Why Meat-Free Monday?

Climate change, global poverty, increasing rates of obesity and substandard animal welfare are all issues that we can address right now. Meat-Free Monday aims to encourage school communities to reduce their meat and fish consumption in order to help achieve the following goals:

Improve pupils' health: Reducing the consumption of meat, eggs and dairy products has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer, strokes, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity and other serious conditions. It's never too late – or too early – to change our habits for the better.

Protect the environment: A 2006 UN report summarised the devastation caused by the meat industry, calling it "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global". Furthermore, commercial fishing is wiping out biodiversity as miles of nets sweep up all the fish in their path and take coral-based habitats with them.

Help animals: Intensive farming and the transporting and slaughter of animals cause animals fear, pain and stress. Also, when dragged from the ocean depths, fish undergo painful decompression. By reducing our meat and fish consumption, we can decrease the number of animals who endure traumatic experiences.

Fight against world hunger: There is more than enough food in the world to feed the entire human population, yet some people are still starving. The WorldWatch Institute writes, "[M]eat consumption is an inefficient use of grain – the grain is used more efficiently when consumed by humans. Continued growth in meat output is dependent on feeding grain to animals, creating competition for grain between affluent meat-eaters and the world's poor".

By participating in Meat-Free Monday for one year or more – and by using the PETA Foundation's free accompanying resources in lessons and assemblies – pupils will better understand the global impact of the food they eat.