There are at least two fully vegan communities where people have been living and working together for decades, following the philosophy of veganism.
When people decide to embrace veganism, they often experience a profound shift in how they view the world around them. They realise that their everyday choice, from what they eat to what they wear, can be aligned with a philosophy of total non-violence that tries to exclude all forms of exploitation of sentient beings. However, living as an ethical vegan in a society dominated by carnist infrastructure can sometimes feel isolating. This is why the fourth developmental stage of veganism, community, is so vital for the long-term sustainability of our movement. While many vegans find solidarity in online groups, activist collectives, or local meetups, some have taken this commitment a step further by creating intentional physical spaces where veganism is not merely an individual practice, but the foundational principle of collective life.
A vegan community could be defined as a group of vegans living and working together in the same residential settings, operating as a community (other than an animal sanctuary) whose rules and policies also follow the vegan philosophy. Unlike a sanctuary, whose primary objective is providing lifelong rescue and care for Nonhuman Animals who have been liberated from human exploitation, a vegan community is designed around human residents who build an integrated, self-sustaining social and operational model. Within such spaces, governance, communal meals, land management, and economic activities are all guided by the imperative to do no harm to other sentient beings. In a way, we could say they are miniaturised versions of the Vegan World of the future, which is the objective of the veganism movement, and therefore they play the vital role of showing that such a world is feasible.
Building and maintaining such an intentional community over long periods is notoriously challenging, yet a few pioneering projects have managed to survive and flourish across decades. There may be several long-lived communities around the world that follow a vegetarian diet, and others whose members are vegan, but not all their community practices are vegan-friendly, but there are at least two remarkable fully vegan communities that are still going strong today after decades.
Gentle World
Founded between 1970 and 1971 by a young couple, Light and Sun, Gentle World began as a collective vision to create a peaceful, sustainable, and gentler way of living. Light and Sun embraced veganism in February 1970 out of a clear moral certainty that participating in violence towards any sentient individual was fundamentally wrong. At a time when the word “vegan” was virtually unknown to the general public, they brought together a dedicated group of like-minded individuals who agreed to live and work under shared ethical principles initially in Florida (although they later moved to Hawaii).
In 1979, Gentle World formalised its mission by incorporating as a non-profit educational organisation. Over the past half-century, the community has operated educational centres, notably on the Big Island of Hawaii and, since 2000, on the North Island of New Zealand. The core purpose of Gentle World has always been to provide an active, practical example of vegan living. The volunteer members live together, work the land, produce vegan cookbooks, host visitors, and deliver free educational workshops, presentations, and plant-based cooking classes.
For the members of Gentle World, veganism is not viewed simply as a diet or a lifestyle choice, but as an evolutionary philosophy. By opening their doors to guests from all over the world, they offer visitors an immersive experience of what a truly compassionate human culture looks like. Their enduring presence over five decades proves that a dedicated community can successfully maintain strict ethical standards while remaining deeply engaged in educational outreach.
Sadhana Forest
Established on 19 December 2003 by Aviram Rozin, his wife Yorit Rozin, and their daughter Osher, Sadhana Forest began on 70 acres of severely eroded, arid land in Auroville, South India. The founding family set out with the ambitious objective to restore the endangered Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest (an ecosystem of which less than 0.01% remained) while living a life rooted in compassion, veganism, and selfless service.
From its inception, Sadhana Forest was structured as a fully vegan, volunteer-based, off-grid community operating on a gift economy. The community explicitly forbids the consumption or use of any animal-derived products, as well as the use of Nonhuman Animals for labour or agriculture. Instead, residents and international volunteers practice veganic agroforestry, planting indigenous, drought-resistant, food-bearing trees, harvesting rainwater, and using zero-waste, sustainable technologies.
Over the years, Sadhana Forest has planted over 350,000 trees and naturally regenerated over 750,000 more, creating a flourishing habitat where over 150 wild animal species — including native birds, insects, and small mammals — have returned to live in safety. The success of the initial Indian site has allowed Sadhana Forest to expand its model to other international locations, including long-term ecological projects in Haiti and Kenya. By offering free educational programs, zero-cost community meals, and hands-on environmental training, Sadhana Forest stands as a powerful, modern blueprint for how vegan community living can actively repair broken ecosystems and nurture a gentler world.
