Natural disasters are occurring more frequently, while food security remains a national and global concern, not least because of climate change. Malaysian Vegetarian Society president Datuk Pishu Hassaram said the carbon footprint of a vegan diet is less than a third of a heavy meat eater's diet, which is more than 100g a day. The carbon and water footprint of animal protein is two to 100 times higher than that of plant-based proteins such as tofu, tempeh and lentils. "Studies by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have found that on the same hectare of land, a vegan diet can feed 14 times more people, making it a very efficient and altruistic way of using the planet's scarce resources. (Allen Wong)