THE WORLD’S HAPPIEST MAN’ IS CAMPAIGNING FOR FRANCE TO GO VEGAN

LIVEKINDLY reports for a new campaign in France that is encouraging people to ditch animal products and eat more vegan food. Called Green Monday, or “Lundi Vert” in French, the campaign launched a petition which has gathered 500 signatures from public figures like politicians, artists, researchers, and NGOs, as well as the “world’s happiest man” – Tibetan Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard.

Green Monday encourages consumers to avoid eating meat every Monday. Similar initiatives exist in roughly 40 other countries around the world, however, the campaign is a first for France.

A Hong Kong-based campaign of the same name focused on helping the Asian community embrace plant-based eating; since its launch in 2012, Hong Kong’s Green Monday has inspired more than 1.6 million people in the region to reduce their meat intake.

Like in Hong Kong, three main causes are driving the French initiative: public health, the environment, and animal welfare.

While research is finding strong links between meat consumption and disease, a diet rich in vegan foods has been linked to optimal health. Plant-powered diets are said to improve brain health and reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

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