User:Tatiwaxman/Vegan Friendly

Lead
Vegan Friendly, which was formerly known as the Association for the Vegan Future, is an Israeli organization that was founded in September 2012 by Omri Paz. Omri Paz is a persistent advocate of veganism and animal rights.

The Vegan Friendly association focuses in the operation of two major areas:


 * Emphasizing a Vegan lifestyle: labeling vegan products and vegan-friendly businesses, encouraging businesses to add vegan options, and organizing large-scale events.
 * Raising awareness, explanation, and education: achieved through the execution of innovative projects in various fields by the supporters' club - Vegan Active.

One project by the Vegan Friendly Association was the Vegan Fest, which was known the world's largest vegan festival and was attended by several people. Another noticeable project by the Vegan Friendly Association was the the first Vegan commercial in Israel, titled "A Mother's Testimony" which included the participation of Rotem Sela; "Food Engineers" project; Gary Yourofsky's visit and lecture tour in Israel; The Vegan congress.

Article Body

Labeling Businesses
The primary purpose of the creation of the Vegan Friendly Label is to identify restaurants with Vegan options businesses in Israel. The Vegan Friendly Label gives those who are Vegan insight on which restaurant is the best option for them and whether there are enough food options for them. As of November 2022, the organization certified that more than 1,800 businesses and 10,000 products are Vegan, and are apart of the Vegan Friendly organization.

Additionally, the association has worked on the concept for certified Vegan Friendly restaurants, in all the leading indexes of restaurants and online delivery services, to include a separate category to provide accesibility of veganism to the general population. When considering Veganism and food that is Vegan Friendly. According to Vegan studies, Veganism is considered a specific way of living to avoid praising animal cruelty, lack of respect to animals, and emphasizes the use of non-animal products. Veganism is often discussed by and publicized by most celebreties and popular figures in society, which ultimately contributes to the disruption in the functionalities of capitalism today, within the processes of the agriculture system.

Labeling Products
In February 2013, the association began the project of national product labeling. The association identifies vegan food, grooming products, and clothing with the known label claiming the product is Vegan Friendly. The Vegan Friendly label is also included within large marketing chains and various companies, specifically in the Israeli market. The association conducts strictly organized tests of the components within the products to clarify that they are accurately labeled as Vegan Friendly.

By November 2022, over 500 food manufacturers, including market leaders such as Unilever, Nestlé, and Strauss Group, began to put the Vegan Friendly seal to use. Shortly after usage of the label increased exponentially, more than 10,000 plant-based products have the Vegan Friendly label nationwide.

Within the marketing process, the association maintains collaborations with food chains and large businesses, giving the mass population of consumers information on becoming Vegan. The Vegan Friendly association's involvement with food chains also allows for them to provide more awareness of Vegan food options for those that participate in the acts of Veganism.

Labeling Companies and Employers
Beginning as early on as 2020, the association was able to expand its labeling project and began to include companies and employers. The label symbolizes a company that is environmentally friendly, compassionate toward animals, and promotes a healthy Vegan lifestyle. This encourages a healthy lifestyle and diet within the company, provides a sense of belonging for employees, and offers a particularly positive experience for Vegan and Vegetarian employees and applicants.

Projects
Among the projects are Vegan Fest, the Vegan Congress, and Vegan Active Club.

In September 2021, the association launched the first advertisement on Veganism in Israel's prime time, "Fresh Fresh". It was estimated that one in three Israelis saw the advertisement and thousands of people around the world indicated that they would switch to veganism and vegetarianism.

With the participation of Rotem Sela, an informational video was made which deals with the ethical issues of the dairy industry. This project was watched by about a million Israelis and caused thousands of people to change their habits of food consumption. The association's success flourished and in August 2022, the association sponsored Hapoel Tel Aviv in basketball.

After much hard work and determination to make the Vegan Friendly label suceed, the company started applying their business model to the UK market in 2020. After only two and a half years, the company had over 1,200 businesses and 3,000 products officially certified as Vegan Friendly and started operating in the USA in 2022.

Finally, to celebrate the success of the Vegan Friendly brand and promotion of Veganism in general, the company also holds an annual Vegan Fest, which is considered as the world's largest vegan festival. The fourth event took place in Yarkon Park, Tel Aviv in June 2023, and had over 100,000 attendees. Although everyone in this world does not have to be Vegan or choose to agree with the philosophy of Veganism, it is important to understand what Vegan Friendly means and to support those around us who choose to engage in the practice of Vegan philosophy.