Maui Vegan News for September 2026
With the closing of the vegan food truck Superstars, we’re down to only three fully vegan restaurants. Creating sustainable restaurants — plant-based and otherwise — on Maui or anywhere else is extremely challenging. Precious few plant-based restaurants have found the right formula for long-term success. We hope that the Maui vegan restaurant scene survives and grows.
EVENTS
Saturday, Sep 5, 2026, Lā ʻUlu 2026 Breadfruit Festival, 9 am to 2 pm. Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, 150 Kanaloa Avenue, Kahului. Free parking across the street at War Memorial Stadium. Admission: free.
Ongoing:
The Vegan Society of Hawaii hosts in-person and online presentations. Check here for the latest.
Farm-to-table brunches and dinners in Kula are offered by Moku Roots. Email mokuroots@gmail.com to be placed on the mailing list.
NEWS AND TRENDS
The World’s Vegetables are Vanishing, and Quietly Wrecking Our Diets
A healthier global diet could cut farm emissions by 85%
Global boom in livestock farming since 2006 is piling pressure on nature, report finds
Factory farming could be fuelling spread of common disease which causes food poisoning
Iowa Hog Barn Becomes Mushroom Farm as Transfarmation Opens Second Demonstration Hub
The Future of Plant-Based May Not Look Like Meat
Majority of US Meat-Eaters Open to Swapping Meat for Beans, Survey Finds
Tufts study shows global intake of healthy plant-based foods remains low among youth
Doctors tell doctors to eat more plants
Vegan dog and cat food generally well digested
HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Kids Everywhere Need To Eat More Plant-Based Foods, Finds Study
Going vegan for just four weeks may help slow biological ageing, study suggests
Low-Fat Vegan Diet Cuts Dietary Energy Density by Nearly a Third, Helping Explain Weight Loss, New Study Finds … Low-Fat Vegan Diet Boosts Weight Loss and Improves Health
New discovery advances sustainable production of plant-based medicines
Plant-based diets offer heart benefits but may require supplements … Plant-Based Eating Linked to Better Heart Health … Planetary Health Diet Cuts Heart Disease Risk By 28%, Finds 20-Year Study
Are You Eating the ‘Right’ Fruits and Vegetables? New Research Says It Matters
104-year-old reveals his daily diet behind healthy longevity
Healthy Plant-Based Diet Beneficial, Regardless of Food Processing Levels
Eating a wide variety of plants every day could be more beneficial than taking a probiotic
Industry-Backed Research More Likely To Say Meat Is Beneficial, Finds Study
RESOURCES
11 Best Vegan Cookbooks, According to an Award-Winning Chef … The best vegan cookbooks of all time
SPORTS AND FITNESS
In Tests of Athletic Performance, Plant-Based Diets Hold Their Own
Vegan black belt wins NAGA Germany
How a Heavyweight World Champion Boxer Used Vegan Diet to Retain Strength and Power
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
Universities Go Plant-Based From the Inside Out. More than 850 academics and public figures sign an open letter backing the Plant-Based Universities campaign, urging UK universities to shift toward fully plant-based catering. (September 2023)
Vegan Food Justice Rolls Into Harlem. Jaden Smith and A$AP Rocky bring the I Love You vegan food truck to Harlem, distributing more than 500 plant-based meals, water, and MetroCards. (September 2020)
Veganism Gets Its Own Aisle. Asda launches dedicated ambient vegan sections in 359 UK stores, adding more than 100 products and making plant-based shopping easier for mainstream customers. (September 2020)
Fur Is Out at Nordstrom, Nordstrom announces it will stop selling animal fur and exotic animal skins across Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Last Chance, and its e-commerce sites by the end of 2021. (September 2020)
The Vegan Museum Claims the Name. Chicago’s National Vegetarian Museum changes its name to The Vegan Museum on what would have been Donald Watson’s 110th birthday (September 2, 2020)
The Impossible Burger Comes Home. Impossible Foods launches the Impossible Burger in grocery stores for the first time, debuting at Gelson’s Markets in Southern California before expanding to the East Coast. (September 2019)
Jaden Smith Brings Vegan-Adjacent Ethics to the Climate Stage. At the New York City Climate Strike, Jaden and Willow Smith perform before a massive youth climate crowd (September 2019) .
Beyond Burger Breaks Into Better-Burger Chains. BurgerFi launches the Beyond Burger systemwide across 101 restaurants after testing it in select markets. (September 4, 2017).
Fast-Food Giants Face Animal-Welfare Pressure. Wendy’s joins McDonald’s and Burger King in adopting farmed-animal welfare standards after pressure from PETA, including reforms related to hen housing. The changes are limited, but they show that public campaigns can force multinational food chains to respond. (September 2001)
Vegan Cooking Reaches Morning Television. The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Debra Wasserman gives a vegan cooking demonstration on Good Morning America. It is an early national-media moment for vegan food as practical cooking, not just ideology. (September 1994)
The Founder of Modern Veganism Is Born. Donald Watson is born in Mexborough, Yorkshire. He later co-founds The Vegan Society and helps coin the word “vegan.” (September 2, 1910)
The Vegan Society Is Publicly Acknowledged. The Vegetarian Society’s Vegetarian Messenger publishes an item noting that members who avoided all animal products had formed a group that adopted the title “The Vegan Society.” The movement steps into public record under its new name. (September 1945)
One of the Earliest Vegan Cookbooks Is Reviewed. The Vegetarian Advocate reviews Kitchen Philosophy for Vegetarians, a book later identified by The Vegan Society as the first known animal-product-free cookbook. (September 1849)
Vegetarianism Becomes an Organized Movement. The Vegetarian Society is formed at Ramsgate, England, with William Horsell among the key organizers. (September 30, 1847)
The First Known Deliberately Vegan Recipe Enters Print. A “plain bird’s nest” sago pudding recipe appears in The Truth-Tester, using sago, apples, sugar, and spice without butter, eggs, or milk. (September 1846)