New York City’s mayor Eric Adams has signed a proclamation that makes 20th March an official MeatOut Day in the city. In 1985, the animal-rights organisation Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) created the MeatOut initiative. Since then, more than 40 cities and states have declared official MeatOut days, including Dallas (Texas), Louisville (Kentucky), Cincinnati (Ohio), Columbus (Georgia), Riverside (California), Madison (Wisconsin) and Colorado.
On 20th March, compassionate people from all over the world host events to honour animals and promote a plant-based diet. The activities have ranged from simple information tables, exhibits, food samplings, and cooking demonstrations to elaborate receptions and festivals. A proclamation like the one signed by Adams is an official document issued by Governors, Mayors, or other Elected Officials to commemorate a specific time (day, week, or month) to raise awareness of an issue or celebrate milestones.
Eric C. Lindstrom, FARM Executive Director, said “As a New Yorker myself, I am particularly proud of this proclamation…The advances Mayor Adams has made toward a plant-based future, and Vegan Fridays in New York City schools, align perfectly with our mission and the mission of MeatOut.”
When Adams was Brooklyn Borough President, he began promoting a plant-based diet. In 2018, he championed The Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Program, which provides whole-food plant-based nutrition to critically ill patients. In 2019, Adams helped implement Meatless Mondays at all 1,700 NYC public schools. And since February 2022, he implemented Vegan Fridays at NYC schools, the day when most of the menu items offered to students are vegan. Although Adams is often described as the vegan mayor (including us), he recently admitted he eats fish occasionally, making him either a pescatarian mayor or a flexitarian mayor (depending on how often he does it). In any event, he is having a positive impact on the city gradually making it more vegan friendly.
