A planet-friendly diet
I was at the Vegetarian Food Fair in Toronto this past weekend and I was amazed at how much the focus has become organic, fair-trade and the environment. There were still booths set up for the animal welfare organizations but it seems with the buzz around environmental health, there has been a shift in message. On the Toronto Vegetarian Association’s Vegetarian Directory 2009 (a bible for vegetarians and vegans alike in the GTA) there is a reference to a “vegetarian world”. Let me be honest…
…I struggle with this. I have been a vegetarian for 16 years and of those years, a vegan for 11. I feel that my location, my society and my economic situation allow me the opportunity to eat a vegan diet and apply vegan principles to my life. Let me also say that my location, my society and my economic situation create the responsibility for me to eat a vegan diet. However, I do not believe in the so-called “vegan planet”. I imagine the Inuit who live in an area with no vegetation and whose culture is centred on wildlife, do not believe in it either. Nor do the people of Lhasa who live up in the Himalayans without anything but yaks to survive on. I know the TVA’s audience does not include these two communities by virtue of geography but we must remember that not everyone is like us and we should be both realistic and respectful.
This being said, I am very supportive of the TVA for working to create greater understanding of the positive role a vegetarian diet can play in reducing our collective ecological footprint. Having been a vegetarian for so long, it’s not much of a challenge anymore. But because a vegetarian diet encourages creativity and improvisation in meal planning and demands searching for alternatives, I still rely on vegetarian resources including local organizations. And for those just starting out? Well they can be invaluable.
Filed under: Inspired Living
