Always Thursdays have the Ghent everything on their plate except meat – by law! Since May 2009, the public canteens and school cafeterias serve no dead animals on the plates. Also nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools joined the project. Since September all 35 school canteens in Ghent serve only vegetarian dishes. Also the kids are not allowed to bring meat from the house that day.
Less meat consumption for health, resources and climat
Vegetables are healthy, it tastes good and it does not make fat. That’s what the children learn in Ghent early. Less meat consumption also means protecting the environment. According to the UN, global animal herds are responsible for at least one-fifth of greenhouse gas emissions.
1800 animals per Belgians Average
1094 animals consumed a German during his life, so in some 80 years ( source meat Atlas 2014). An average Belgian eats about 1800 animals in his life. Even with a meat-free day a week could be saved 250 animals . It says so in the information brochure , received by schools of the city of Ghent.
The idea
Tobias Leenaert works for EVA, the Belgian vegetarian organization that had the idea for the vegetarian Thursday. High meat consumption is still considered socially acceptable, it is not socially proscribed. But even that will change, Leenaert said five years ago. “It’s important that would ever thought about the consequences of meat consumption,”he says.
In Belgium, already two other cities have followed suit and pop star Paul McCartney makes at public events promoting the Ghent initiative.
Source : DW : meat ban in Gent / author : Nina Haase, Edited by: Manfred Götzke Arte Journal ;
Tags: thursdays without meat