If its Monday, then its meat-free
WHILE World Meat Free Day debuted in the United Kingdom in 2015, about a hundred years before that the initiative to forego meat one day in a week came as a way for citizens to contribute to the war effort in the First World War. The battle is different now, as contributing to the war effort now means reducing our carbon footprint for the sake of the planet.
World Meat Free Day aims to shine light on the fact that livestock production is the second biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, second only to the energy sector. At its rate, it produces more greenhouse gasses than the transportation sector, which contributes to 14% of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, as opposed to the 18% that comes from the livestock industry.
On June 8, the Philippines launched its second World Meat Free Day — celebrated on June 12 — with guest chefs Florabel Co-Yatco and LA Cedeno preparing meat-free dishes using Quorn, a meat substitute derived from fungi. The dishes included Quorn Meat-Free Inasal ( like chicken barbecue), Quorn MeatFree Binakol (a soup with coconut water), Tortang Talong with Quorn Grounds (eggplant omelet), and a Waldorf salad. The dishes based on chicken, like the inasal and the binakol, tasted just like chicken, albeit having a slightly different texture, while the ground quorn tasted and felt a lot like ground beef.
While World Meat Free Day can be celebrated just once a year, it would really help the planet to go meat-free at least once a week. “This year, we urge more Filipinos to support our cause and create a positive impact to the planet by highlighting ‘one day’s difference’ — to create awareness that one meatless day or even one meatless meal can actually make a difference already for both the planet and even your health,” said Irish Tan Chua, Marketing director for Quorn Philippines.