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Tobias Leenaert

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Tobias Leenaert
Leenaert in 2014
Born (1973-08-03) 3 August 1973 (age 53)
Ghent, Belgium
EducationGhent University
Occupations
  • Activist
  • author
  • educator
Known forAnimal rights and veganism activism
Notable workHow to Create a Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach (2017)
Websitetobiasleenaert.be

Tobias Leenaert (Dutch: [ˈtoːbijɑs ˈleːnɑrt]; born 3 August 1973) is a Belgian animal rights and veganism activist, author, and educator. He has advocated a pragmatic approach to vegan activism and has co-founded several vegan and vegetarian advocacy organisations, including the Center for Effective Vegan Advocacy, ProVeg International, and Ethical Vegetarian Alternative. He is the author of How to Create a Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach (2017) and writes the blog The Vegan Strategist.

Early life and education

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Tobias Leenaert was born in Ghent, Belgium, on 3 August 1973.[1][2] He speaks Dutch and English.[3] Leenaert studied German studies at Ghent University.[1]

Activism

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Leenaert on the role of meat reducers (University of Basel)

In 2000, Leenaert co-founded Ethical Vegetarian Alternative (EVA) in Flanders, which he led until 2015.[1] He originated Thursday Veggie Day in Ghent,[4] which was launched in 2009.[5] He also co-founded the Center for Effective Vegan Advocacy with Melanie Joy,[6] and was a co-founder of ProVeg International.[7]

Leenaert has argued for a pragmatic approach to vegan activism that does not rely only on moral arguments.[8] In 2017, he published How to Create a Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach. He also writes the blog The Vegan Strategist.[9] His methods have been criticised by some abolitionist animal rights advocates, including Roger Yates.[9]

Leenaert gives lectures and workshops on vegan advocacy.[10][11] He has also written and spoken about wild animal suffering, which he has described as being as important as the suffering of domesticated animals.[12][13]

Personal life

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Leenaert lives in Ghent with his partner, seven cats, and two dogs.[14] He identifies as an effective altruist.[15]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 Desmet, Lieven (25 August 2021). "'De kip is het meest mishandelde dier op deze planeet'" ['The chicken is the most abused animal on this planet']. De Morgen (in Belgian Dutch). Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  2. ↑ "Interview Tobias Leenaert. 'Tegen radicale veganisten zeg ik: wees niet zo'n eikel'" [Interview Tobias Leenaert. "To radical vegans I say don't be such a jerk"]. Gemeente voor de Toekomst (in Dutch). 25 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  3. ↑ "Tobias Leenaert". Expertendatabank. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  4. ↑ "Go veggie and change the world". The Bulletin. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  5. ↑ Harrell, Eben (27 May 2009). "Where's the Beef? Ghent Goes Vegetarian". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  6. ↑ Ahituv, Netta (28 April 2017). "Will Israel Become the World's First Vegan Country?". Haaretz. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  7. ↑ Dhont, Kristof; Hodson, Gordon, eds. (2019). Why We Love and Exploit Animals: Bridging Insights from Academia and Advocacy. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-18142-6.
  8. ↑ Doctor, Vikram (11 November 2018). "How Vegans can win or lose in India". The Economic Times. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  9. 1 2 Elliott, Tim (6 July 2019). "The brutal battle for the soul of veganism". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  10. ↑ Ramírez, Dulce (25 November 2018). "Hacia un futuro vegano: hacer del veganismo un movimiento de masas" [Towards a vegan future: making veganism a mass movement]. SinEmbargo MX (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  11. ↑ "Dónde estamos y adónde nos dirigimos" [Where we are and where we are going]. El Diario (in Spanish). 8 June 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  12. ↑ VeganKanal (7 September 2019). "10 things I changed my mind about in 20 years of vegan activism - Tobias Leenaert [IARC 2019]". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  13. ↑ Leenaert, Tobias (1 June 2016). "The extremely inconvenient truth of wild animal suffering". The Vegan Strategist. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  14. ↑ "Tobias Leenaert". International Animal Rights Conference. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  15. ↑ Leenaert, Tobias. "About". The Vegan Strategist. Archived from the original on 31 May 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
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