by Amanda Smith, Associate Editor
Touting a goal to reduce our consumption of meat, milk and eggs, the Meatless Monday campaign has claimed a number of devotees. But it seems both the program's participants and reach are dwindling.
Research conducted by the Animal Agriculture Alliance concluded that the campaign is grossly misrepresenting its enrollment and prevalence among schools, restaurants, hospitals and colleges. This work was done by individually surveying each participant listed on the organization's website. The most notable discrepancies.
- Out of the 56 kindergarten through twelfth grade schools listed as participating, more than 51 percent no longer do so or never participated in the program.
- Of the 155 colleges listed, more than 43 percent eliminated the program or never instituted such measures.
- Of the school districts listed, 57-plus percent no longer do so.
- Among the restaurants and food service providers surveyed, 35 and 47 percent, respectively, no longer partake in the program.
The primary reasons for the campaign's demise: parent complaints regarding proper nutrition, food waste and a general lack of interest.
For a few groups on the list, it wasn't a failure to remove them after they ended participation but a deliberate addition when they were never involved to begin with.
