Why 'Meat Free Mondays'?


By Elaina De Meyere

Sir Paul McCartney is the new face of the Meat Free Mondays (MFM) movement, which on Monday, June 15th, launched an ambitious campaign with the goal of, you guessed it, making Mondays meat free.

The central purpose of the MFM campaign is for participants to go one day per week without eating meat (including fish) in order to slow the onset of global climate change  by reducing the amount of CO2 generated through industrial meat production. Alleviating global hunger and improving domestic animal welfare are also at the heart of this campaign, as both are detrimentally impacted by the voracious appetite of the western world. It's a simple concept - grain that could otherwise be sent to the third world is instead being gobbled up by our cows, pigs, and chickens. Decreased demand for meat would result in decreased livestock and poultry populations, and, consequently, the availability of more grain supplies for human consumption. Factory farms, notorious for the deplorable conditions in which they keep animals, would become less congested as a result of decreased demand, allowing penned animals a better quality of life simply through the provision of more space.

"If Americans were to reduce their meat consumption by only 10 percent, it would free over 12 million tons of grain annually for human consumption. That, all by itself, would be enough to adequately feed every one of the 60 million human beings who will starve to death on the planet this year."
- John Robbins, Diet For A New America

Maintaining one's health is also a focal point of the campaign. Myriad studies have linked diets rich in meat and dairy to ailments such as heart disease and obesity, and even certain types of cancers. By reducing our intake of meats, we lessen our chances of developing any of these devastating illnesses.

These are all compelling reasons to observe a meat free day every week. But how can we convince our carnivorous friends and family members to make such a commitment, which might seem impossible or at the very least undesirable upon first hearing? Maybe a history lesson will do the trick.

Going meat free one day per week is not a novel concept. In fact, as a nationwide initiative, it's one whose origins extend back to World War I. Meatless Mondays and Wheatless Wednesdays were part of a national campaign run by the U.S. Food Administration that encouraged Americans to voluntarily reduce their consumption of meat (cattle, hog, and sheep), wheat, sugar, and fat, in an effort to feed Allied Europe and the American soldiers fighting there. Central to the success of the campaign was the education of American housewives in the art of food substitution without compromising taste or nutritional benefits. Federal and state level home economists, predominantly women, bolstered the campaign through the creation of innovative recipes and educational programs that saw even school aged children versed in the importance of food substitution, food preservation, and the folly of food waste.

Spurred on by the campaign slogan "Food Will Win the War" the campaign brought about a 15% reduction in domestic food consumption without rationing, and saw 18,500,000 tons of food sent to Europe between 1918 and 1919.

What the success of Meatless Mondays and Wheatless Wednesdays proved was that the simple act of abstaining from meat and wheat one day per week made a huge difference to the outcome of the war. Who's to say that by doing the same now, we won't make a similar difference in the fight against climate change, world hunger, the demand for animal rights, and the health of our nation? Ninety years ago, Americans were willing to voluntarily alter their lifestyles if it meant contributing to the greater good. Is it possible that we're capable of the same level of personal sacrifice in this day and age?

The MFM campaign is off and running. So, let's get on board and Help! each other out by making the world a better, healthier place to live.

Source article: www.supportmfm.org
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Previous Comments

Anonymous commented on 22-Jul-2009 08:41 PM5 out of 5 stars
wonderful idea
Mark Brewer commented on 22-Jul-2009 09:27 PM5 out of 5 stars
I think this is a good start. Why wait for Monday, make everyday free of cruelty.
Anonymous commented on 22-Jul-2009 09:43 PM5 out of 5 stars
Meat is not the enemy, processed and gm food is
Anonymous commented on 23-Jul-2009 12:17 AM5 out of 5 stars
Republic of Congo as "grim," with as many as 2 million internally displaced persons cut off from humanitarian agencies because of fighting and general insecurity throughout the country. There's plenty of food, but no way to get it to the people! This is just one small example. Meat consumption or not isn't going to stop the real problems.
Justin commented on 23-Jul-2009 02:12 AM5 out of 5 stars
Cows shouldn't be eating grains, they eat grass. The kind of grains they are feeding these cattle is unfit for human consumption, it is full of mycotoxins.

The majority of the population is gluten intolerant anyway. Healthy grass fed meat and fats, organic vegtables and fruit are the answer. Not giving the population these awful poluted grains
Robert commented on 23-Jul-2009 02:48 AM1 out of 5 stars
"The central purpose of the MFM campaign is ... to slow the onset of global climate change by reducing the amount of CO2 generated through industrial meat production." This statement is based on disputed and I believe, faulty and politically motivated science (Search YouTube: global warming carbon tax scam).

Moreover, properly raised grass-fed cattle do NOT deplete the world's grain supply, as there are many areas unsuitable for raising grain but suitable for grazing cattle.

A weekly fast would be perhaps an even better option than a weekly day of abstinace. The health benefits of fasting are undisputed. Fasting for spiritual and physical health has been practiced for centuries, and many health experts recommend a fast one day per week for optimum health.
Anonymous commented on 23-Jul-2009 10:48 PM5 out of 5 stars
I agree Robert. Global Warming is a campaign motivated by politicians. Cows should be grass fed and not fed grains! I think some of these ideas are started with good intention, but are not thought through very well.
Anonymous commented on 24-Jul-2009 07:30 AM5 out of 5 stars
This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard of. If you wish to be vegetarian go for it but the processing of meat in most countries is not the issue. I agree that most of the global warming issue is about politics. Yes we need to be more aware of the destruction and bad farming techniques but most countries are already addressing this. If we had the records for the weather patterns etc for the last thousand or million years we would probably see the same cycle.
Sandra commented on 25-Jul-2009 03:56 AM5 out of 5 stars
We in New Zealand are fortunate to have many diets available such as Italian pastas and tomatoes, chinese stir fry veges and amazing Indian curries that all do not require meat to enjoy thoroughly. Its once for beef, once for chicken and once for fish a week, then all the other interesting meet-free recipes with homegrown veges in between. Get wholesome!
Cazare commented on 19-Oct-2011 12:17 AM5 out of 5 stars
Becoming a vegetarian is probably the best thing I ever done in my life. My parents live in the countryside and they have a little farm with some animals. When I go visit them they always give a chicken or some pork and I give the meat to my poor neighbors.
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