This is not done for the animals' sake, but rather to promote healthy living and recognize the impact of livestock on the global environment: "The UN says livestock is responsible for nearly one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions, hence Ghent's declaration of a weekly "veggie day"."
Public officials will start off the vegetarian trend, hoping for others to follow suit. Maps with information on vegetarian restaurants - "veggie street maps" - have been published and distributed to the public. The goal is for the city to have an effect on the environment and tackle obesity.
Yet again, animals are served by the self-interests of humans, and even though it's a shame that no mention is made of animal exploitation as a specific issue, there is always cause to celebrate when a little progress is made. This will, hopefully, make less of a demand for meat in that area, thus reducing the number of animals bred for slaughter, and possibly even turn some people towards vegetarianism. Most importantly, though, it should give some people, who might be prejudiced against a vegetarian diet, a taste of some good, vegetarian food. I really hope that the vegetarian restaurants in Ghent are nice and that they make a strong impression on any first-timers.
After all, tasty vegetarian food is the first step in the struggle for animal rights.
Read the BBC article here and check out the official project website here.
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