Hoi An has joined the Vegetarian Day campaign to encourage people to commit to improving their personal health and that of the planet by going meat free one day a week.
Vegetarian Day is celebrated in many big cities around the globe such as San Francisco, Philadelphia and Los Angeles in the US - inspiring chefs, schools, parents, and students to make conscious choices to change their eating habits.
More than 40 countries worldwide have adopted their own versions of choosing one day a week to go meatless, meaning no meat, poultry or fish, but allowable foods do include dairy items and eggs.
In support of the campaign, the City will host a food fair on August 16 at the Hoi An Statue Garden featuring a wide range of vegetarian dishes. At the event guests will get an intimate chance to chat with chefs and get great tips on how to adopt a vegetarian diet.
The world average of annual meat consumption (excluding dairy and eggs) is 38.7 kg per person. This number varies largely from 3.2 kg per capita in India to 125.7 kg per capita in the US.
It is estimated that meat production will almost double by 2050, reaching 455 million metric tons if current dietary trends and population growth were to continue. This means that 75% of total expected harmful global greenhouse emissions by 2050 will be attributed to meat consumption alone.
It is time to take action said Hoi An city officials, and encourage individual actions on climate change by encouraging people to take the meat out of their plates at least one day a week for the sake of humans, animals and the planet.