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Information acc. 13, 14, 21 GDPR

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The Belém Declaration on Plant-Rich Diets

This Declaration by leaders of city and regional governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders calls on national governments to promote healthy and sustainable diets through the drafting and implementation of Action Plans for Plant-Based Foods.

A person in a white dress selects carrots from a display of fresh vegetables, including garlic and greens, at a market. They are holding a reusable mesh bag.

Acknowledging the multiple1 2 roles that plant-rich diets play in mitigating the climate crisis, the Belém Declaration calls for national governments to draw up and implement comprehensive and ambitious action plans for promoting plant-rich foods throughout society. 

Action plans should introduce concrete measures to encourage the production and consumption of plant-based foods3 through initiatives supported by national governments and involving cities and regional governments. 

As signatories of this letter, we commit to strengthening collaborative and inclusive efforts to accelerate a transition to more plant-rich diets through the development of National Action Plans For Plant-Based Foods by all UN member states. 

01

Climate change mitigation

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Considering that almost all countries identify agrifood systems as a priority for climate-change adaptation (94%) and mitigation (91%) in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and taking into account the tremendous potential of agrifood systems as climate solutions, especially as countries submit their third round of NDCs in 2025,4

Acknowledging that more than 150 nations have signed the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action to shift from higher greenhouse-gas-emitting practices to more sustainable production and consumption approaches,5

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Recognising that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2022 climate-change mitigation report highlights shifts towards plant-rich diets as important mitigation mechanisms,6

Noting also that the IPCC finds that plant-rich diets can lead to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, compared to current dietary patterns in most industrialised countries,7 8

02

Public health benefits

Acknowledging that plant-rich diets are widely associated with a lower risk of premature mortality and offer protection against non-communicable diseases,9

Noting that the IPCC 2022 climate-change mitigation report states that ‘balanced diets’ are those that feature coarse grains, pulses, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds,10

Noting that the UN Environment Programme11 states that plant-based protein sources such as beans, peas and lentils can meet the nutritional needs of most healthy adults and reduce individual carbon footprints,

A bowl containing a chickpea and tomato stew topped with a dollop of creamy sauce, served with fresh green leafy vegetables and broccoli on the side.

03

Biodiversity protection

Recognising that an independent report backed by the UN Environment Programme identifies a shift to more plant-rich diets as one of three key levers for reducing pressures on land use, reducing biodiversity loss, and creating a more sustainable food system,12

Acknowledging that a shift to plant-based foods in high-income countries produces a ‘double dividend’ of a 61% reduction in GHG emissions from agriculture in those countries and sequestered carbon equivalent to 14 years of global agriculture emissions from 
re-naturalised freed-up land13 14

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04

Food security and resilience

A person wearing a watch and bracelet slices a round loaf of bread in a woven basket. Green leaves and a straw hat are visible in the foreground.

Recognising that many countries in the Global South have plant-rich dietary traditions that need preserving in order to maintain food security, cultural heritage, and indigenous knowledge,15

Noting that localised food production on small-island developing states, where traditional diets have long emphasised fibre-rich, plant-based foods, can help to reclaim and restore healthy and climate-resilient food systems in those countries,16 

Recognising that growing more food for direct human consumption, rather than as animal feed, could increase the availability of food for direct human consumption,17 18 19 20

05

Economic benefits

Two men harvest grapes in a vineyard; one holds a bin filled with grapes while the other smiles. Vine rows and more workers are visible in the background on a cloudy day.

Noting that adopting plant-based foods grown using sustainable farming methods could generate new employment opportunities around the world, particularly for smallholders and small family farms:21 22

We, the undersigned, in view of the approaching UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Brazil, call upon UN member states to:

  1. Establish National Action Plans For Plant-Based Foods to promote healthy sustainable diets – from farm to fork – in order to increase food security and resilience, improve public health, mitigate climate change, protect and restore biodiversity, provide economic benefits, and ensure policy coherence.
  2. Commit to a deadline for the publication of National Action Plans For Plant-Based Foods in time for them to be tabled for discussion at COP32 in 2027.
  3. Commit to financial support for the implementation of National Action Plans For Plant-Based Foods from agrifood promotion budgets.
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List of signatories

City of West Hollywood, California, United States

Ian Middleton

Green Group Leader

Oxford City Council

Chelsea Byers

Mayor

West Hollywood, United States

Jacob Sanders

Councillor and Leader of the Labour Group

Forest of Dean District

Jackie Dale

Councillor

Forest of Dean District

Bolli ismail Serunjjogi

Administrative Director

Kabalagala parish Council

Doug Maskell

Councillor

Caledon, Canada

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Juliette Tronchon

Head of UN Affairs

juliette.tronchon@proveg.org

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Peter Rixon

Senior International PR Manager

peter.rixon@proveg.org

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References

  1. Benton, T.G., C. Bieg, H. Harwatt et al. (2021): Food system impacts on biodiversity loss. Three levers for food system transformation in support of nature. Available at: https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/2021-02-03-food-system-biodiversity-loss-benton-et-al_0.pdf [22.03.2025]
  2. Xu, X., P. Sharma, S. Shu, et al. (2021): Global greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based foods. Nature Food 2(9), 724–732. doi:10.1038/s43016-021-00358-x
  3. Plant-based foods could range from fresh fruits, vegetables,whole-grains, legumes, nuts, edible fungi, tofu, tempeh, as well as plant-based alternatives to animal-sourced products that are nutrient-rich and compatible with WHO guidelines on salt, sugar and fat content.
  4. FAO (2024): COP29: New FAO analysis maps Nationally Determined Contributions, identifies opportunities, gaps and risks related to agrifood climate solutions. Available at: https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/cop29–new-fao-analysis-maps-nationally-determined-contributions–identifies-opportunities–gaps-and-risks-related-to-agrifood-climate-solutions/en [22.03.2025]
  5. FAO (2023): COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action. Available at:: https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/publication/cop28-uae-declaration-sustainable-agriculture-resilient-food-systems-climate-action_en [22.03.2024]
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  10. IPCC (2022): Climate Change 2022. Mitigation of Climate Change. Available at: ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGIII_FullReport.pdf [09.05.2025]
  11. UNEP (2022): Enabling Sustainable Lifestyles in a Climate Emergency. Available at: https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/39972/Lifestyles_climate.pdf [22.03.2025]
  12. Benton, T.G., C. Bieg, H. Harwatt et al. (2021): Food system impacts on biodiversity loss. Three levers for food system transformation in support of nature. Available at: https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/2021-02-03-food-system-biodiversity-loss-benton-et-al_0.pdf [22.03.2025]
  13. Sun, Z., L. Scherer, et al. (2022): Dietary change in high-income nations alone can lead to substantial double climate dividend. Nature Food 3(1), 29–37. Doi: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37118487/
  14. Poore, J. & T. Nemecek (2018): Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science 360(6392), 987–992. doi:10.1126/science.aaq0216
  15. Mburu, S. W., G. Koskey, J. M. Kimiti, et al. (2016): Agrobiodiversity conservation enhances food security in subsistence-based farming systems of Eastern Kenya. Agriculture & Food Security 5(1), 19. Doi: 10.1186/s40066-016-0068-2.
  16. Marrero, A. & J. Mattei (2022): Reclaiming traditional, plant-based, climate-resilient food systems in small islands. The Lancet Planetary Health 6(2), e171–e179. doi:10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00322-3
  17. Cassidy, E. S., P. C. West, J. S. Gerber, et al. (2013): Redefining agricultural yields: from tonnes to people nourished per hectare. Environmental Research Letters 8(3), 034015. Doi:10.1088/1748-9326/8/3/034015
  18. Chatzimpiros, P. & S. Harchaoui (2023): Sevenfold variation in global feeding capacity depends on diets, land use and nitrogen management. Nature Food. Doi:10.1038/s43016-023-00741-w
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  21. ARE (2024): Kitchen of the Future. Available at: Kitchen-of-the-Future_-The-economic-and-environmental-benefits-of-protein-diversification-in-Thailand_compressed.pdf [09.05.2025]
  22. Saget, C., A. Vogt-Schilb & T. Luu (2020). Jobs in a Net-Zero Emissions Future in Latin America and the Caribbean. Inter-American Development Bank and International Labour Organization, Washington D.C. and Geneva.