Gov. Wes Moore names March 20 'MeatOut Day in Maryland'

Tinashe Chingarande, The Baltimore Sun on Mar 10, 2026

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BALTIMORE — Gov. Wes Moore is encouraging Marylanders to explore how eating less meat can improve their health, conserve the environment, and prevent harm to livestock through plant-based diets.

Moore signed a proclamation Tuesday, naming March 20, 2026, “MeatOut Day in Maryland,” according to a news release from the Farm Animal Rights Movement, or FARM, which organized the MeatOut initiative. Maryland will join hundreds of states across the nation that annually recognize “MeatOut” as part of a growing movement toward healthier food choices. A proclamation is a formal document signed by the governor to raise awareness of specific causes on specific days.

In the proclamation, Moore said that “removing animal products from our diets reduces the risk of various ailments, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, various cancers, and diabetes.” The governor also stated that plant-based diets could help reduce Maryland’s carbon footprint, preserve vegetation and foliage, and limit the pollution of the state’s waterbodies.

But in recent years, environmental conservationists have bristled at Moore’s policies.

In 2024, Moore introduced a bill that, according to advocates, weakened oversight of data centers being built across Maryland. Data centers could significantly drain the state’s energy grid and water systems, environmental advocates say. During the 2025 legislative session, the governor vetoed a bill that would commission a study on the environmental impacts of data centers. The General Assembly later overrode that veto.

To mark MeatOut 2026, volunteers with FARM will participate in outreach events throughout the region, including the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC, as well as local activities organized by advocates across Maryland, according to a Tuesday news release from FARM.

Scientific studies, however, show that while plant-based diets are wholly beneficial, more research needs to be done to authoritatively rule out any health concerns with cutting meat out of one’s diet. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2021 wrote that individuals who primarily eat plant-based food are often deficient in vitamin B12 — which boosts energy, improves heart health, and regulates one’s mood — increasing their risk of getting a stroke. However, the NIH wrote, “more research is needed to investigate this relationship.” Harvard Medical School also had similar findings.

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