Animal rights organization GAIA kicked off its summer tour on Friday at Place de la Monnaie in Brussels.
The GAIA team will be travelling through the country with its Taste Truck, celebrating the 30th anniversary of its founding by offering passers-by a taste of its 100% vegetable vol-au-vent.
Between 22 July and 12 August, GAIA's Taste Truck will stop in twelve cities: Brussels, Namur, Antwerp, Leuven, Genk, Blankenberge, Ghent, Charleroi, Tournai, Arlon, Eupen and Liège.
The aim of the summer tour is twofold: to thank everyone who has been committed to animal welfare over the past 30 years, and to introduce people to alternative food products to meat.
The traditional Belgian vol-au-vent has been made entirely plant-based by GAIA to draw attention to the unworthy conditions in which broiler chickens are too often kept. In 42 days, these “bloated chickens” are fattened at breakneck speed until they reach their slaughter weight of 2.5 kgs, the organisation notes.
“You can eat very tasty plant-based food, but people don’t realize that yet. We want to prove that in this way. It’s now up to people to taste,” said GAIA Director Ann De Greef.
In the past, GAIA has succeeded in getting most Belgian supermarket chains to sign the Better Chicken Commitment (BBC). As a result, supermarkets will no longer offer “bloated chickens” on their shelves from 2026. However, the supermarkets have not yet signed the BBC for chicken-based products, such as chicken nuggets.
