Norwegian soldiers are going veggie.
The country’s military announced plans to place its troops on a strict vegetarian diet once a week for what they are calling ‘Meatless Mondays,’ the Independent reported.
According to a military spokesperson, the measure is meant to combat climate change, by “cutting the consumption of ecologically unfriendly foods.”
“The idea is to serve food that's respectful of the environment,” Eystein Kvarving, a spokesman for the Norwegian military, told AFP.
Troops at one of the military’s main bases are already on the new diet, but it will soon be mandatory for all units – both at home and oversees. Experts estimate that this new initiative will reduce the Norwegian military’s meat consumption by 150 tons per year.
A well-known Norwegian environmental group known as The Future in Our Hands (FOH) has commended the military’s efforts
“The defense ministry deserves a lot of praise. because it's taking climate and environmental issues seriously", the FOH director, Arild Hermstad told AFP.
On average, it is estimated that each Norwegian citizen consumes than 1,200 animals throughout their lives.
