Manushi Chhillar: Give being vegetarian a try for Earth Day

Manushi Chhillar. Pic/Yogen Shah

Former beauty queen Manushi Chhillar is celebrating Earth Day by highlighting how being a vegetarian impacts the planet in a positive way. The Prithviraj actress has been roped in by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India to encourage everyone to the kerb. PETA is doing a national campaign with Manushi that shows her sporting a crown made of broccoli, asparagus, and tomatoes to drive home the message of vegetarianism.

Manushi, who won the Miss World crown for India 17 years after Priyanka Chopra won it, says, "For me, staying vegetarian was a personal choice that I made long back. I wanted to concentrate on how that impacts my overall fitness."

She adds, "Food is a personal choice and we must eat what we feel is best for us, but my friends at PETA India and I encourage everyone to give being vegetarian a try for Earth Day and beyond if they so choose."

According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation, animal agriculture - breeding, raising, and slaughtering animals for food - is responsible for about 14.5 per cent of global greenhouse-gas emissions, which, by some estimates, is greater than all the world's transportation systems combined.

What's more, animal agriculture uses one-third of the world's fresh water and one-third of global cropland for feed. Water scarcity already affects every continent - over two billion people live in countries experiencing high levels of water shortages, and more than 690 million people still go hungry.