From forests to forks: Honouring Jane Goodall
When we think of Jane Goodall, we picture her in the forests of Gombe, observing chimpanzees with awe and determination. Her decades of work transformed the way we understand wildlife, conservation, and our role in the natural world. She showed that empathy, patience, and respect are essential tools for safeguarding life on Earth.
With her passing this week, I’ve been reflecting on Jane’s life and ongoing legacy. Looking closer to home - what if her legacy could help us reflect on the choices we make every day, especially the food we eat?
Seeing the World Through Jane’s Eyes
Jane Goodall’s life is a testament to deep empathy. By recognising the intelligence, emotion, and social bonds of chimpanzees, she invited the world to extend moral consideration beyond our species. Humans are not separate from the web of life; we are intimately connected to it.
Yet even committed environmentalists often have a blind spot. While we fight to protect forests, rivers, and endangered species, our food system quietly contributes to deforestation, habitat destruction, greenhouse gas emissions, and water depletion. Intensive animal agriculture alone drives much of the world’s land-use change and biodiversity loss.
This isn’t about guilt—it’s about awareness. Just as Jane opened our eyes to chimpanzees’ inner lives, we can now see the broader consequences of what’s on our plates.
Expanding Our Circle of Compassion
Environmentalism is about values, empathy, and ethical consistency. Jane’s message was simple: every action matters. Extending that insight to our diets is a natural next step.
Eating more plant-based meals doesn’t require perfection. It’s about aligning daily choices with conservation and compassion. By choosing foods that need fewer resources and cause less harm, we protect ecosystems and reduce our environmental impact. Even small shifts—like one or two meat-free meals per week—can significantly lower your footprint. Want to lower it further? Expand your meat-free meals across the week and focus on seasonal wholefoods available locally.
Bridging Values and Action
People act when choices reflect their identity and values. For environmentalists, plant-based eating is not a new ideology - it continues a commitment to the planet.
Jane’s life reminds us to start small and celebrate incremental victories. Change doesn’t have to be radical overnight. One plant-based meal shared with friends or family can be the seed for broader habit change. Supporting local growers, trying seasonal vegetables, and exploring new recipes are practical, tangible steps you can take.
Finding Joy in Sustainable Choices
A common misconception is that plant-based eating is restrictive or joyless. The opposite is true. Just as Jane found wonder in the lives of chimpanzees, we can find joy exploring flavours, textures, and cuisines that celebrate plants. Each meal is an opportunity to connect with the planet, support local farmers, and nourish ourselves while making ethical choices.
So much of MRSG’s work is focused around creating joy, meaning and community. Our action groups can support you to discover the delights of plant-based eating and connect with like minded people. For example:
At the Woodend Farmer’s market you can source tasty, fresh, local, and seasonal veggies and catch up with growers and locals
At monthly crop swap tables in Kyneton and Woodend, you can redistribute excess veggies, meet others who grow their own and help address food insecurity
In Sustainable Malmsbury’s monthly newsletter, you can get advice on growing veg in the Ranges
In the annual Edgy Veg Awards, you can share plant-based meals with friends and family to support local food innovation, veggie growers and businesses
Through regular potlucks and cooking classes, Veg Action shares recipes, new dishes and inspiration
A Call to Action
Jane Goodall’s legacy carries a simple, powerful message: empathy matters, and every action counts. As we face climate change, biodiversity loss, and challenges in global food systems, we can extend our circle of compassion to include all living beings affected by our choices.
Start small: try a plant-based meal once a week, explore local cafés with plant-forward options, share recipes, and involve friends or family. Each step contributes to a healthier planet and a food system more in line with our values.
By seeing the world as Jane did—through empathy, connection, and respect—we can ensure our actions in the kitchen are as thoughtful and powerful as the work she carried out in the forests of Gombe.