Skip to content We avoid eating meat to be mindful of the impact our personal choices have on the environment, wildlife, and one another.
When we are able to humble ourselves and respect life, this demonstrates our utmost reverence and the power of our love.”
The threat from climate change is growing and human activity is a major contributor to the problem. It is clear that we must change our wasteful behavior before it is too late. As a Buddhist organization, Tzu Chi Foundation is committed to environmental protection with a focus on promoting plant-based diets.
In November 2015, more than 190 countries took part in the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) held in Paris, France, in which Tzu Chi also participated. In this unprecedented meeting, the nations agreed to work towards an initial carbon reduction target. However, Master Cheng Yen feels that having simply a common understanding alone is insufficient, and that there is a pressing need for consensus and unified action. Only by reducing our material needs, practicing self-love, and cultivating a love for others and the environment can we truly help to resolve the climate crisis.
It is increasingly the consensus of many climate scientists and researchers that vegetarianism is an effective way to reduce emissions. In 2008, the then chairman of the the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, has also appealed to people around the world to respond to the urgent call to reduce emissions by “not eating meat, riding a bicycle, and being a frugal shopper”.
In 2019, the IPCC further found that reducing the feed for animals intended for human meat consumption is indeed helpful for reducing carbon emissions and slowing down global warming. Many Tzu Chi volunteers adopted a vegetarian diet with the intention of protecting life and saving the Earth; today, scientific evidence has shown that the widespread adoption of a vegetarian diet can reduce food-related emissions. Hence, all of us have “three opportunities” each day to help save the planet.
With environmental protection at the heart of our own operations, Tzu Chi relentlessly seeks new ways to reduce its carbon footprint. Although government action for mitigation and adaptation is crucial for our future, Tzu Chi’s approach to climate change mitigation targets the individual, helping countries reach the Nationally Determined Contributions from the bottom-up. Through education on carbon reducing lifestyle changes and demonstrating the impact of individual action on the environment, Tzu Chi catalyzes collective climate action in the communities it serves, inspiring and empowering individuals to move from apathy to action. It is not only the responsibility of governments but also the obligation of all people, as global citizens, to take action to combat climate change.
To bring awareness to the intrinsic link between food systems and climate change, as well as to empower and shift the consumption habits of individuals towards a more climate friendly alternative, Tzu Chi launched Ethical Eating Day, a movement which mobilizes individuals to commit to one day of a meat-free, climate-friendly diet, starting from January 11, 2014. The movement has grown to have over 1.3 million supporters each year committing to creating a more sustainable community through mindful consumption of food, starting with themselves.
Master Cheng Yen urges everyone to empathize with the pain, distress, and fear which animals experience when they are being slaughtered. Cultivating compassion and adopting a vegetarian lifestyle not only reduces the grief felt by the animals, it also cleanses one’s mind and brings peace within. To achieve mental and physical health and maintain a harmonious environment, we urge you to start from the dining table. Every vegetarian meal contributes to the protection of our environment.
Learn more about our philosophy on environmental protection from Tzu Chi’s presentation at COP24 in Dec 2018:
Recognizing the need for more collective action, we invite you to join us on this journey, by making a few small but meaningful tweaks to your diet that would help lower your emissions today:
It’s my deepest hope that everyone will adopt a vegetarian diet. It is a hope I have held in my heart for 60 years. I realize that it can be hard to become a vegetarian, but I’m urging people to take it up more strongly than ever before. That’s because the situation is different now. The COVID-19 pandemic is a wake-up call for all of us. It’s time for everyone to make the switch. It’s time we step up our efforts to promote vegetarianism. Eating vegetarian is not as difficult as you imagine. I want everyone to understand the health benefits of such a diet and how much good we can do to the Earth by refraining from raising and killing animals for food. Let’s expand the love we have for our fellow human beings to include all other living creatures. Working together, we can create a multitude of blessings for the world and help keep disasters at bay.”
Better Health, Better Environment
Globally, 56 billion animals are raised and killed each year, with grave environmental consequences that contribute to climate change.
Nearly 1/5th of all greenhouse gases are attributed to livestock production – more than what is generated by transportation.
70% of crops grown worldwide are fed to livestock, which produce large amounts of waste and methane – a heat-trapping gas more than 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
30% of the land on Earth is in some way used to raise the animals we eat, which results in land degradation, loss of biodiversity, air and water pollution, and water shortages.
Those on well-balanced vegetarian diets can see many positive health impacts including a 25% reduced likelihood to die as a result of heart disease and a significantly reduced risk for colon cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Put together by Tzu Chi volunteers in Canada, this compilation of vegetarian recipes will help you plan meals ahead of time and discover your new favourite plant-based dishes!
Change starts with you and it can start one meal at a time.
