October 1st to 7th we celebrate the International Vegetarian Week, an initiative supported by vegetarian/vegan groups, animal-rights activists, environmentalists, with the aim to explain to the public that, with a plant based diet, it is possible to reduce the problems that are connected to a meat, dairy and animal based products and the health of our organism, the environment, the animals and the society in general.
During this week, many events connected to the vegetarian lifestyle are celebrated, such as the World Vegetarian Day on the 1st October, the International Farming Animals Day, the Non Violence Day on the 2nd of October and the International Animal Day on the 4th of October, which is also the day dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, which is the protector of animals.
In the latest years, more and more people are choosing to give up on the pleasures of meat to follow a plant based diet. Vegetarians and vegans are in fact growing all over the world, also in Italy. In 2016 the Italians that gave up on meat, according to Eurispes survey, were in fact the 8% of the population. A little bit less than 5 million people then, that must be separated between vegetarians and vegans. 60% of them declared in fact to be vegetarian, while 40% of them follows a completely vegan diet. The relationship confirms the trend of the last years, making us, together with Germany, the most vegan and vegetarian friendly country.
What are the reasons that push Italians to follow a meat free diet, then? Half of them does it for health reasons. According to some researches in fact, eliminating meat and other animal based products from our diet might be beneficial on our body. 30% of them is pushed by ethical reasons connected to animal abuse. 20% of them instead does it for reasons that are connected to environment, pollution and farming.
“Eating organic and natural food, vegetarian or vegan, is not a matter of fashion anymore. The research proves that and the growth of organic products also proves that”, explains Probios. “Actually, sensitivity and care of people are growing more, not only towards their own health, but also towards the health of the planet. Our goal is to provide to people, everyday, good quality and reliable products, both vegetarian or vegan – most of them suitable for food intolerants – that are 100% organic, in respect of the health of people and the environment”.
