By Lihwen Hsu, VFPC Working Group 

After the presentation and co-facilitation of a discussion on sustainable diets by Eleanor Boyle, author of “High Steaks: Why and How to Eat Less Meat”, at the Vancouver Food Policy Council’s February meeting, an idea was discussed to get City Council to create a proclamation for a ‘Meatless Monday’ on May 6^th!

To grasp an understanding of what Meatless Monday is, it starts with what is on our plate. The food that we eat comes from the earth and what we have on that plate varies. Where we get our food, how we get our food, what we get, and why we get it, are questions that are often not asked in our daily routine.

Meatless Monday is an event that gives us pause to think about it. It is about healthy sustainable eating for ourselves and for the environment. By making a Monday, meat-free, it causes people to become more aware of the environmental impact their food choices make.  Livestock uses 30% of the earth’s entire land surface, responsible for a large portion of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (FAO, 2006) that contribute to climate change. By reducing the meat intake in our diet, it can also decrease the risk for health risks such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

We can eat less meat. We can buy meat raised sustainably and compassionately, and we can encourage a better food policy to support this. We are not only doing it for our environment, but also for our communities and ourselves.  The City of Vancouver has the opportunity to become the first Canadian city to adopt this, give your support and tell your friends about it!

Learn more at http://meatlessmonday.ca

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Also, check out this short film directed by Ali Rashti and Russell Bennett, called “Meathead”: