Earlier this week the California State Senate
unanimously passed SB 1138, a bill to require vegan options in prisons and other public institutions
with licensed healthcare facilities.
With the support of Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine and Social Compassion in Legislation, democratic senator
Nancy Skinner, who represents California’s ninth district, authored SB 1138. According
to the legislation, hospitals, nursing facilities, and prisons would have to provide
vegan meals to people who request them because of food allergies or religious
or ethical beliefs.
In a statement, Senator Skinner said:
Offering plant-based meal options is a great way to give people healthy choices and reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions. But most importantly, I want to make sure we’re being fair and giving those in institutional settings food options that meet their individual needs.
Last year Portugal’s parliament passed a
similar law mandating that vegan meals be offered in all
public canteens, including hospitals, schools, and prisons. Similarly,
Veracruz—the second-largest state in Mexico—announced earlier this year that it
would serve vegan meals at public schools every Monday,
totaling 925,000 vegan meals each year. The announcement came after government
officials signed a collaboration agreement with Mercy For Animals’ Latin
American food policy program, Come Consciente (Conscious Eating).
These policies have far-reaching benefits, and
if they were standard in all countries—as they very well should be—their impact
would be enormous. Consider how we could help curb climate change, for example, by giving
millions more people vegan options.
It’s high time world governments stopped
supporting an industry that harms our health, ravages the planet, and exploits animals. Requiring public
institutions to offer vegan options would be a great first step in that
direction.
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