PETALING JAYA: According to a survey conducted by a vegetarian resource group, 22% of the world population has stopped eating meat in 2023. These people have decided to abstain from eating meat for the rest of their life for a kinder and better world. The figures continue to rise as we see an increase in interest in plant-based diets.
Nov 25 is “International Meatless Day”, it is a day where millions all over the world pledge to abstain from consuming all forms of meat, fish and fowl for an entire 24 hours. The campaign began in 1986 by the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, with the purpose of promoting compassion, healthy living and environmental protection.
This year is no different, this campaign has been organised by the Malaysian Meatless Day Campaign Committee in Malaysia over the past 27 years with the sole aim of getting as many individuals and organisations as possible to pledge to go meatless tomorrow.
Malaysia is a well-known food paradise around the world, and no less of a vegetarian food paradise. On Wednesday, a new vegetarian restaurant by the name Sappadhutha Mukkiyam opened at 49 Bishop Street, Penang.
All the efforts go to the Malaysian Vegetarian Society (MVS) and Malaysian Meatless Day Campaign Committee with various food festivals and awareness campaigns held throughout the years.
MVS had various celebrities, from politicians to leaders of NGOs and members of the corporate world over the years. The campaign has brought an increased awareness among the public to include more vegetables and fruits in their daily diet.
How did it start?
Over the years, people around the world have started adopting a plant-based lifestyle. As such, we see new campaigns such as Meatless Mondays, Meatless Thursdays, Veganuary, 21 day-Vegan Challenges and so many more all around the world. MVS president Datuk Pishu Murli Hassaram took the opportunity to organise this campaign in Penang in 1996.
A long-time advocate for vegetarianism in Malaysia, he actively built a campaign that started in Penang and spread to the rest of the country. His aim was to create an awareness among people of the main benefits of going meatless for animal welfare and our health.
He and his team started by organising events and provided information to the public on the benefits of going meatless. With a strong will to see a greener world, he invited VIPs, personalities and even sportsmen to launch these events. During one of the events, he even got the former chief minister of Penang to be the guest of honour and pledge to go meatless for one day.
Seeing his determination and the future of a compassionate world, many NGOs participated in the campaign. They even got their members to pledge to go meatless for one day. Various speakers from around the country also came to speak at the functions. To show that plant-based meals can be as delicious as meat-based meals, Pishu has invited gourmet chefs to conduct cooking demonstrations.
With the invitation of the media, the increased publicity encouraged many people to participate and pledge to go meatless. Members of educational institutions, public hospitals, banks, hotels, departmental stores, newspapers, old folks homes and members of different ethnic groups pledged to go meatless. In many cases, staff canteens of hospitals and hotels offered only a vegetarian menu to their staff on International Meatless Day.
What if everyone stopped eating meat?
What would happen if the world stopped eating meat? It may not sound much, but big changes start from small steps a day.
An estimated 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced. Food production is responsible for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions due to cows burping methane.
A cow produces an average of 100kg of methane gas per year. Methane is such a potent greenhouse gas that a global switch to plant-based diets would cut emissions from food production by 28%.
It is estimated that humans could cut methane emissions by 45% by shifting to a plant-based diet.
About 68% of farmland in the world has been used for livestock rearing when it could be used to grow crops. Plant-based agriculture uses less land compared with animal farming, and additionally, planting a fifth of this with crops would produce the same amount of food as all the animals.
An area 1.5 times the size of Russia could be turned into meadow or forest to improve biodiversity.
As a result of that, 26 million sq km of land could be spared from grazing. The same amount of land can be used to produce more grains and vegetables, which in return creates more food to combat world hunger.
Around 200 million land animals are killed for food every day. If we leave animals off our plate even for a day, animal cruelty would become less common. Not only animals that are killed for meat could be saved, but also those that are exploited within the egg and dairy industries where animals experience overcrowding, inhumane treatment, poor hygiene, disease and a lack of medical care.
What if you stopped eating meat?
There are so many health benefits that one can achieve from not eating meat. A shift away from animal products and towards vegan food is proven to help treat, prevent, or even reverse various conditions. Meat, cheese, and highly processed foods causes elevated levels of inflammation in your body.
If people no longer ate animal-based foods, cholesterol and blood pressure could be brought down to safer levels, acne could become less frequent, people could experience better digestion and the rate of disease could decrease.
The consumption of animal products has also been linked to type-2 diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and some cancer forms including breast, colon, and rectal. Swapping out meat options for veggie options during the week helps you lower your calorie intake, increase your nutrient and vitamin intake and helps you slim down.
The belief that you will get protein deficiency if you do not eat meat has very much been proven to be a myth. In fact, it is extremely easy to get adequate protein from a variety of plant-based sources. Legumes, nuts, tofu and green leafy vegetables such as spinach are packed with protein and fibre, making them filling and healthy options to include in your meals.
Join the pledge
If you have always thought of adopting a plant-based lifestyle but do not know where to start, the meatless day campaign can be a good starting point. If you need a reason to pledge, try thinking for the animals, environment, and your health.
This year, we have many individuals and organisations joining us on this pledge to go meatless. A total of 160 residents and staff of the Silver Jubliee Home will pledge to go meatless once again. They will enjoy a delicious plate of vegetarian mee jawa in place of their usual lunch.
Also joining us on this pledge are Sentral College Penang CEO Dr Chiang Geok Lian and her faculty members, Penang Green Council general manager Josephine Tan and members, Ramakrishna Orphanage, Child Protection Society, Kamdar Department Stores staff, and Penang state executive councillor Daniel Gooi.
How are we celebrating this year?
Join us for a flavourful feast on World Meatless Day with MVS.
Dive into an All-Vegan Extravaganza for lunch at the Berjaya Cafe and enjoy a sumptuous spread perfect for the whole family.
Date: Saturday, Nov 25
Time: 12.30pm-3.30pm
Venue: Berjaya Cafe, Level 14 West, Berjaya Times Square Hotel Kuala Lumpur
