”Food Is the Solution: What to Eat to Save the World” – Interview with Matthew Prescott

A leader in the environmental food movement, Matthew Prescott is the Senior Food Policy Director of the Humane Society. He has been a vegan activist for nearly 20 years and is a well-sought out speaker on reforming how we farm and eat. Recently, Matthew published a book titled “Food Is the Solution: What to Eat to Save the World.” This book blends art, design, photography, investigative reporting, and recipes to make the case for vegan eating as a way to save the planet and spread compassion.

“And so, I talk in the book about the water-wasting and the climate change caused by animal-heavy diets, by meat-heavy diets, and then offer 80 recipes that are all plant-based, all vegan, to show a solution to those problems.”

“I became vegan 20 years ago, this month actually, because I learned what happens to animals on factory farms, I learned how unsustainable and inefficient it is to produce livestock like we are today. And for me, the thing that drives me is really wanting to show other people how simply by changing what they eat, they can contribute to such a better world, to make the world kinder and more compassionate for animals, to make the world more sustainable, to prevent climate change. There are just so many benefits to enjoy in a plant-based, vegetarian, vegan diet— that’s what drives me forward.”

“What I try to do in the book is just show easy swaps and easy meals to make that anybody can make and that everybody will enjoy.”

In April 2018, Matthew Prescott wrote a letter to Supreme Master Ching Hai. He introduced “Food Is the Solution” to Her, and also expressed his desire to collaborate in the vegan cause, in ways like sending his book, for free, to dining service directors of large school districts to motivate them to serve more vegan food. In response, Supreme Master Ching Hai graciously presented a US$10,000 monetary gift to support Matthew’s new book, and his noble efforts to promote the plant-based diet.