Meat Free Monday – Introduction

Meat Free Monday is a campaign to highlight the benefits of reducing UK meat consumption from the current unsustainable levels. With the nation gripped by an obesity epidemic, and extreme weather events driven by climate change already threatening food supplies, we are fortunate to have a simple solution to both problems at hand: cutting down on meat.

A growing number of people are waking up to the impact meat and dairy production has. For a start it is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The meat supply chain causes problems both in producing feed for animals – which drives deforestation in the Amazon – and at intensive farms that create a lot of pollution. To have a sustainable meat industry we need to reduce the demand for meat.

The need for change couldn’t be clearer. If everyone in the UK went meat-free on Mondays we would save the carbon equivalent of taking 5 million cars off the road. It is therefore evident that to reduce the impact of climate change we need to tackle one of the biggest causes of increasing greenhouse gas emissions. A meat-free day can also help reduce your chance of getting heart disease, because foods such as beans, peas, nuts and seeds contain little or no saturated fat.

Local MP John Leech is taking our campaign to Westminster. He’s tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM 669) calling on Parliament to go meat-free on Mondays. We need as many MPs as possible to sign this EDM. Ask your MP to join in! To find your MP visit www.theyworkforyou.com or for more information on the EDM, and a template letter for you to send to your MP, see www.call4.org/campaigns/meat-free-monday

Did you know?
• Producing one kilogram of beef results in more CO₂ emissions than going for a three-hour drive while leaving all the lights on at home.
• Around 634 gallons of water is required to make a 147g beef burger – the equivalent of running a shower for four hours.
• Raising animals for the production of meat is also responsible for 64 per cent of global ammonia emissions, affecting biodiversity.
• Every year, 17 million hectares of tropical rainforest is destroyed. Seventy per cent of cleared land in the Amazon is used as pasture for cattle, and much of the remainder to grow animal feed for use in factory farms. Forests play a key role in mitigating climate change. Apart from storing carbon, they store water, generate rainfall and stabilise the soil. By clearing forests, soil becomes exposed and releases methane into the atmosphere, increasing the impact of climate change.
Some health facts:
• Fat in meat boosts the amount of cholesterol in the blood, leading to an increased risk of heart disease.
• In 2007, a World Cancer Research Fund report recommended limiting the consumption of red meat because of a ‘convincing’ link with colorectal cancer.
• Studies have shown that heavy metals and pesticides have been found in animal tissues. These toxins are stored in human body fat and can remain there for years.

To find out more about the national campaign visit www.supportmfm.org