The Ethiopian Vegan Association Launches with Conference and Free Meals

Last month marked the official launching of the Ethiopian Vegan Association, an event held in Addis Ababa and attended by over 60 guests including members of parliament, the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Agency, local NGOS, and the media. The assembled guests discussed the environmental consequences of intensive animal agriculture’a focus of Brighter Green’s recent publication Climate, Food Security, & Growth: Ethiopia’s Complex Relationship with Livestock.

Later on in the afternoon, the group relocated to the city center and, following the ideal of compassion through action, coordinated a handing out of free vegan meals to the city’s homeless population. Homelessness and poverty are rampant in the Ethiopia, with as much as 90 percent of the country’s population considered impoverished according to the newly developed Multidimensional Poverty Index. Going beyond a simple analysis of household incomes, this index explores a wide range of factors including sanitation, home construction materials, and clean water access. The Ethiopian Vegan Association plans to hold a monthly, and eventually weekly, feeding program to reach out to Addis Ababa’s homeless. For more information, visit the International Fund for Africa’s website.