MEDIA RELEASE

World Vegetarian Day  

For Immediate Release 

Wednesday September 30th 2009

New Zealand vegetarians are celebrating the 32nd anniversary of World Vegetarian Day (October 1st) this year with events planned nationwide.

NZVS spokesperson Nicky Owers cites New Zealanders increasing awareness of the environmental impact of a vegetarian diet, and concerns about cruelty in farming practices as sparking growing interest in the lifestyle.

“Animal agriculture has been proven to have a huge detrimental effect on the environment” says Owers. She cites UN reports on climate change and New Zealand’s own figures which show the agricultural sector as the biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand (1) as contributing to increasing interest in plant based cuisine.

“Adopting a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle is the best way to counter that destructive effect and improve the health of the planet.” says Owers. She urges New Zealanders to “use World Vegetarian Day as the perfect opportunity to try vegetarianism for the day or week or forever”. The Vegetarian Society provides free information, recipes and support on how to make the switch to a plant based diet.

Many have already started celebrating World Vegetarian Day with festivals held in Wellington and Christchurch which attracted thousands. More events are planned in the coming weeks.

For World Vegetarian Day activities see:  www.vegetarian.org.nz/
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