On 7-8 October 2008, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the United Nations marked the anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights which assures everyone's entitlement 'to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food'.

Sixty years after signing that declaration of good will, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is planning the celebration of World Food Day 2008 to 'highlight the plight of 923 million undernourished people in the world'.


What went wrong?

Why are almost one billion people still excluded from the most basic of Human Rights in the 21st century?

"Every child who dies of hunger in today's world has been murdered," accused Jean Ziegler, former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. Indeed, how can any society calling itself civilized accept that while worldwide every five seconds a child dies because she or he is hungry, around 1.5 billion cows and bulls and an astronomical number of other farm animals are being fed with a huge share of available crops?

More than the populations of USA, Canada and the EU do not have enough to eat

National and international decision makers have initiated a multitude of projects and campaigns in their fight against hunger; unfortunately, nothing has improved the situation. The non-stop misery caused by hunger calls urgently for fresh strategies, of which vegetarianism must be one!

In the interest of justice and humanity the present wasting of 7-16 kg of grain or soy beans, up to 15,500 litres of water, and 323 m2 of grazing land that yields just one kilo of beef cannot be allowed to continue.

23 September 2008 was 'Overshoot Day' - milestone when humanity will have used all the resources nature will generate this year:  http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=overshoot

Considering that globally, we now require the equivalent of 1.4 planets to support our lifestyles, 'Overshoot Day' should be a wake-up call for politicians and individuals alike.


With the aim of helping people in need, saving the environment and boosting public health, the reduction or the end of eating meat is the easiest and most beneficial way ahead.

The fact that we do have more than enough resources to feed everyone must no longer be compromised by the greed for meat.

For references see  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/07/food.beef and  http://www.evana.org/index.php?id=38147

International Day of Action Against McDonalds:  http://www.veggies.org.uk/event.php?ref=50

Vegan Campaigns (London):  http://www.vegancampaigns.org.uk

Nottingham Vegan Free Food Give-Aways:  http://www.veggies.org.uk/event.php?ref=1400

Past events have included:

July 31st & August 21st outside McNasty -  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/08/405531.html

July 4th, in advance of Viva!’s Incredible Veggie Roadshow -  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/07/402884.html

June 3rd: Day of Action on Food and Climate Change -  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/06/400106.html

May 15th: McLibel Human Rights Anniversary -  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/05/399158.html