EVA's VeggieChallenge is the ideal opportunity for VITO to raise awareness about the environmental and climate impact of meat consumption and at the same time show employees how it can be done in a more plant-based way.
Today, 1 March, the EVA VeggieChallenge starts: 30 days of healthier, tastier and more sustainable food. For the first time, companies can also participate, an opportunity we could not miss. It is no longer a secret that meat consumption has a significant impact on our environment. As a research institution fully dedicated to accelerating the transition to a sustainable world, we also want to set an example by making our own organisation more sustainable. The VeggieChallenge is one of the actions that enables us to do just that.
Less meat, a subject that can be discussed
As a research organisation, we are well aware of the impact of meat consumption on our environment. Many VITO employees are therefore already consciously working on eating more vegetarian food. Nevertheless, we have noticed that the subject is still sometimes difficult to deal with within VITO. An action such as the VeggieChallenge helps to make subjects such as meat consumption, vegetarianism and veganism open to discussion. By exchanging ideas and experiences we hope that employees will motivate each other to continue to live without or with less meat, even after the VeggieChallenge.
In addition, with our participation in the VeggieChallenge we want to equip every employee who wants to take the step, with the necessary knowledge and inspiration to cook delicious vegetarian meals. From experience, EVA knows that a lack of practical knowledge and a lack of knowledge of what is on offer is still a big threshold for many people. Therefore, the programme includes an online cooking workshop and a digital potluck.
OnePlanet@VITO
The VeggieChallenge is in line with our aim to set an example and become a leader in the field of sustainable management. We even have our own programme for this within VITO: OnePlanet@VITO. VITO employees are the driving force behind OnePlanet@VITO. The project consists of their ideas and solutions, which is no different for our participation in the VeggieChallenge. There is a great intrinsic motivation among our people to not only make Flanders or the world more sustainable, but also their workplace and habits.