Joanne, you miss my point. Being vegan is not sufficient to sustainability and it is in fact a minor not a mjor part. Anyone who has studied the issue knows that people in NA consume far too much animal protien and that this protien is produced in terrible ways. But so is the soy, wheat, corn, rice. Being vegan is not the only or the most important component in the shift to a sustainable world and there are ways of to have grow dairy and meat that are sustainable.

For a green city Vancouver is really not that green. Restaurants here are seriously lacking in Vegetarian and Vegan options. Diet if THE WORST environmental hazard of all. A bike riding carnivore is much more hazardous than a hummer driving vegan, true story.

I for one am disgusted by the anti-vegan sentiments of so-called environmentalists who either ignore or are oblivious to the facts of how the animal agriculture industries directly impact the environment, locally and globally. If you want a greener city, but think veganism is a baseless dietary choice by people who "love animals", you are sorely mistaken and have a lot of reading to do.

I would suggest starting with the 3 most recent UN Climate Reports (2010, 2009, 2006), the most recent of which states that without a worldwide shift away from eating animal products, efforts to fight climate change are futile. That is a very bold statement for a group of scientists (without an animal rights "agenda") to make. While there has been scrutiny of the latest report, the complaints have been about the accuracy of its statistics, NOT its conclusions.

"More vegan options" does not go far enough by any means. There needs to be a serious educational initiative so that more people give some serious thought about the consequences of their eating habits. A vegan diet alone will not cure our problems, but it's one of the best places to start.

Steve, unfortunately, more than 80% of all soy and corn products are grown to feed animals. This means eliminating animal products, most people will eliminate majority of the soy and wheat they consume. Eating organic lamb is problematic if people do not significantly reduce the overall amount of meat they eat. The only way organic animal farming could be sustainable is when people eliminate majority of the animal products they eat. So that means eating vegan 6 days a week and then maybe eating your organic lamb once a week. There's simply not enough land on the planet to support an all free range/organic animal agriculture if people don't reduce their meat consumption by a huge percentage. I'm also curious why you would be opposed to their being more vegan options. Should people just eat meat all the time and have no other options? Sounds rather draconian to me.

To Sara Jane, no it is not. It is one very small part of a sustainable or better still resilient strategy. Most vegan's do not lead even remotely sustainable life styles (it is almost impossible to live a truly sustainable life style in today's Vancouver, which is one of the reasons these conversations are so important). And almost none of the core staples in a vegan lifestyle are grown in a sustainable way. In all liklihood organic lamb from Saltspring is more sustainable than any tofu, rice or wheat product on the market today.

Vegetarianism is environmentalism.

Please encourage the adoption of vegan food options to every citizen using education, more options in mainstream catering outlets and government canteens.

Vancouver is a progressive city and appears as one of the best places to live in many surveys.

Set a worlds first example and declare a city wide meatless Monday, encourage plant based diets by positive example showing that it is beneficial - for ones own health (let thy food be thy medicine!) and the environment we all have to share.

I've been checking out the new food carts in downtown Vancouver in the last week, excited to find something other than a veg hot dog for lunch. To my great disappointment, I've only found ONE cart that has a vegetarian wrap. Considering the environmental damage that occurs to raise meat, why haven't these carts been encouraged to provide more veg options?? I guess I'll stick with making my own food for lunch.

Support plant based diet and "Meatless"/Vegan Mondays - at the very least. Get people to sign pledges to be meat free. Animal agriculture is the biggest source of greenhouse gasses (above transportation!).

It makes sense for the city to encourage the eating of more more plant based foods to effectively curb environmental destruction. Meat production is the #1 cause of greenhouse gas emissions and clear cutting of rainforests. Farming animals uses more water than any other industry, consumes more than 80% of all edible crop and is responsible for majority of the antibiotic use in the world. Cities (being where most of the population come from) are where the demand for meat come from. What we eat in Vancouver has real consequences for the environment. And how personal can our choice of food be when it is harming the planet to the extent that it has? Offering more vegan options certainly does not interfere with anyone's destructive choice to eat meat.

I guess Carol is getting all her Vegan friends to vote for this, because there is little logic to substantiate why this is a great way to meet the VANCOUVER Greenest City targets. A plus for dillusions of saving the world, though! Sorry but it is a myth than world hunger can be ended by a Vegan diet alone because of greed and desire for instant gratification.

Climate change problems will still be here even if "vegan" farming practices are implemented. I personally think Vancouver has PLENTY of options for vegan food to buy....ie buying GROCERIES like lentils....if this person means more restaurant options I am confused as to why a) this would promote greener restaurant managament (ever worked in a restaurant Carol? Commercial recycling would have a much broader impact, without your dietary politik) b) persuade a non-vegetarian community to "try" new foods....especially ones that may not be seen as wholly nutritious. Vegan initiatives need to rely on education for balancing diets new ways, and more recipe exchanges. This does less for creating a green city right here, now, when there are higher-order problems, like the spewing of waste into the Straight. Sorry but diets are a personal, rather than public, secondary concern.

I am having a hard time beleving this is ranked 2nd. I was vegetarian for 15 years of my life but do to health reasons I have started eating meat. Being the greenest city in the world means being the most foword thinking in the world, we should be putting our ideas towords a livable citty with livable naberhoods, not controling the resterants.

Encourage vegan options by offering subsidies or grants to vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants. These should be offered to the businesses with the most solid business plans, rather than by lottery; we don't want another food cart debacle.

Alicia Silverstone approves this message

One great step the city could take is to only allow the serving of sustainable vegan foods at city facilities and events. That would be a great step to take towards promoting the reduction of meat, egg, and dairy consumption.

@meatlover that's it? Do you maybe want to back up you comment with some facts? What does that even mean?
@Steven Forth I agree with your last little blurb. "Encourage vegan options for all" is so broad and vague. We need some more specific ideas like the meatless mondays idea ( i know! shameless advertising!)
or ensuring atleast one vegan lunch option in school cafeterias.

the vegan lobby becomes very dangerous.

Randall, I think your comment speaks more to proposals that Vancouver grow more of its own food than to encouraging vegan options. I am not a vegan and I do not believe that a vegan diet is necessaey or sufficent for a sustainable & resilient society (the opposite in fact), but I do support the idea that vegan options be widely encouraged and celebrated as (i) in North America we consumer too much animal protien, that is (ii) grown under horrible conditions, that (iii) are unsustainable by pretty much any measure. I would like to see more concrete ideas on this thread on how vegan options can be encouraged.

What agricultural plots fall with in the boundaries of the Vancouver city limits? I am sure Maple Ridge, Abotsford, and the rest of the Fraser Valley do not fall under Vancouver's bylaws and can not make the changes. T. Lexington is calling for... Correct me if I am wrong...