Supporters’ voices are essential to our monthly podcast, We Need to Talk About…, whether our subject matter is Brexit, nationalism or the environment. In our next podcast, we’ll consider the rise of veganism as a lifestyle choice – why are so many are opting to go vegan, and what are the implications for society?

Since Guardian columnist Decca Aitkenhead wrote about her own vegan experiment, and we published a long read on the topic, we have had a huge number of responses – from readers, academics, experts and others. Defying naysayers’ predictions that it was yet another hipster food fad, adopting a plant-based lifestyle is becoming a popular choice for people for many different reasons. We’ve invited Decca into the studio to host our next podcast and we’d love you, the Guardian’s supporters, to pose questions to her for the discussion.



Have you or a family member recently adopted a vegan lifestyle? Have you been driven by ethical, health, environmental or financial factors? If the factors are environmental, are you concerned mostly with deforestation, biodiversity loss, or something that affects you more locally? If you made the choice for health reasons, have you noticed the benefits and have you found it easy to eat a balanced diet? Is it a decision you made alone or as a family? Is it something you tried but later decided against? Perhaps you are a lifelong vegan and you are relieved to see it becoming more mainstream?

Another point for discussion could focus around the role of social media in the rise of veganism. There are a number of Netflix documentaries on the subject; there are Instagram influencers and prominent academics who are becoming vegan. Perhaps it works for them, but is it for everyone? There have also been concerns that veganism provides a socially acceptable cover for disordered eating. You might want to discuss the potential issues around this surge in public curiosity. Or explore how your consumption and habits have changed in recent years. Are you sceptical about the rise of veganism, or inspired by it? How can farmers and food producers adapt to better cater to the change in demand?

Please do get in touch, wherever you are in the world: we would like to hear your questions, views and experiences. To get involved, send an email to weneedtotalkabout@theguardian.com, including your question or comment, your name, and a phone number so we can call you to make a recording.

If you’d like to catch up with the podcast and previous discussions, you can do so at gu.com/talk-about.

*As of 2pm on Wednesday 16 May, we are no longer accepting submissions for this podcast. Thank you.*