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INDICATOR |
Percent of residents who consume primarily vegetable-based protein |
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STATUS |
Fair |
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TREND |
First year of survey: no trend established |
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DESCRIPTION |
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This indicator looks at the percent of Santa Monica residents who report that vegetable based protein is the primary protein source for at least half of their meals. The City of Santa Monica has identified an upward trend as the target for this indicator.
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PERFORMANCE SUMMARY |
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According to a survey of Santa Monica
residents conducted in December 2003, about 8%
of the population is vegetarian and 92% of the
population is not. Of those who are not
vegetarian, about 16% eat an animal based
product such as beef, pork, chicken, fish or
seafood less than 4 times per week. 19% eat an
animal based product 5 – 9 times a week and 28%
eat an animal based product 10 – 14 times a
week. 37% eat an animal based product 15-20
times a week.
This is the first year of study so no trend can be determined; however, only 16% of residents report vegetable protein as their primary source of protein.
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ANALYSIS |
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The percent of Santa Monica residents who report that vegetable-based protein is the primary protein source for at least half of their meals is an indicator of sustainability because of the environmental impacts associated with meat production. These include intensive water use, water pollution from food waste and fecal matter, and intensive chemical and hormone use.
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that
factory farms pollute American waterways more
than all other industrial sources combined. |
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HIGHLIGHTS |
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In 2006, People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
recognized Santa Monica for its
vegetarian-friendly grocery stores and
restaurants. The City was ranked fifth in the
nation as a vegetarian friendly community with a
population less than 500,000 people.
PETA praised local restaurants such as the Real
Food Daily, Toi on Wilshire and RAWvolution, for
bringing vegetarian food straight to residents’
doors. Bruce Friedrich, director of Vegan
Campaigns for PETA said “Santa Monica is a Mecca
for people seeking healthy and delicious
vegetarian food."
Olin Ericksen, Staff
Writer, The Lookout News, Santa Monica Wins
Kudos from Animal Rights Grou, March 21,
2006 |
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WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE? |
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Amplify the consequences of consuming animal protein on the environment in the form of water use and sewage generation.
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DATA SOURCES |
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View source material in Excel:
EPH12_FoodChoices.xls.
Email contact for data source inquires. |
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PRINTING TIPS
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Printing tips for MS Internet Explorer |
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LAST UPDATED
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August 2005 |
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CITATION |
www.smepd.org/scpr |
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