Cape Town supports meat free day
Cape Town has become the first city in Africa to officially endorse one meat-free day a week. The city may be the second city in the world to have officially endorsed a meat-free day a week, following on the heels of Ghent, in Belgium.
In a unanimous vote taken in council chambers on 6 April 2010, the City’s Health Portfolio Committee agreed to endorse the call by Compassion in World Farming (South Africa) for one meat-free day a week.
Tozie Zokufa, South African representative for Compassion in World Farming commented that: “It is a triumph. We started negotiating with the City Health Committee last December. Their decision yesterday to work with us on this issue is not only a triumph for human health, but also for the planet and animal welfare too.”
Cape Town, which was declared South Africa’s unhealthiest city last week, contains the most smokers, heaviest drinkers, lowest levels of physical activity and the most overweight residents.
A Discovery Vitality analysis of data collected during a series of wellness days at corporate clients around the country revealed these results.
Cutting meat out of your diet is one day to rectify this problem. The date of the official launch of Cape Town city’s one-meat-free-day-a-week, in cooperation with Compassion in World Farming (South Africa), will be announced shortly.
James Vos, chairman of the Health Portfolio committee, said: "We're not prescribing a specific day for giving it up”. However he urged Capetonians to give meat up at restaurants, at home and at work at least once a week.
Vos said he would speak to his colleagues about implementing the no-meat day at council kitchens and that "We need people to eat more healthily and then there are also environmental benefits."
In March, Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for the UK government said: “Our diet is warming the planet. It is also damaging our health.” He estimated that reducing meat consumption by 30% could save 18 000 human lives from premature disease every year in the UK alone.
Nutritional scientist affiliated to the University of Cape Town, Marjanne Senekal, said non-meat foods contained protein and are good alternatives to meat.
"A combination of legumes and some grains [will provide] all proteins needed; for instance, samp and beans, or rice and lentils. Otherwise eat cheese, eggs, soya products like soy mince and tofu, peanuts and peanut butter."
