A group pushes for a change in diet as a means of protecting the environment and living healthier through the World Meat Free Week event at People’s Park last week.
Harold Banggay, youth leader from #IAmHampaslupa and Mindanaoan Youth Development Center, said the ever high demand for meat consumption is responsible for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
“I can see that many of us still have not looked into what we are eating and how it contributes to damaging our planet. We need to challenge ourselves to ditch our fast-food culture, eat less meat and more locally and ecologically grown fruits, vegetables, and root crops,” he said.
In a report by event partner Greenpeace, “reducing meat and dairy consumption and production by 50% by 2050 could reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by 64%. Filipinos are heavy meat eaters. The 2017 Social Weather Stations Survey have shown that the largest proportion of the population (46%) eat meat a few times a week.”
The event, according to Bangay, will serve as a call to the youth to cut down its meat portions and help save the planet against climate change.
“The youth of Davao are challenging this system by cutting down on eating meat. Change can start form ourselves—and as youth we can make a big difference,” he added.
Likewise, they also called for the action of the government for legislation that will provide help for their campaign to save the environment, shift to a better lifestyle and help local farmers.
“(There is) a need for government officials to implement corresponding actions—pass needed laws and implement programs to provide consumers with access to affordable, safe and nutritious food, improve support to farmers so they can sustainably produce safe, healthy and ecologically plant-based food, and to further educate young people about food as it is related to people’s health, climate change, and the livelihood of the farmers,” Greenpeace Philippines Campaigner Virginia Benosa-Llorin said.
