Following the successful launch of our national campaign in Atlanta, PETA is back out there, fighting for food justice one free meal at a time! At an event on October 19, Rev. Dr. Robert Turner and members of the Historic Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church teamed up with PETA to give away 300 free vegan burgers and bags filled with fresh vegetables, fruit, and other healthy, humane vegan foods. Turner has been a staunch social justice advocate over the course of his career, and now, he’s standing with us to demand better access to nutritious food for the people of Tulsa. We’re urging everyone to join PETA’s new food justice campaign, which calls on government officials to redirect meat, egg, and dairy industry subsidies toward incentives for grocers in food deserts to stock fresh vegetables, fruit, and other healthy, humane vegan foods.
Turner is calling on the Oklahoma governor and state representatives to make these changes in order to end the food insecurity that disproportionately affects communities of color:
Black and brown families deserve to have the same access to fresh, healthy plant-based food as anyone else. For decades, the government has been propping up industries that are making people sick and harming God’s creatures. No more. In Tulsa alone, where I’m currently based, nearly 20% of the population lives in a food desert. Not having access to healthy foods forces people to eat processed meats and snacks, which hurts the body, mind, and spirit. Healthy plant-based foods, on the other hand, help prevent heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes, and cancer—one of many reasons why I’m committed to eating vegan.
Attendees also scooped up PETA’s free vegan meal starter kits, which include a reusable green grocery bag, an easy go-vegan guide, fresh produce, and more. More giveaways are currently being planned in cities across the country, including Baltimore, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles.
Every year, the U.S. government spends about $38 billion in tax money to subsidize the meat, egg, and dairy industries, the vast majority of which goes to big corporations, not American farmers. Only about $17 million is used to subsidize the fruit and vegetable industries—even though the federal government’s own dietary guidelines encourage people to eat more produce and fewer animal-derived products.
Decades of scientific studies have repeatedly proved that choosing vegetables, grains, beans, fruits, nuts, and other vegan foods over meat, eggs, and dairy helps support a lifetime of good health. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that vegans enjoy a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes, and lower body mass indexes as well as lower overall rates of developing cancer. The proof is in the vegan pudding.
Urge your local, state, and national representatives to join you in advocating for food justice. Ask them to redirect funds that support the meat, egg, and dairy industries toward incentives to grocers in food deserts to stock vegetables, fruit, and other healthy, humane vegan foods:
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