Meat-free day

A Veggieday, Veggietag or vegetarian day (English meatfree day) is a day in the week on which undertake local authorities and public or private institutions, offer no dish with meat, but only vegetarian food in their commercial kitchens.

• 2.1 International
• 2.2 Germany

Background

Justifications

For vegetarian or vegan days in canteens environmental and food policy reasons are cited as particularly relevant under the two approaches problems of animal production. Thus indicate the proponents that the feeding of animals for meat is energetically and economically inefficient because the feed (among cereals, soybeans, corn, rice) in direct processing and eating a lot more people could feed or otherwise considered taking acreage that went so lost on an already inadequate nutrition of people. In addition, the intensive livestock and especially factory farming bring a strong impact on the environment, including by a high water and land use with it, as well as emissions, also affect the climate.

Furthermore, attention is drawn to the risk of disease, which would be reinforced by intensive livestock farming and was difficult to control, as can also carry on the massive use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, the resistant strains of bacteria. In addition, health aspects are given meat -rich diet and adopted on the basis of nutritional physiology or stressed claimed by vegetarians benefits to human health through plant-based diet styles.

Most Veggieday initiatives distance themselves from an ethical argument for veganism or vegetarianism. Veggieday initiatives are therefore more likely to find in the environmental movement as in animal ethics movement. Although Veggieday initiators of the new animal welfare often share fundamental ethical motives of vegetarianism, but they do not wear or strongly subordinated to the political discourse.

Christian Rauffus, CEO of Rügenwalder mill and one of the largest local sausage producers in Germany, supported the proposal of the "Veggie Day". Süddeutsche Zeitung led to an interview Rauffus with Handelsblatt. There was a trend for the SZ According Flexitarismus identify, many people wanted to eat meat in moderation and with a clear conscience, as well 'll occasionally vegetarian food more popular. The consolidated plan in the face of shrinking meat market in future offer meatless products such as soy chips.

Weekday

As " Veggietag " is proposed the Monday or Thursday. On the other hand is already traditionally introduced in Christianity Friday as a weekly fish or Mehlspeisentag, especially in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches. The Protestant denominations refer fasting ( again) in religious practice, where resistance to uniform specifications Almost like the Zurich sausage meal with the Reformation story belongs.

In the predominantly Protestant United States a meat- free Monday has already been introduced as Meatless Monday as part of wartime rationing in the First and Second World War. Due to the campaigns conducted by Herbert Hoover in the U.S. Food Administration 1917-1919 he became very well known.

Reactions

Internationally

Since May 2009, there are officially in the Belgian city of Ghent a " vegetarian Thursday", the vegetarian offer is available at the cafeterias and restaurants in the foreground. The city government provided human and financial support, about a hundred restaurants volunteered to participate. Other Belgian cities such as Hasselt and Mechelen have joined the initiative.

In the United States, the campaign for a vegetarian day of The Monday Campaigns Inc. goes out. Washington, DC, San Francisco and Los Angeles are among the cities in the U.S., who have also decided to introduce a meatless day of the week. In other countries, cities such as Sao Paulo and Cape Town have a meatless day.

Germany

In Germany, the campaign for the introduction of a Veggietages from Vegetarian Union Germany ( VEBU ) is worn. Partners in the VEBU include the Albert Schweitzer Foundation, Peta, Four Paws and the Global Marshall Plan.

In January 2010, Bremen has established as the first city in Germany to Meatless Monday. The project was implemented by the Community Foundation of Bremen and is supported by the red-green Senate. In the Bremer coalition agreement in 2011 between the SPD and Alliance 90/The Greens support the Veggieday is discussed explicitly. The Greens had already called in mid-2010 with an application in the citizenry the introduction of a Veggieday in Bremen large kitchens and canteens.

Since then, several city councils have decided to join the initiative. Particularly wide support for commercial kitchens and restaurants in Münster, Marburg and Göttingen. Especially Unimensen have introduced in greater numbers vegetarian days.

See also: Meat consumption in Germany

Debate in Germany

During the election campaign prior to the elections in 2013 saw the three years standing demand of the Greens to introduce the Veggietag as a standard for excitement and indignation in ranks of the opposition parties and the FDP as well as in parts of the press, she was also known as laughing stock of the campaign. The response was particularly high in social networks; the subject was in a short time to campaign hit. The Veggietag became a representation of the Greens as " anti-pleasure ", " killjoy " or "party of prohibitions " used. Proponents noted that the proposal could be enforced not by law and according to the ideas of the Greens and should. The Veggietagforderung was repeatedly, in addition to a faulty election campaign, made ​​by leading green for the opposite to the survey results since 2011 dramatically lower voter approval responsibility. In particular, from Baden- Württemberg were critical voices, so by Silke cancer, Boris Palmer and Winfried Kretschmann, among other things, in the Swabian newspaper. " Take the ' Veggie Day'. Since paternalism is also expressed with a anglicism and at the same time infantilized. With so little to go on people's nerves. " ( Winfried Kretschmann: dpa )