Res. No. 379

Resolution to recognize “Meatless Monday” in New York City.

By Council Members Rosenthal, Cabrera, Brannan, Salamanca, Cumbo, Powers, Vallone, Rivera and Ulrich

Whereas, Meatless Monday is an international campaign that encourages people to enjoy meat-free meals on Mondays to improve their personal and public health, animal welfare, wildlife protection, and environmental and agricultural sustainability; and

Whereas, The Meatless Monday campaign initially began in the United States (U.S.) as a nationwide war rationing effort during World Wars I and II, and was revived as a health campaign in 2003 by The Monday Campaigns in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and

Whereas, According to the national nonprofit organization Compassion Over Killing, over 50% of Americans are familiar with Meatless Monday and nearly 1 in 5 participate in the campaign; and

 Whereas, Several cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles, South Miami, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Philadelphia and others have either passed resolutions or written proclamations to promote Meatless Monday; and

Whereas, Monday was chosen because several studies, including “What’s the Healthiest Day? Circaseptan (Weekly) Rhythms in Healthy Considerations,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2014), have demonstrated that people are more likely to try to quit smoking, begin a diet or exercise regimen, schedule a doctors’ appointment, or adopt other health behaviors on Monday than any other day; and

Whereas, According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health website, “In 2000, the Surgeon General released the Healthy People 2010 report outlining health objectives for the nation to serve as goals for the next decade. Healthy People 2010 specifically called for a 15% reduction in saturated fat in the American diet. Since saturated fat in the diet is almost exclusively of animal origin and one day of the week is just under 15% of the week, the campaign began by encouraging people to refrain from eating meat one day a week to help reach this goal”; and

Whereas, Proponents of Meatless Monday argue that going meatless one day a week can reduce the risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity; and

Whereas, Proponents also argue that it can help limit one’s carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water because the water usage for livestock is much greater than it is for vegetables and grains and according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, livestock production accounts for 10-31% of global greenhouse gas emissions; and

Whereas, FGI Research, a nationwide online survey that tracks awareness and behavior related to the Meatless Monday campaign, surveyed approximately 1,000 participants in 2012, and found that awareness of Meatless Monday increased from 26% to 43% from November 2010 to July 2012, among adults living in the U.S., and 62% of respondents reported that health was the primary reason for cutting back or considering cutting back on meat; and

Whereas, Furthermore, of those influenced by Meatless Monday, 62% tried to incorporate Meatless Monday in their weekly routine and 40% incorporated more meatless meals the rest of the week; and

Whereas, According to the Meatless Monday website, approximately 40 schools in New York City have participated in the campaign, including public, private and charter schools at all grade levels, New York City colleges and universities have also participated in Meatless Monday, including Barnard College, Brooklyn Law School, Columbia University, Fordham University, LaGuardia Community College and Manhattan College; and

Whereas, In October 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City Department of Education Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams announced that 15 Brooklyn public schools will participate in Meatless Mondays in spring 2018; and

Whereas, The program will provide participating schools with healthy, all-vegetarian breakfast and lunch menus every Monday; and

Whereas, Reputable restaurant owners in New York City such as Bill Telepan, Mario Batali, John Fraser, and Marisa May among others, participate in Meatless Mondays by offering vegetarian options to their customers; and

Whereas, According to a 2013 article in Nation’s Restaurant News, restaurateurs found that Meatless Mondays can be beneficial to their businesses because Meatless Monday choices entice people to dine out on Monday, a day of the week that can be slow for businesses; and

Whereas, Given the health and environmental benefits from participating in Meatless Monday, it would be advantageous for more New Yorkers to participate in Meatless Monday through New York City schools, cafeterias and dining services, local restaurants, and community organizations; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York recognizes “Meatless Monday” in New York City.

TC

LS 2177/Int. 551-2015

LS 30

11/30/17