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The months of the year are often chosen to present new challenges to consumers. Following the launch of the “veganuary” which consists of following a vegan diet throughout the month of January, here is the “regenuary”. A challenge that instead suggests following responsible consumption, choosing local and seasonal products.
After the dry january and the veganuary…
January therefore becomes the month when you pay attention to the contents of your plate… and your glass. You know the concept of “dry january”, which consists in evicting any drop of alcohol from its consumption for a month. This movement born in the United Kingdom in 2013 inspired the vegan community to initiate another awareness, that of the environmental impact of meat food. A new portmanteau “veganuary” then became the standard bearer of a movement reserved for reflection on animal well-being. In France, this challenge of preferring a vegan diet for thirty days was first relayed by the L214 association.
Regenuary for local and seasonal food
At a time when 24% of French people say they are flexitarians, that is to say that they have voluntarily reduced their meat consumption according to an Ifop study for FranceAgriMer published last year, a new movement in response to the “veganuary” is being emulated across the Channel by focusing more on thoughtful consumption rather than a diet based on the forbidden.
Still riding the wave of the “uary” ending, the new challenge is called “regenuary”. Eat seasonal and consume locally without ever buying imported products. These are the major criteria of this new movement, whose name is probably difficult to pronounce for non-English speaking participants.
Follow the cycle of nature
The terminology for this challenge actually borrows from regenerative farming. In line with permaculture, this philosophy commits to favoring biodiversity, to preferring soil regeneration methods, to adapting to the climatic conditions imposed by the seasons. This agriculture also encourages the carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere to be stored in the soil. To do this, producers who follow this method favor grazing. By grazing the grass, the cows put the material back into the soil to make it richer.
A logic which is however confronted with the figures: 14% of the world emissions of greenhouse gases would be produced by the breeding, of which 40% are caused by the methane released by the cows at the time of their digestion. Born in the United States 35 years ago, the concept of regenerative agriculture also includes a societal component by integrating the idea of fair remuneration for producers.
Soon a launch in France?
The “regenuary” was launched in 2019 by a group of British farmers, The ethical Butcher, which praises the merits of farms fed only with grass and wildflowers. Relaying its concept using the hashtag #regenuary, it thus encourages people to shop with producers who apply the principles of regenerative agriculture throughout the month of January. Still little known to French consumers, this agricultural concept will undoubtedly have to be further deployed to gain popularity, before imagining the launch of a “regenuary” challenge.
But we can already bet on the success of this challenge in France. Indeed, since the Covid-19 crisis, several surveys have shown several changes in French consumption: the tendency to turn to responsible consumption is increasingly confirmed. According to the latest barometer published by Max Havelaar and carried out in collaboration with Opinion Way, in November 2021, “the purchase of responsible food products is resisting despite the crisis, and is even progressing! 90% of French people buy this type of product at least once a month and 66% at least once a week”.