The Uganda Vegan Society played a significant role in this year’s Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit (AVA) held in Los Angeles from 27th to 30th July 2023.
The AVA Summit aims to empower advocates and organizations to create systemic change for animals and accelerate progress in this area. The event fosters a nurturing community and offers ample networking opportunities, including a co-hosted career fair by Animal Advocacy Careers and Vegan Hacktivists, with participants from various parts of the world.
The team from the Uganda Vegan Society, led by its founder, Mrs. Nabaasa Innocent, made a notable presence at the summit. Mrs. Nabaasa Innocent addressed over 700 guests, highlighting the positive impact of the Vegan school lunch program introduced in Ugandan schools, specifically in Kamapala and Wakiso districts.
During her speech, she emphasized that the society encourages schools to adopt plant-based lunch meals as part of this program. The main objective of the initiative is to enhance the quality of children’s diets, reduce inequalities in childhood diet and health, and promote plant-based alternatives.
Mrs. Nabaasa stated that the Uganda Vegan Society focuses on supporting schools in transitioning to vegan lunches through caterers’ and cooks’ training, promoting food cultivation in schools, connecting schools with local farmers, and providing education on the health, environmental, and ethical aspects of a plant-based diet.
Key points from the summit included the importance of continuing sensitization on alternative plant-based proteins, as they are both affordable and sustainable. Governments were encouraged to include plant-based options in dietary guidelines to further promote their consumption.
Furthermore, Mrs. Nabaasa highlighted the need to invest in alternatives for milk, such as coconut milk and soy milk, which are not only healthy but also accessible and cost-effective.
