Beyoncé and Jay-Z are encouraging their fans to adopt a plant-based diet, explaining that becoming vegan is, in their opinion, a matter of global importance.

With a combined net worth of approximately £990m and scores of musical accolades between them, the Carters are regarded as one of the most powerful couples in the world.

They’re now using their influence to promote the benefits of veganism just in time for Veganuary, an annual challenge that sees many people attempting to follow a plant-based diet throughout the month of January.

The pair wrote about the impact veganism has had on their lifestyles in the introduction for The Greenprint: Plant-Based Diet, Best Body, Better World, a book by Beyoncé’s personal trainer Marco Borges.

“We used to think of health as a diet – some worked for us, some didn’t,” they state, according to People.

“Once we looked at health as the truth, instead of a diet, it became a mission for us to share that truth and lifestyle with as many people as possible.”

They continue, emphasising the positive impact becoming vegan can have on the environment.

“We all have a responsibility to stand up for our health and the health of the planet,” they write.

“Let’s take this stand together. Let’s spread the truth. Let’s make this mission a movement.”

In March 2018, Beyoncé revealed she was following a plant-based diet when preparing for her headlining performances at Coachella music festival.

She announced her lifestyle change by posting a photo of some food on Instagram alongside the caption: “44 days until Coachella!! Vegan Time!!”

The singer followed a vegan diet formulated by the 22 Days Nutrition meal planner, a programme she co-founded alongside her husband and Borges.

Jay-Z wrote about going vegan in a 2013 blog post on the 22 Days Nutrition website, describing it as a “spiritual and physical cleanse.”

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A recent survey conducted by comparethemarket.com discovered more than 3.5m Brits now identify as vegan, a number that’s risen drastically over the past few years.

Professor Carolyn Roberts, former director of the Environmental Sustainability Knowledge Transfer Network at the University of Oxford, believes this increase may be largely due to a shift in attitude towards environmental issues.

“Estimates suggest that if all of our meat eaters switched to a vegan diet, it would roughly halve total greenhouse gas emissions associated with food,” she said.