August
2002 World
Vegetarian Congress Elects Vegetarian Society Chief Executive to Chair
International Vegetarian Union
This year The Vegetarian
Society of the United Kingdom, a member society of the International
Vegetarian Union, was pleased to host the Union's 35th World Congress
at Edinburgh's Heriott Watt University. The Congress takes place every
other year providing a forum for vegetarians from different cultures and
an opportunity to highlight the global culture of vegetarianism.
The Edinburgh Congress
in July brought together over 100 vegetarian societies and 300 participants
who share grave concerns regarding the effect of factory farming and meat
production on the environment, on human nutrition and health and on animal
welfare.
The Congress honoured
Vegetarian Society Chief Executive Tina Fox by electing her to chair the
IVU. Today she spoke about her delight in accepting this role:
"It is a great
honour to be invited to act as chairperson for the IVU. Vegetarianism
is a global movement that crosses many boundaries of race, religion
and
political inclination. It is so important that we unite to educate people
across the world on the issues that relate to this healthy and liberating
lifestyle."
During the Congress
the International Vegetarian Union issued a plea to the World Summit on
Sustainable Development (WSSD), due to meet in Johannesburg in August.
The IVU calls on the WSSD to:
"take active steps to reduce meat consumption globally. This action
is needed in order to reduce the adverse effect of factory farming and
meat production on the environment, on human nutrition and health and
on animal welfare.
"The world's
population can then live more healthily on a plant-based diet, scarce
global food resources can be fed directly to humans rather than wastefully
to farm animals and water, land and air quality would also be enhanced."
Vegetarian Society
Chief Executive, Tina Fox, commented:
"A genuine
and balanced examination of these factors can only lead to the conclusion
that action to reduce global consumption of meat must be seriously
considered
by the WSSD in their plan for world-wide sustainable development."
The Vegetarian Society is the oldest vegetarian organisation in the world.
It offers an independent voice able to promote and provide information
on vegetarianism.
For more information
please contact The Vegetarian Society Press Office on
0161 925 2012.
- ENDS -
Notes to editors
The Vegetarian
Society of the United Kingdom is a member society of the International
Vegetarian Union.
The Vegetarian
Society and the International Vegetarian Union share a common objective
to promote, publicise and develop interest in the vegetarian cause.
The Vegetarian
Society defines a vegetarian as a person who eats no fish, flesh or fowl.
Vegetarians also avoid the by-products of slaughter such as gelatine
or
animal rennet in cheese.
Outside office
hours The Vegetarian Society Press Office can be contacted on
07973 108 167 or visit www.vegsoc.org
Photographs
of Tina Fox are available from Kerry in the Press Office on 0161 925
2012 (kerry@vegsoc.org)
Tina Fox
can be contacted for further comment or an interview via the Press Office.
"The
use of land for pasture is more extensive than its use for cereal crops.
The cost of producing meat is higher than producing cereal thus more people
could be fed cheaply by adopting a meat-free diet." (page 49 A Guiltless
Feast by Derek Antrobus 1997 City of Salford Education and Leisure)
Other organisations
who were present at the World Vegetarian Congress have made these statements:
"With diet related health problems escalating in the West, people
are becoming increasingly concerned about the food they eat. A plant-based
diet is more likely to promote good health and reduce the risk of degenerative
diseases. Vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, coronary heart disease,
high blood pressure, large bowel disorders, cancers and gall stones and
actually live longer than meat eaters." (Kat Macmillan, spokesperson
for Vegetarian International voice for Animals, Viva! )
"There is a
serious danger genetic engineering and cloning will be used to continue
existing farm selective breeding policies, which aim for greater production
and cost cutting. Selective breeding has already caused serious health
and welfare problems:
- Broiler (meat) chickens have been bred to grow so fast that they suffer
from painful lameness and die from heart failure when only a few weeks
old.
- Dairy cows that are bred for high milk yield suffer from lameness and
painful mastitis."
(Compassion in World Farming, CIWF)
Press Officer press@vegsoc.org
For the latest Vegetarian Society press releases visit www.vegsoc.org
The Vegetarian Society
Direct line - 0161 925 2012
Fax 0161 926 9182
Registered Charity: 259358
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