A declaration calling on UN member states to create and implement Action Plans for Plant-Based Foods is set to be presented at the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, this weekend.
The Belém Declaration on Plant-Rich Diets has been signed by over 100 stakeholders, who are urging countries to recognize the importance of shifting toward more plant-forward diets. They say this could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect biodiversity, improve human health, and increase food security.
Among the signatories are several MEPs, including Cristina Guarda of the European Parliament’s Green/European Free Alliance Group.
“I fully support the Belém Declaration’s call for ambitious national action plans to promote plant-rich diets,” said Guarda. “Transitioning towards more plant-based food systems is essential to fight the climate crisis, protect public health, and ensure sustainable livelihoods for farmers and communities.”
“A real contribution to tackling the climate crisis”
The Belém Declaration asks UN member states to follow in the lead of Denmark, which became the first country to publish an Action Plan for Plant-Based Food in October 2023. The European Commission has been urged to introduce a pan-EU action plan by 2026.
The Declaration requests that countries commit to a deadline for the publication of their action plans so that they can be tabled for discussion at COP32 in 2027. It also urges nations to commit to financial support for the implementation of the plans from agrifood promotion budgets.
Using mostly the UN’s own scientific findings, the Declaration lays out numerous sustainability and health benefits of plant-forward diets. It aims to preserve the plant-rich culinary heritage of the Global South while addressing the overconsumption of meat in the Global North.
“We hope to raise awareness among delegates here at COP30 of the huge role that plant-based diets play in mitigating the climate crisis,” said Juliette Tronchon, Head of UN Affairs at ProVeg. “By embracing plant-rich diets as a solution to effective emissions reduction, UN member states can make a real contribution to tackling the climate crisis.”
