ProVeg’s work across evidence, policy, and practice in Belém, Brazil
For the last eight years, ProVeg has been present at the annual UN climate conferences in order to ensure that food systems are part of the climate conversation. COP30 in Belém, Brazil, offered an opportunity to continue this work in a region where food production, forests, and climate impacts are closely connected. And although our activities were cut short by a fire the day before the end of the event – which also delayed the negotiations – our presence in Belém was vital in terms of providing a stronger focus on the link between food systems and climate change.
The whole ProVeg team appreciated the significance of discussing climate change in a region widely known as the lungs of the earth. Across the summit, our team focused on strengthening their understanding of the role of food systems in climate action, both inside the negotiations and in the context of the host city. For a broader look at how our climate work has developed over the past eight years, see our recent blog on ProVeg’s journey from COP21 to COP30.
Why food systems mattered in Belém
Food systems account for about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Current dietary patterns remain out of step with climate targets, and it’s estimated that food systems alone could push planetary warming beyond 1.5°C – even if fossil fuels are phased out completely. In Brazil, livestock expansion and feed production continue to shape land use and put pressure on key biomes.
In this context, COP30 presented a clear opportunity to move food systems higher up the climate agenda. Plant-rich diets, lower land-use pressures, and more diverse production systems all support climate mitigation, improve public health, and reduce pressure on ecosystems. These were the key themes that framed our team’s work in Belém.
Action on Food Hub
Having led the Food4Climate Pavilion at COP27 and COP28, ProVeg was also a partner at the Action on Food Hub, which brought together organisations working on food-system change. The hub ran for ten days, with a rich programme of discussions, workshops, and collaborative sessions, linking scientific evidence, civil society experience, and youth perspectives. For ProVeg, this partnership, now in its second year, created a space to keep plant-rich diets and food transformation present in climate discussions.
The opening session, organised with EIT Food, reviewed progress since COP27, with Juliette Tronchon, ProVeg’s Head of UN Affairs, moderating the discussion. Speakers from the International Livestock Research Institute, World Animal Protection, WWF UK, and YOUNGO reflected on developments in areas such as climate adaptation, civil-society engagement, international advocacy, and youth participation.
The programme then continued with plenaries, policy deep dives, and sessions co-hosted by youth and farmer groups. Among the contributions from ProVeg was a session on public food policy titled ‘How to measure and drive sustainable and resilient food policies in the Global South’. Organised in partnership between ProVeg Brasil, the Sociedade Vegetariana Brasileira (SVB), and The Pollination Project, the session examined how public food procurement can support more sustainable and resilient food systems. It also marked the launch of the Food Policy Observatory, led by ProVeg Brasil and SVB.
The Observatory was created to track public-food policies at municipal, state, and federal levels, and make them more transparent. At launch, the team had reviewed more than 180 proposals submitted since 2001, identifying the 22 with the strongest potential to shape food systems in Brazil. These proposals will be monitored and updated regularly. The database provides clear information on each measure, including its authorship, status, themes, and expected impact on food systems.
Additionally, our Youth Board member, Vivek Venkatram, spoke at the panel Bridging Knowledge Towards Action on Food Systems: Reflections from the Youth and Farmers. During the panel, we gave an overview of the critical relationship between sustainable agriculture and climate action for achieving food security, with each speaker revealing a key challenge. Vivek highlighted the fact that we need more responsible consumers who are enabled to make sustainable and just choices, and questioned how we can ensure that consumers get the education they need in order to make the best choices possible, for the environment and for producers.
ProVeg launches declaration, toolkit, and research report
ProVeg also gave two important press conferences during COP30. The first centred on the relaunch of the Belém Declaration on Plant Rich Diets, which calls on governments to promote healthy and sustainable diets through the development of Action Plans for Plant-Based Foods. ProVeg’s Juliette Tronchon outlined the aims of the Declaration and highlighted the early endorsements from policymakers in Europe, Australia, and the United States. Support from these regions shows a growing political interest in advancing plant-rich food policies.
The press conference also marked the launch of the Diets Toolkit, produced by ProVeg International, Climate Focus, and WWF. The Toolkit offers guidance for governments seeking to integrate healthy and sustainable diets into their Nationally Determined Contributions and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans.
At a second press conference, ProVeg Brazil launched the report Increasing Income, Respecting the Planet, Nourishing People, coordinated with the Agroecology Cooperative Organization. The research found that shifting from livestock farming to plant-based agroforestry increased net income for Brazilian producers by about 110% per hectare. In exceptional cases, where low-productivity cattle farming gave way to plant-based agroforestry in biodiverse regions with access to specialised markets, income increases of more than 1,500 percent were evident.
The environmental case was equally strong. Plant-based agroforestry captures more greenhouse gases than it emits, while livestock farming remains one of Brazil’s largest sources of emissions. Pasture expansion has driven 70% of Amazon deforestation in recent decades, and livestock is associated with roughly sixty percent of national emissions when land use is included.
ProVeg Brazil’s Country Director, Aline Baroni, also presented the report at an official side event in the Agrizone, where she led a roundtable. Participants examined the roles of plant-based agriculture, family farming, and agroecology in shaping responses to climate change.
Aline also presented the research at a Portuguese language event at the Food Roots & Routes Pavilion. Later in the summit, she spoke at an official side event on methane. The session addressed the challenge of meeting the Global Methane Pledge and examined how the fossil fuel, meat, and dairy sectors are influencing current methane trajectories. Aline contributed insights from the Brazilian transition research as part of the wider discussion on agricultural methane.
Preparing Belém’s food environment
Before the summit, ProVeg Brazil and the Sociedade Vegetariana Brasileira led the Belém Gastronomia Sustentável project as a way to expand plant-based food options across the host city. The initiative offered free consultancy and training to restaurants, hotels, cafés, and bars, many of which had few plant-based dishes before the project began.
More than 20 establishments took part in the full consultancy, with more than 200 staff members receiving training across kitchen and service teams. Each venue added between three and six new plant-based dishes, drawing on local and Amazonian ingredients. A restaurant map was created to help visitors identify partner establishments during COP30.
ProVeg Brazil established a dialogue with the Extraordinary Secretariat for COP30, providing training during the presentation event for selected operators at the Hangar venue in Belém. The objective was to reinforce the importance of plant-based diets as a climate solution and provide support for implementation.
A catering survey by ProVeg Brazil found that just over half of all meals and snacks served at COP30 were plant-based or vegetarian, exceeding the host city’s target. The survey also flagged several barriers. Beef still appeared in twelve percent of savoury dishes, despite its high climate impact. Some plant-based meals were priced above expectations, and signage for plant-based options was inconsistent. The team also noted limited availability of plant-based milk for hot drinks.
Bringing our work together in Belém
Taken together, our work at COP30 linked policy engagement, scientific evidence, and practical action in the host city. At the Action on Food Hub, the team helped to sustain a focused conversation on food systems across sectors.
Our speakers drew attention to the climate and public health case for plant-based diets, while new research from ProVeg Brazil demonstrated the economic and environmental potential of plant-based agroforestry.
The partnership with local restaurants ensured that visitors to Belém experienced more sustainable options in practice. Each strand supported the same goal: giving food systems a more defined place in climate action.
The final day of the conference ended abruptly after a fire at the venue! Our team was evacuated safely and, as far as we know, no one was harmed, although several sessions – including those in which our Youth Board member Vivek was due to speak – were cancelled.
The week had already been demanding, with delegates working through intense heat due to limited air-conditioning. However, the team stayed focused and kept pushing plant-based solutions further up the agenda. Despite the disruption, the work moved forward with real momentum.
Simon Middleton
Senior Writer
