Veganer i Belgien

Information från belgiska veganvännerna;On World Vegetarian Day, veggie days are sprouting up all over
October 1 is World Vegetarian Day and the start of World Vegetarian Week. The initiative of the Belgian city of Ghent to install one official weekly vegetarian day is meeting with more and more enthusiasm, both nationally and internationally. On this day, the Belgian vegetarian society EVA presents some exciting new Veggie Day activities and proclamations.
Thursday Veggie Day at the city schools of Ghent.In May the city of Ghent officially declared Thursday to be vegetarian days. Starting this week, 35 city schools (counting for 11.000 pupils) will participate. The students will be served vegetarian lunches on Thursdays, every week of the year. Affected are the daycare centers, preschools and elementary schools, and even the hotel school. Teachers receive educational material and an educational package is being developed for the students. The campaign image for the students features Little Red Riding Hood, saying “thank God it’s Thursday,” as the big bad wolf is on carrots.
Thursday Veggie Day in HasseltHasselt is the second Belgian city to launch a weekly veggie day. The councilman for health Toon Hermans is already convinced of the campaign’s merits. Hasselt’s restaurants have already received a ‘Veggie for Chefs’-brochure, and all 40.000 families in the city will receive a free vegetarian recipe booklet in their mail.
Thursday Veggie Day in MechelenThe city council of Mechelen declared on the 25th of September that they were ready to support the Thursday Veggie Day-campaign. Their office for sustainability was given the assignment of working out a project to inform the citizens about the benefits of eating less meat. Thursday Veggie Day in AntwerpThe city of Antwerp will take part in the World Veggie Day and places vegetarianism in the spotlights during the annual month of energy and environment. The local campaign includes talks, vegetarian workshops, and vegetarian specials in 15 restaurants.Thursday Veggie Day at Ikea At Ikea in Ghent the Veggie menu will receive extra care and attention. Costumers will be informed through panels and displays and can win a veggie cookbook. Veggieday in Sao PauloEven Sao Paulo (Brazil) got inspired by Ghent’s example and will start their weekly veggieday-campaign (for Mondays) on the 1st of October. Other cities and organisations will investigate the idea and in the meanwhile EVA keeps receiving questions from international sources for information.
A weekly veggie day is the best step towards a solution to one of the world’s biggest problems. The livestock sector is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions and high meat consumption increases the risk of cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease. 60 billion animals a year are killed for food, and 40% of grain is fed to livestock. The production of one kilogram of beef requires 15.000 litres of water. Nothing a consumer can do for a better world is as powerful as eating less meat.
Contact
Tobias Leenaert
EVA (Ethical Vegetarian Alternative)tobias@vegetarian.be0032 0494 64 69 38