ProVeg UN Policy
Content
What we do & why
What
Engaging with international institutions to bring food system transformation and sustainable diets to the heart of the international agenda.
Why
Since 2017, ProVeg has increasingly engaged with international organisations, with a specific focus on UN institutions. ProVeg has received the United Nations’ Momentum for Change Award and works closely with key UN food and environment agencies. We have observer status with the UNFCCC and the IPCC, special consultative status with ECOSOC, are member of the CTCN and are accredited for UNEA. Furthermore, we are an official partner of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030). This allows ProVeg International to increase its impact while advocating for a shift towards more plant-rich food systems during international meetings and negotiations.
By engaging with international organisations and building long-term relationships with UN institutions specifically, we aim to mainstream a shift towards plant-based diets as a proven climate change mitigation and adaptation solution.
Our approach
UN Working Groups
- Co-chair of the 50by40 UNFCCC Action Group
- Involved with WFA’s UNFCCC Working Group
- Involved with the Official Children and Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), also known as YOUNGO through our Youth employees and our Youth Board
Collaborations with NGOs
- Joint campaigns including open letters, joint statements, social media actions
- High-level meetings and negotiators dinners
- Side events and press conferences at UN Conferences
- Food4Climate Pavilion
Our policy demands
- The switch from animal husbandry to plant production should be made possible by bonuses and retraining.
- The subsidies for animal products through a reduced VAT should be discontinued and socially cushioned.
- Plant-based alternatives are to be promoted through a reduced VAT rate of 7%.
- An information campaign about healthy, plant-based nutrition is to be launched.
- In community catering, plant-based dishes should be offered daily as standard.
- Alternative sources of protein (vegetable and cell cultured) should be promoted.
Food4Climate Pavilion
The launch of the Pavilion at COP27 last year, alongside other food system Pavilions, was groundbreaking because it signified recognition at UN-level of the relationship between climate change and food production.
ProVeg International is gearing up to build on the success of COP27 and further emphasise the need to make the shift towards plant-rich diets, adopt sustainable and resilient agricultural practices, and reduce food loss and waste.
A total of 15 partner organisations have already signed up to join ProVeg at its Pavilion, including: World Animal Protection, A Well-Fed World, Humane Society International, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, Four Paws, Food Tank, Mercy For Animals, the Jeremy Coller Foundation, Compassion in World Farming, Upfield, Impossible Foods, the MENA Youth Network, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development, the International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences, and the YOUNGO Food and Agriculture Working Group.
ProVeg UN Youth Board
The ProVeg International UN Team is proud to present the Youth Board, comprised of 20 outstanding young people from around the world. These global youth activists advise our UN team and spread the message in the lead-up to COP28, this year’s edition of the annual UN Climate Change Conference, which takes place in Dubai, UAE.
About the ProVeg UN Policy Team
The current team is made up of a group of devoted policy experts who work tirelessly to achieve our mission to reduce the global consumption of animals by 50% by 2040. Read their bios to know more about them and their work within ProVeg International!
Juliette Tronchon
Head of UN Affairs
Juliette joined ProVeg in 2019 as an intern. She had been involved in a plant-based organisation at university and wanted to continue on this path. It had also been her dream to live in Berlin for years. So by working for ProVeg, she accomplished two things at once.
Juliette’s job in a nutshell is running from one international conference to the other – life could be worse, right!? It’s her job to influence policymakers and other relevant stakeholders to include food systems, and especially plant-based diets, better in their policies. To achieve this, Juliette also works with lots of partners from the civil society and the private sector, which is a lot of fun. Except when she has to speak in front of people, which is a lot of stress… But she’s getting used to it!
Lana Weidgenant
Senior UN Policy Manager
Lana divides her work at ProVeg between the United States and International/UN policy. She has a background in the US climate movement and in UN Climate Change and Food Systems. Lana has always focused on food systems in her climate advocacy and at ProVeg, she is excited to be pursuing the transformation of dietary shifts and plant-rich diets full-time.
Lana’s work engages in our climate change campaigns, in US plant-based policy, in youth engagement, and in plans leading up to #COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference. Outside of work, Lana enjoys nature, travelling, and plant-based eats.
Stephanie Maw
Senior UN Policy & Advocacy Manager
Stephanie brings together UN and EU policy advocacy at ProVeg. She focuses on harmonising and strengthening efforts between ProVeg’s international teams in order to promote the transformative potential of plant-rich food systems more effectively.
Building on many years of experience in fighting farm animal suffering, Stephanie is passionate about advocating for a shift to more plant-based diets and food production as a multi-problem solution: for the environment, health, animal welfare and justice. To achieve this, she engages with politicians, governments and policymakers on food-related issues and works to influence climate change negotiations at COP and other key events. Additionally, she works to increase collaboration with partner organisations and co-chairs the UNFCCC Action Group.
A plant-based food and language lover, Stephanie also enjoys Latin dancing and playing tennis, discovering nature and learning about history, culture and art.
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