New York City Passes Historic Citywide Meatless Monday Resolution
New York City has passed a historic resolution supporting the promotion and adoption of Meatless Monday for residents, businesses, and government organizations. The resolution encourages individuals and public and private institutions to try and provide plant-based options for their health and the environment, especially on Mondays.
New York City is already a leader in providing its residents with opportunities to enjoy plant-based meals and reduce their meat consumption, with Meatless Monday programs currently available in all public schools and public hospitals. This new resolution builds and strengthens the city’s current efforts and is part of a larger push to promote plant-based meals and reduce processed meat consumption in local restaurants, cafeterias and community organizations in all five boroughs.
Helen Rosenthal, New York City council member and lead advocate of the resolution, celebrated the victory with a post on her Facebook Page:
“Today the City Council passed my resolution which encourages New Yorkers to enjoy ‘Meatless Mondays’ so that all of us can take part in the long-lasting benefits of a plant-based diet — reduced risk of a wide range of diseases, improved overall health, and longer lives.”
The Meatless Monday team joined fellow non-profit partners and city council members in advocating for a citywide resolution in 2015. Recent public environmental concerns and scientific publications have increased momentum around interest and adoption of plant-based eating for health and environmental benefits.
Meatless Monday is a global campaign that encourages people to enjoy meat-free meals on Mondays to improve their personal and public health as well as environmental and agricultural sustainability. The resolution brings awareness to the efforts already underway in restaurants, schools, and cafeterias across the city to provide meatless meals on Mondays, and calls on an expansion of those efforts citywide.
A coalition of leading health and environmental organizations have endorsed Meatless Monday as one of the easiest actions that mayors and city officials can take to improve their community’s health and achieve their climate goals. Major cities including Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Sacramento, Cleveland, and many others have all committed to some iteration of the program.
Do you want to keep the Meatless Monday movement growing? Click here for five simple ways to implement Meatless Monday in YOUR community.