Whether health or environmental concerns are propelling the movement forward remains unclear. But statistics show that increasing numbers of Americans and Europeans are switching to a plant-based diet—and many Asians already call themselves vegetarian. As evidence, the growth of vegetarian food items in supermarkets and vegetarian choices in school cafeterias support the notion that for many consumers, this is a movement whose time has come.

Numbers Worldwide

While The International Vegetarian Union (IVU) cannot cite reliable growth figures because the term vegetarian has so many different interpretations, its staff does provide a timeline showing the growth of its own membership and affiliations. Still, citing exact figures in various countries is impossible, say the IVU staff, but it has estimated that in the early 1990s, there were these vegetarian totals (the IVU has not done a study since then):

• France: 500,000

• Germany: 700,000

• Netherlands: 700,000

• Poland: 75,000

• Sweden: 60,000

• United Kingdom: 3,500,000

Taking Vegetarian Courses

Considering the growth of the movement in the United States and abroad, it’s not surprising that enterprising cooks have set up classes and whole programs to teach how to cook and eat vegetarian. Many of these classes are listed on the web and may be described as holistic or natural health classes.

If you cannot find a course near you, consult your local adult education programs for the names of vegetarian cooking teachers in your community. If that fails, you will be able to sign up for online classes in vegetarianism; this may lead to finding cooking classes or provide tips and recipes for vegetarian cooking.

Dating Services, Travel and Social Groups, and Charities

As with any interest group, vegetarians have set up their own communities to include dating services, travel groups, social and eating clubs, and charities. Once again, the web is a valuable resource for locating any one of these communities. Such groups as VeggieDate and VeggieConnection.com give ample links to like-minded people in your area. For travelers, check out the Vegetarian Resource Group, whose website lists several travel services and options specifically for vegetarians. You can also find a series of guidebooks for vegetarian travelers.

Plenty of social and eating clubs are flourishing: check out Vegetarian Meetup Groups or GreenPeople to find a group in your community.

As for charities, most are established to raise money to help prevent animal cruelty or to rescue farm animals. In Britain, the Vegetarian Society, with the help of Paul McCartney among others, works to promote vegetarianism and a more compassionate society—and to prevent animal cruelty.

Vegetarian Festivals

During almost every month somewhere in the world, vegetarians gather for celebrations and festivals. For example, during the month of March in Britain, the organization Animal Aid promotes its Veggie Month in support of stopping farm animal slaughter. Starting the first day of spring, thousands of Americans and residents of other countries host “Meatout,” grassroots community gatherings that are both fun and informative ways to celebrate a nonmeat diet. For information, check Meatout.org.

October 1 is World Vegetarian Day, and it begins the month-long series of parties and presentations of National Vegetarian Month, also known as Vegetarian Awareness Month. World Vegan Day occurs on November 1, and if you happen to be in Thailand on the island of Phuket during October, you may want to attend the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival, a colorful if somewhat bizarre series of activities that has its roots in religious practices.

For a comprehensive listing of what’s going on and where, check out Vegetarian Guides.