Press Releases from the EVU
Brussels, 1 October 2003
World Vegetarian Day Appeal on 1 October 2003
On the occasion of World Vegetarian Day, the European Vegetarian Union,
an umbrella organisation serving the interests of millions of vegetarians
in Europe, appeals for more respect for the vegetarian way of life.
The choice of such a lifestyle is based on a large variety of reasons,
some of which are
…health considerations
"… appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally
adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment
of certain diseases." (Position of the American Dietetic Association
and Dietitians of Canada -June 2003)…
Compassion for animals
* "800 million chickens, 15 million sheep, 9 million pigs and 3 million
cattle are slaughtered every year in the UK". (Compassion in World
Farming)
* "The question is not, Can they reason nor, Can they talk? but,
Can they suffer?" (Jeremy Bentham)
…ecological awareness
Example water shortages: It takes 100.000 litres of water to produce one
kilogram of beef and just 500 litres for one kilogram of potatoes. (from
Compassion in World Farming Trust, 2002)
…individual contribution to solve the global hunger problem
*About three-fifth of world consumption of coarse grains is used for animal
feed.
* A growing share of wheat is used for animal feed in the industrial countries
– 45 percent of total use in the EU.
*It is expected that "even by 2030 about 440 million undernourished
may remain" (Source: FAO – World agriculture 2015/2030)
The above mentioned reasons and many other principles of vegetarianism
motivate a growing number of people to change their way of eating. But
in spite of ever more vegetarians, it must be noted that normally the
overall support for the individual vegetarian is small, or even non-existent.
In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations
General Assembly resolution in December 1948, it is stated under Article
25 that " Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate
for the health and well-being of himself and of his family…"
For the vegetarian, only a diet without meat or fish provides the "adequate
standard of living" for himself and his family. Therefore vegetarians
will use the opportunity of World Vegetarian Day to appeal once more to
decision makers and industry to provide the services which they are entitled
to: sufficient suitable food choices in all governmental and other state-subsidised
facilities (hospital, schools etc) and decent alternatives in the food-
and catering industry.
European Vegetarian Union
e-Mail
website: www.european-vegetarian.org
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