International Day Without Meat ( International Day Without Meat ) many countries have been celebrating since 1985. On this day, March 20, shops and restaurants refuse to sell meat, and activists promote vegetarianism, as well as ideas of compassion for animals and environmental protection.
In some countries, the holiday received state support: for example, in Sri Lanka, government officials strongly recommend supermarket owners to refrain from meat products. In Russia, this date was first celebrated in 2012. In particular, in St. Petersburg, volunteers handed out fruits and leaflets to passers-by on the streets about the benefits of vegetarianism for man and nature.
According to statistics, humanity annually kills more than 60 billion animals ( excluding fish, arthropods and mollusks ) in order to eat them. At the same time, about a billion people on the planet are starving and lacking clean drinking water. And for the production of one kilogram of meat today more than 10 kilograms of grain and over 15 liters of water are needed. Given the global meat production, the amount of grain used for this would be enough to feed all the starving inhabitants of the planet.
In addition, livestock produces 18 percent of greenhouse gases; it is more than all modes of transport combined. In addition, the destruction of forests to create new pastures and the depletion of land under fodder crops do not have the most beneficial effect on the planet’s biosphere.
Two more similar holidays are celebrated in the world. October 1 is considered World Vegetarian Day, and November 1, on the anniversary of the creation of « the Vegan Society », International Vegan Day is celebrated.
However, one should be especially attentive to the diet, using only vegetarian products in the diet. For a full life, the body needs a balanced complex of substances, among them proteins that are far from all plant products are especially important. In order for the necessary substances to enter the body enough, watch the diet! Use various whole grain cereals in combination with a variety of legumes, with non-strict vegetarianism, include full-fledged egg proteins and dairy products in the diet. Be healthy, eat yourself!