There are plenty of valuable reasons for eliminating meat from one’s diet.

Most people choose vegetarianism out of responsibility and respect for animal life. As a matter of fact, animals are beings that are capable of feelings – anyone who lives with a dog or cat knows that. A cow or a pig are in no way different: they hold the very same right to life and freedom.

Vegetarianism has also a deep impact on the environment. Intensive farming, where animals are led to constantly reproduce, destroys thousands of hectares of rainforest every year in order to create pastures and forage fields. Moreover, Worldwatch Institute recently reported that among industrial businesses, farming is one of the most pollutant – scoring 51% of greenhouse gases produced by human activity.

What many people are not aware of, is that giving up meat can actually help to fight world hunger. In order to obtain a kilo of meat, an animal must be fed on average with 15 kilos of vegetables. If those vegetables were used to feed humans, there would be enough for the whole planet.

Vegetarian choice is possible. Plus, it is a choice for health. International boards like American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada state that a well-balanced vegetarian diet is complete from a nutritional point of view, suitable for all ages and can help prevent diseases such as tumors, cardiovascular illness, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis.

For further information, we suggest visiting the Vegetarian Resource Group and the PETA’s Vegetarian/Vegan Starter Kit web pages.