Media Release

For immediate release November 2, 2004

Veggies can Feed the World says Viva!

Every person who goes veggie makes an immediate contribution to reducing pollution and lessening world hunger!  One of the amazing facts from the Incredible Veggie Roadshow, which continues its tour of Britain at Brighton’s Komedia this November.  Billed as ‘Everything you ever wanted to know about going, being or staying veggie – or moving in that direction’, it is organised by national animal campaign group, Viva!.

Drought and other natural disasters are often wrongly blamed as the cause of famine.  Viva! claims that it is the West's addiction to meat and animal products that is one of the primary causes of starvation, poverty, pollution and insecurity around the world.  The increasing demand on world food supplies to feed farmed animals will make the situation worse unless individuals act to change their diet.

Across the world, the poorest countries are being encouraged to grow cash crops such as animal fodder to earn foreign currency to meet their debt repayments - at the expense of food for home consumption.  It has resulted in the obscenity of children starving to death alongside lush crops destined for the West's animals. Most of this food is subsequently wasted as for every 10 kg of vegetable protein fed to cattle, only one kg is converted to meat.

Meat eating also causes environmental degradation on a huge scale.  Deserts spread wider every year by an area the size of England and Scotland and livestock grazing is the main cause.  The world’s fresh water supplies are drying up, yet it takes just 140 litres of water to produce 1kg of onions but 9,680 litres to produce 1kg of beef.  Farmed animals come second in the league for causing global warming – due to biomass burning for grazing plus methane from prolific farting and belching. Not many people know that!

Seventy per cent of all agricultural land in Britain is used to feed animals and rainforests are still being felled to graze hamburger cattle. However, if Britain went vegetarian, less than half the current farm land would be needed – vegan, less than a quarter.

Everything you ever wanted to know about going, being or staying veggie/vegan will be on tap at the Komedia, Gardner Street, Brighton on Saturday, November 27, 2004 from 9.30am to 3.30pm. There will be a variety of delicious free food tastings from vegan food manufacturers and all the advice anyone could ever want on changing their diet or improving their health – and it’s all free.

The Incredible Veggie Roadshow has been organised by campaign group Viva! as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations. The Roadshow had a highly successful launch in Bristol, this October, and will make appearances in cities all over the UK in the year ahead before culminating in the massive Incredible Veggie Show at London’s Wembley Conference Centre in November 2005.

"Eating meat is not the only reason for world hunger and pollution but it is a major one and vegetarianism, by using less of the world's resources, is part of the remedy", says Juliet Gellatley, Viva!'s director. “So come along to the Brighton Roadshow and find out why every single person who goes veggie can really make a difference to the world around them”.

A fun day out for all the people who want to improve their health, save animals and protect the environment. Upbeat, entertaining and all free of charge! 

For further information and a map to the roadshow, log on at www.viva.org.uk/brighton

The Incredible Veggie Roadshowis organised by Viva!, and sponsored by Viva! and the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation.

To find out more about the day, contact:

Angie Greenaway at Viva! on 0117 944 1000

For broadcast interviews, contact:

Juliet Gellatley, Viva!’s director or Justin Kerswell, Viva!’s campaigner on 

0117 944 1000

For nutritional information, contact Lee Jerome or Tony Wardle on 0117 970 5190

For a high resolution copy of the image used in the poster and invites, contact Angie Greenaway or Justin Kerswell on 0117 944 1000.

www.viva.org.uk/brighton

The colourful and easy to read guide, Feed the World, is available from Viva! on 0117 944 1000 (£1.50 inc p&p) or online at http://www.viva.org.uk/guides/feedtheworld.htm.

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