No Meat May is a campaign that challenges people to eliminate meat from their diets for 31 days, for their health, the environment, animals, and food security. As noted on the organization’s website, surveys confirm that 94% of people reduce or eliminate meat permanently after participating in the challenge.
“We grappled with whether we should still run No Meat May during a global crisis,” No Meat May Founders Ryan Alexander and Guy James Whitworth shared in a statement on their website.” With lives and livelihoods being lost, we wondered whether the world would have capacity for our humble challenge. But, after much deliberation, we decided pushing on is the right thing to do.”
Especially during these unprecedented times, No Meat May serves as a way for people to connect to a supportive community, while also helping their health and the world around them.
“One thing COVID-19 is teaching us is that we can and must live differently to protect the most vulnerable; and that includes animals and our fragile planet,” continued the Founders. “Also, what better time to experiment with delicious, plant-based cooking than when you are held up at home?”
While No Meat May started with a group of 30, seven years later it is now a global campaign experiencing exponential growth, with thousands of new recruits participating each year. Approximately 25,000 have reportedly signed up for the 2020 challenge.
The following are the four main reasons to participate in ‘No Meat May’ and why it is more important than ever. Here are some thought-provoking excerpts from the statement:
Do it for your health
This pandemic is making us all more aware of the importance of caring for our health. Plant foods are packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients, which lift our immunity and lower our risk of disease.
The evidence is also strong that the way meat is produced, and not just in China, contributed to COVID-19. Some infectious disease experts think we have actually gotten off lightly with the current pandemic, as many more diseases passed from animals to humans have higher mortality rates.
Do it for the environment
We welcome the much-needed breathing space our natural world is getting because humans have had to pause. But, our planet is still hurting. Forests are still being cleared at unprecedented rates to meet a growing demand for meat. That’s even after the crippling bushfire crisis in Australia just a few months ago. And the mystical, intelligent life in our oceans is still under constant threat from overfishing.
Do it for the animals
One beautiful impact of this crisis is that it is showing us how interconnected we all are. We are witnessing how much our individual actions matter. And we are changing how we live to save the lives of people we may never meet.
I hope we can extend this collective care to all the beautiful and sentient creatures we share our world with. Pigs, cows, chickens, and other animals continue to suffer unbearably in factory farms. It is industrial scale cruelty and injustice that you can help stop by changing how you eat.
Do it for food equity
There is still so much inequity in our food system, with a billion people around the world not having enough to eat. Yes, we are all in this pandemic together. But, those in developing countries who are already battling hunger and poverty will be hardest hit. You can help create a more sustainable food system by embracing plant-based eating – which feeds more of us for less.
The No Meat May website also includes free recipes, cooking demonstrations, shopping lists, and more.
Join the inspiring No Meat May community today to stand up for our global community, your health, animals, and the planet, HERE!
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