Meatless Monday, the campaign that encourages people to reduce their consumption of meat one day a week to benefit both their health and that of the planet, came to Indonesia in 2021.
As Indonesia has modernized, the Southeast Asian nation has seen more people adopt Western habits that are impacting their health. Eating meat is on the rise, as are non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Meatless Monday Indonesia, which is led by the Jalin Foundation with support from the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, is making the case that Indonesians should build on their rich culinary heritage of delicious plant-based dishes.
They’re educating people about the links between meat-heavy diets and the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases. They’re highlighting how reducing meat intake can have a positive impact on the environment, from lowering greenhouse gas emissions to preserving precious natural resources such as water and fossil fuels. And they’re focusing on reaching young people who live in the cities to take up the mantle to spread the word.
“We would like to ride the wave where people care about the environment,” says Dian Rosdiana, the executive director of Jalin, a CCP sister organization. “People keep talking about plastics waste and so on and so on, but they forget that what they are eating is also having a huge impact on the environment.”
CCP also supports Meatless Monday campaigns in Ghana and South Africa. There are educational lessons, cooking competitions, partnerships with chefs who like to make plant-based meals and more.
Meatless Monday was started in 2003 by advertising executive and public health advocate Sid Lerner, the founder of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. The idea is that beginning each week by participating in Meatless Monday can lead people to eat more fruits, vegetables, and plant-based meals the rest of the week.
More than 20 years on, thanks to the support of the Grace Foundation, Meatless Monday is now in more than 40 countries around the world
“Research shows an impact on health – from heart disease and diabetes to certain kinds of cancers – if people reduce their consumption, especially of red and processed meat,” says Rob Ainslie, who oversees the Meatless Monday work for CCP. “It also shows a positive impact on the environment because livestock farming has such a large carbon footprint. Imagine the impact if your whole country stopped eating meat for a single day every week.”
Says Becky Ramsing, a senior program officer at the Center for a Livable Future, who leads the science and technical work for Meatless Monday: “Meatless Monday has grown into one of the world’s most accessible and creative public health campaigns.”
In just a few short years, Meatless Monday Indonesia has managed to reach millions of people through its social media channels and in-person events. They’ve built a loyal following of “food warriors” – passionate young people who are helping to spread the Meatless Monday message to their peers.
Meatless Monday Indonesia partners with a diverse array of stakeholders – from government agencies to local food producers to influential social media personalities –says Andi Reski, a program officer at Jalin. They have brought the key messages to young people through successful school outreach programs. Working with the Red Cross, they have also been able to incorporate messages about the benefits of plant-based eating into the curriculum of an after-school health program.
Meatless Monday has ambitious plans to expand their school outreach programs, deepen their partnerships with the private sector, and find new and innovative ways to make plant-based eating accessible and appealing to people across the country.
“Our young supporters are using their style, their language, to deliver the kinds of messages we are trying to get across,” Reski says. “They are speaking to themselves, and they are speaking to their friends about the environment as an impact of Meatless Monday. This generation is passionate and having them on our side means changes in consumption can be sustainable for the rest of their lives.”
