers what trees mean to residents, where more trees should be planted and what benefits and concerns should guide the project. Events and survey responses will help shape recommendations to ensure that Maui’s community forests reflect local values and priorities.
FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AND OUR FUTURE
A 2013 study by researchers from the University of Hawaii found that an estimated 88.4% of the food available for consumption in Hawaii is imported. Limited food sovereignty results in high prices, supply chain fragility, declines in nutrition and freshness, economic leakage, harm to the environment, cultural and community disconnection and vulnerability in disasters. Here are 14 things you can do to grow a better future.
Embracing actions as individuals is essential, but is it enough? Can Maui Vegans Help Build a Sustainable Food System?
EVENTS
November 1: World Vegan Day
November 7-9: Free Online Veganic Summit. Free registration: veganicsummit.com.
November 8, 9, 15: The County of Maui Department of Management encourages residents to help shape an urban forest management plan for Maui island — titled He Nohona ʻUlu: Maui’s Community Forest Plan — by attending in-person events in Kahului and completing an online survey at www.henohonaulu.org. Community pop-up events are as follows: Nov. 8, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Arbor Day Garden Expo and Tree Giveaway at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, Kahului | Nov. 15, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: County of Maui Senior Fair at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center, Kahului | Nov. 15, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Mālama the Trees at University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, Kahului
January 9-11, 2026: Chef Mark Reinfeld will present a three-day Vegan Fusion Workshop in Kula. $795. Details and enrollment information are here.
The Vegan Society of Hawaii sponsors online and in-person presentations. Check here for updates.
Moku Roots offers a series of vegan brunches and dinners at its Kula farm. Sign up for notices about ongoing events.
Check our Facebook page for additional events.
NEWS AND TRENDS
World Vegan Day: An Invitation to Rethink the World from the Ethics of Compassion
A recipe for avoiding 15 million deaths a year and climate disaster is fixing food, scientists say … The Study Big Meat Tried to Bury — and Why It Matters Again
New US Bill Seeks $10M Grant to Provide Plant-Based Meals to School Students
Plant-based dairy pioneer Miyoko Schinner takes us behind the scenes of her new cookbook
67% of Americans Say Schools Should Offer Plant-Based Meals and Soy Milk
Sweet potato to become part of the regular menu in Hawai‘i’s public schools
Food Not Feed: How to Stop the World’s Largest Form of Food Waste … Factory farming wastes enough food to feed two billion people, shocking new report reveals
HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Vegan Diet Helps People With Type 1 Diabetes Cut Insulin Costs by 27%
Plant-based diets for coronary artery disease prevention
The benefits of a plant-based diet
Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead
Are ultra-processed plant foods really worse than meat? Scientists weigh in
SPORTS AND FITNESS
Vegan Footballer Wins BBC Green Sport Awards, Says ‘With Power Comes Responsibility’
These 8 pro athletes went plant-based and became unstoppable
RESOURCES
8 vegan pantry essentials that make plant-based eating effortless, not expensive
7 vegan-friendly foods doctors recommend for staying strong, flexible, and energized in your 60s
6 Arguments Against Veganism Debunked (And Why They’re Totally False)
CONNECTIONS
If you live on Maui or visit regularly, you might visit three Facebook pages, Vegan on Maui, Maui Vegans and the Facebook companion page to this website, Maui Vegan Life.
THIS MONTH IN VEGAN HISTORY
Early Reform Roots (Nov 5, 1831)
William Hoyle, British temperance reformer and lifelong vegetarian, is born. His life links vegetarianism to wider social reform movements.
Plant-Based Doctor in the New York Times (Nov 6, 1910)
Elmer Lee, M.D.’s advocacy for a plant-based diet is featured in The New York Times, giving vegetarian ideas a rare platform in mainstream American media.
Gandhi Speaks for Ethical Vegetarianism (Nov 20, 1931)
In London, Gandhi urges the Vegetarian Society to ground its practice in moral conviction, a message that later resonates with the vegan movement.
“Vegan” is Born (Nov 1944)
Donald Watson coins the term “vegan” to distinguish non-dairy vegetarians and founds The Vegan Society with five like-minded colleagues.
The Vegan News Hits Print (Nov 24, 1944)
The first issue of The Vegan News circulates, laying out the philosophy of a new movement.
From Newsletter to Magazine (c. Nov 1945)
The Vegan News becomes The Vegan. Its ~500 subscribers gain access to one of the first vegan product trade lists.
World Vegan Day is Born (Nov 1, 1994)
Louise Wallis, chair of The Vegan Society, inaugurates World Vegan Day to mark the group’s 50th anniversary. November later becomes World Vegan Month.
Farewell to a Founder (Nov 16, 2005)
Donald Watson, coiner of the word “vegan” and central figure of the movement, dies at age 95.
Vegan Festival Spirit in Maui (Nov 17, 2007)
Over 200 people gather in Haʻikū for the first Vegan Holiday Festival, sparking two more annual events on the island.
Dynamic Harmlessness Day (Nov 2, annually)
The American Vegan Society celebrates the birthday of its founder, H. Jay Dinshah, as a day to reflect on non-violence and ethical vegan principles.
Fast Food Giant Dips In (Nov 2021)
McDonald’s introduces the McPlant burger at select U.S. outlets, signaling a cautious but symbolic embrace of vegan options.
Science Backs the Shift (Nov 2023)
A Stanford study of identical twins shows measurable heart health benefits from a vegan diet in as little as eight weeks.
The Numbers Speak (Nov 2024)
A Plant Based Foods Institute analysis confirms millions of Americans are turning away from meat and dairy, making plant-based eating a mainstream trend.