Can Veganism fight global warming? VegFest says yes

Last weekend, vegans, vegetarians and omnivores descended upon Benson High School, where they made their way through the events that made up this year’s VegFest, an educational event designed to highlight veganism and vegetarianism.

Samples of food were available, while guest speakers and chef demonstrations helped give insight into how a reduction in meat consumption could help bring about what Northwest Veg, the nonprofit that presented the event, calls a healthy, sustainable and compassionate world.

Many of the booths at the event were held by animal rights organizations, such as Rabbit Advocates and Let Live Northwest, hoping for pledges from people to adopt a “cruelty free” vegan lifestyle.

Members of PSU’s Vegans for Animal Advocacy also attended. The group was founded in 2007 to advocate for animal liberation and the adoption of the vegan lifestyle.

Along with advocates, some 65 local vendors, such as Laughing Planet, Sweet Pea Bakery and Pro Bar, gave out free samples of their products to the nearly 2,000 people in attendance.

Jill Schatz, one of the coordinators for VegFest, said the turnout of the event is usually divided up equally between omnivores, vegans and vegetarians. “Everyone had a fabulous time,” she said.

Living a vegetarian lifestyle requires not eating meat, but allows dairy products and eggs, while vegan diets restrict the consumption and use of any animal product.

The goal of the annual event is to provide outreach and education to those who are considering switching to a vegan lifestyle. “It is really hard to make changes in life,” Schatz said.

With the onslaught of global warming, one of the largest points of advocacy for vegans and vegetarians now is the idea of reducing the amount of carbon released because of human activities.

Emily Pepe, one of the board members of Northwest Veg, believes if people call themselves environmentalists, they should think about what they eat and how it affects the global community.

“There is a stereotype that vegans are bleeding-heart liberals, but a lot of people show up [to VegFest] because of social responsibility,” Pepe said. “If you go vegan, you reduce your consumption of carbon more than switching to a Prius.”

Brenda Davis, a registered dietitian, gave a speech about nutrition while discussing myths and misunderstandings about vegan diets. Schatz said the speech was one of the more highly attended events of the festival.

Melissa Berry, the owner of the newly founded Missionary Chocolates, started her company producing handmade vegan truffles because her mom adheres to a strict vegan diet and Berry wanted to make high-quality gourmet food for vegans.

“It’s a mission to make chocolate that is non-dairy,” Berry said. “It is important to have alternatives in the marketplace.”

Berry, a naturopathic medical student whose company opened in February of 2008, sets up shop at five retail locations, including the Portland Farmers Market, which will meet every Saturday until Dec. 20 in the Park Blocks.

-Additional reporting by Rylan Sorenson