Plant-Based March Challenge 2021

At Changing Tides Foundation, we love learning about how we can be more conscious and mindful humans. Knowledge truly is power. Sometimes the things we learn make us uncomfortable and sad, especially when it comes to Mother Earth. We are aware that many of our current lifestyles choices are harmful, unsustainable, and are destroying our planet. We understand these behaviors must change if we are to have a healthy planet to continue to live on.

Last year, we launched the first Plant-Based March Challenge but unfortunately, COVID interrupted our global challenge by turning the world on its side. So this year, we are back and better than ever.

In many ways COVID was a blessing which came with many lessons, but perhaps the biggest lessons came in the way of a global awakening about social justice issues and how disproportionately black, indigenous and people of color are treated in all facets of society from environmental racism to food justice issues.

This year's challenge will again focus on the environmental and health impacts of animal agriculture, as well as  take a look at how our BIPOC brothers and sisters are disproportionately affected by not only pollution caused by animal agriculture but also issues like food accessibility and how to make plant-based diets more inclusive.

After learning about the devastating effects of the industrial agriculture and factory farming industries on our planet- everything from how our food is made, where our food comes from and where it goes to how food choices affect our health and the health of the Earth- we are so excited to bring back our latest initiative.

The Plant-Based March Challenge is a global group challenge started by Changing Tides Foundation, where we challenge ourselves (and you) to eat a plant-based diet for the entire month of March. This means: no meat, poultry, dairy, eggs or fish for the whole month. The purpose of the challenge is to prove to ourselves that we can eat delicious, nutritious foods that have reduce our negative impact on the planet and are better for our health. We believe in our abilities as a global community to make changes by living and eating differently than many of us are familiar or comfortable with and we understand this is new for you. It's new for us too. This challenge is meant to be inclusive, so if avoiding ALL animal products sounds way too hard, it's ok to start small! Maybe one meal a day or whatever is challenging to you. No comparison. No judgment. This is about educating ourselves, reducing our footprint and getting out of our comfort zone to do better for Mama Earth. While this challenge is beneficial to the animals and personal health too, the main focus of this initiative is to highlight the benefits of eating plant-based FOR THE PLANET AND ALL OF ITS INHABITANTS.

“A swathe of research released over the past year has laid bare the hefty impact that eating meat, especially beef and pork, has upon the environment by fueling climate change and polluting landscapes and waterways. The mighty hoofprint of farmed meat isn’t just inefficient. Deforestation to make way for livestock, along with methane emissions from cows and fertilizer use, creates as much greenhouse gas emissions as all the world’s cars, trucks and airplanes. Meat rearing practices risk mass extinctions of other animals, as well as spawn significant pollution of streams, rivers and, ultimately, the ocean.” –The Guardian

Whether you are plant-based or a life-long carnivore wanting to test the waters this initiative is totally for you! We are inviting you to make the commitment to join us for the challenge and encourage your friends and family to as well. To those who sign up here, we will provide you with tips, tricks and recipes 3 x per week for the entire month of March, to ensure our collective success. We will also continue to provide our Meatless Mondays recipes every Sunday via our Instagram & FB pages.

We realize there is no perfect. There are sustainable ways to consume meat and animal products, and if this is you, kudos to you (and you're still free to join us for the challenge).  Unfortunately, those choices aren't accessible or affordable to the majority of the population. We want to get as many people as possible in the world thinking about sustainable living, so JOIN US and sign up for the Plant-Based March Challenge.