Sir Paul McCartney has called on everyone to go vegetarian for a week to help the planet and their health. The Beatles star, who has been a vegetarian since 1975, is leading the star-studded line-up of celebrities calling on people to incorporate more beans into their diets.
Celebrity support for the campaign
AbFab star Dame Joanna Lumley and TV presenter Chris Packham have also backed the campaign. Sir Paul, 84, said: “I’m a strong believer that we can all make an individual impact every day by choosing what we eat. Not only is following a more plant-based diet better for our own health and kinder to animals, but it’s also much better for the planet.”
The rockstar stopped eating meat when he saw lambs playing outside his farmhouse window while eating a meal with his late wife Linda, which included the animal.
Meat Free Monday and national vegetarian week
Sir Paul and his daughters, Mary and Stella, launched the global “Meat Free Monday” campaign in 2009, which urges people to skip meat at least one day a week to help animals, people and the Earth. And now he is supporting the Vegetarian Society's national vegetarian week, which starts on Thursday.
Mr Packham said: “Helping the environment can feel overwhelming, but each of us can make a difference, and it's easy to do. “By reducing or cutting out meat, we can lower our carbon footprint, helping the planet and all its occupants.”
Impact of reducing meat consumption
There are more than three million vegetarians and vegans in the UK, estimates have suggested. The independent National Food Strategy, released in 2021 and led by Henry Dimbledee, identified a 30% reduction in meat consumption as necessary to meet the UK's climate and nature commitments.
Louise Goodwin, campaigns and advocacy manager at the Vegetarian Society, said the organisation was sharing free recipes and cooking tips on its website to “inspire everyone to try tasty meat-free dishes”.
