Acclaimed conservationist, activist, and humanitarian Jane Goodall died on October 1 at the age of 91. She was best known for her studies on chimpanzee behavior.

Goodall was passionate about protecting animals in the wild and was outspoken about her plant-based diet for its benefits to animal welfare and environmental protection.

"I stopped eating meat some 50 years ago when I looked at the pork chop on my plate and thought: this represents fear, pain, death," she wrote in an essay in 2017 for her website. 

"Most people do not realize the unspeakable cruelty suffered by animals on our factory farms. And some who know, do not really care. People have said to me that, after all, the animals are bred for food — as though this means that they are no longer sentient beings."

As CNBC detailed, Goodall also went on to say how it affected her health. 

"When I stopped eating meat, I immediately felt better, lighter," she added. 

Omnivorous diets high in meat are connected to a rise in obesity, heart disease, many cancers, and diabetes. 

Eating meat has also caused humans to build up resistance to antibiotics, as they consume too many of them through their meat and then die from simple infections, according to Consumer Reports.

Goodall was adamant that she was vegan for reasons beyond her health. 

"I became vegan for ethical reasons," she told The National in January 2025. "I'm vegan for the environment."

How often do you eat meat? Every day 🥩 A few times a week 🍔 Sometimes 🍕 Never 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Every step of the meat production process releases planet-warming gases, from deforestation, methane from cows, growing feed for the animals, animal waste, slaughter, and shipment to grocery stores, as stated by The Humane League.

According to the Good Food Institute, a shift to plant-based proteins could free up as much land as the size of China and India combined. The repurposed land could also remove 26 gigatons of carbon dioxide per year, which is equivalent to half of the global pollution produced annually.

Prioritizing plant-based protein would also free up Earth's freshwater. Switching from animal-based meat to plant-based alternatives would reduce water consumption by up to 99%, per the GFI.

Those inspired by Jane Goodall's legacy should try plant-based products such as Vetain's protein powder, vegan fast food at Hart House, or going vegan for Veganuary.

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