Vegan future
Re: "Practising purity", (Life, Oct 17).
Thailand's annual 10-day Vegetarian Festival known as the Jae Festival has begun. The streets of Thailand have come to life with yellow flags. These joyful flags show which food stalls and restaurants serve jae food, or practically vegan meals, during the festival -- a celebration rooted in Taoist tradition and an integral part of Thai culture. This festival calls humans to honour their bodies and spirits by eating vegan food. The festival proves we don't need flesh, eggs, milk, or anything from an animal to eat delicious, healthy meals.
But why stop there?
In the meat, egg, and dairy industries, calves are torn away from mother cows, pigs are packed into filthy warehouses, and chickens are bred so large that they collapse under their own weight. These animals want freedom -- just like human beings. Yet these industries continue to treat animals like mere commodities, while worsening the climate catastrophe. Over a billion chickens alone are killed in Thailand each year.
Raising animals for food is responsible for 60% of food-related greenhouse gas emissions, but provides less than 20% of our calories. Clearing forests for animal agriculture and killing sentient beings is cooking the planet and everyone on it.
Meanwhile, a study in Science shows that replacing meat and dairy with vegan foods worldwide could slash food-related emissions by up to 70% and free three-quarters of farmland for rewilding and carbon capture. Vegan food can save us from climate catastrophes.
With its Buddhist heritage and millions of vegan and vegetarian visitors, the country already shows us another way. Traditional Thai cuisine never relied on cow's milk or cheese. Its curries feature coconut milk, chilies, and herbs. And with a quick check for fish sauce or shrimp paste, you'll find countless naturally vegan dishes. As most readers will know, as you walk down a Bangkok street during the Jae Festival period, the yellow flags will lead you to stalls overflowing with cruelty-free meals -- crispy fried tofu and taro, stir-fried noodles, jab chai, and many other foods rich with flavour but free from suffering.
Chinatown transforms into entire blocks of vegan stands. It isn't just the street markets: food courts, chain restaurants, and even 7-Eleven outlets stock vegan options, from croissants to curries. Hotels serve vegan buffets, airports feature plant-based meals, and grocery stores highlight the vegan products on their shelves. The Jae Festival has become a global draw: A fun, spiritual, and delicious showcase of compassionate living. But the lesson shouldn't end when the yellow flags come down. If we truly want to address the climate crisis, protect animals, and create a liveable future, the world must embrace what Thailand already knows: Vegan food is the way to go.
So let's raise the yellow Jae flags higher, and point us all towards a kinder, greener future -- one where our plates reflect honour. Celebrate the Jae Festival year-round.
Senior Vice President PETA Asia
