The week-long celebration will aim to highlight how switching to vegetarian meals can reduce your carbon footprint whilst helping the planet. National Vegetarian Week 2022 saw record-breaking attempts, celebrity supporters and the creation of planet-friendly recipes.
Richard McIlwain, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society, said: “In 2022’s campaign, we inspired people to switch over 70,000 meat-based meals for veggie and plant-based dishes, saving over 100 tons of carbon, equivalent to the emissions released by driving a car around the earth’s equator over 16 times.
“For 2023 we want to reach out to even more people encouraging a greater number of businesses, schools, local authorities, supermarkets and individuals taking part in the week. People often don’t think their own actions can make much of a difference. But by joining the many thousands of people signing up for the week, we aim to demonstrate how, together, individual efforts can lead to real and meaningful change.”
The National Food Strategy said the UK should eat 30% less meat by 2030. For people who eat meat every day, this can be achieved by going meat-free on just two days a week.
National Vegetarian Week coincides with Public Sector Catering’s Plant-Based Week (15-19 May).
The provision of plant-based meals continues to grow across the UK and in the public sector in particular. This is both driven by demand from the ‘customer’ and by the Government’s environmental and obesity agenda’s that are supported by a more plant-based diet.