Public functions to go vegan? PETA urges Modi to ban meat at govt meetings on Business Standard. Letter said Germany's ministry went meat-free because meat production contributors to climate change

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Public functions to go vegan? PETA urges Modi
to ban meat at govt meetings
Letter said Germany's ministry went meat-free because meat production
contributors to climate change
#LATEST| Animal rights organisation PETA
India on Monday asked Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to take meat off the menu from
all government events, taking a cue from the
German Environment Minister's initiative to
ban all meat products from public meetings.
Noting that as a vegetarian, Modi is a a role
model of "compassionate, healthy, and
environmentally friendly" eating, PETA said
that it is time the entire Indian government
should follow his lead and protect the
environment by eliminating animal-derived foods from its meals.
The letter notes that Germany's ministry went meat-free because meat production is one of the
leading contributors to climate change, which is causing people throughout India to suffer severe
droughts and heatwaves.
In addition to producing an estimated 51 per cent of worldwide greenhouse-gas emissions, meat
production also uses a massive amount of water, land, and food resources, it said.
"I hope you will agree that India should also set a good example where environmental
conservation is concerned by eliminating animal-derived foods from the menus of all
government or government-sponsored meetings and functions," said Nikunj Sharma, Lead -
Public Policy at PETA India in the letter.

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PETA said that after going vegetarian, public functions could go vegan. It said that the meat
production is one of the leading causes of climate change.
Quoting a report published by the Worldwatch Institute in 2009, it said that 51 per cent of
worldwide greenhouse-gas emissions may be attributable to agriculture, specifically to
businesses that raise cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, camels, and pigs for food.
"Raising animals for food also gobbles up land and food resources. According to Global
Footprint Network, it takes 14 times as much biologically productive land to produce 1 tonne of
beef as it does to produce 1 tonne of grain," it said.
"PETA is calling on Prime Minister Modi to set a global example by ensuring that exclusively
healthy, humane, and environmentally friendly vegan meals are served at all government
functions."
Stating, "animals are not ours to eat", PETA claimed that meat production causes climate change
due to which people around the nation suffer through severe droughts, heatwaves, and more.
"According to the United Nations, a global shift towards a vegan lifestyle is vital in order to save
the world from hunger, fuel poverty, and the worst effects of climate change," the letter added.
"I hope you will agree that India should also set a good example where environmental
conservation is concerned by eliminating animal-derived foods from the menus of all
government or government-sponsored meetings and functions," the letter written by Nikunj
Sharma, Lead - Public Policy, PETA said.
Animal-derived foods include those that come from animal sources such as meat, milk, eggs,
cheese and yogurt. READ MORE