Cape Town has become the first city in Africa to take up the (M)eat Less challenge and officially endorse one meat-free day a week. In a unanimous vote taken in council chambers on Tuesday, 6th April 2010, the City’s Health Portfolio Committee agreed to endorse the call by Compassion in World Farming (South Africa) for one meat-free day a week.

Said Tozie Zokufa, South African representative for Compassion in World Farming: “It is a triumph. We started negotiating with the City Health Committee last December. Their decision yesterday to work with us on this issue is not only a triumph for human health, but also for the planet and animal welfare too.

“We believe that Cape Town may be the second city, globally, to have officially endorsed one meat-free day a week, following on the heels of Ghent, in Belgium.”

In March, Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for the UK government said: “Our diet is warming the planet. It is also damaging our health.” He estimated that reducing meat consumption by 30% could save 18 000 human lives from premature  disease every year in the UK alone.

The date of the official launch of Cape Town city’s one-meat-free-day-a-week, in cooperation with Compassion in World Farming (South Africa),  will be announced shortly.

Photo credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scornish/ / CC BY 2.0