ProVeg International, as part of a coalition of 30 civil society organizations committed to ensuring sustainable, equitable food systems, has sent a jointly-signed letter to the United Nations Environment Program, expressing support for the programme’s work and to the wish to develop a shared agenda.
Co-signed by environmental and animal rights groups such as Greenpeace, the Better Food Foundation, and the Center for Biological Diversity, the letter was sent on the eve of the 48th anniversary of the foundation of UNEP and World Environment Day, June 5th.
The two-page letter highlights the dramatic impact which the industrial-livestock sector has had on climate change, deforestation, land degradation and biodiversity loss. The co-signatories made special mention of the numerous connections the current COVID-19 pandemic has shown exist between food systems and the outbreak of zoonotic diseases
Read our open letter to UNEP
“The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is conscious that eating sustainably is one of the most effective things individuals can do to combat climate change, while also reducing impacts on land, water use, and biodiversity.”
“In this context, we urge UNEP to further advocate for plant-rich diets and truly sustainable food systems. This is essential to tackling environmental degradation and climate change, while mitigating the risks of pandemics and moving towards more resilient societies and economies.”
2020 and beyond
‘Time for Nature’ has been the theme chosen by UNEP which published a manifesto and guide calling for the people of the world to reimagine our relationship with nature, and pointing to dietary changes towards “more environmentally friendly foods, especially our main protein sources” as part of the solutions to “act for nature”.
Upcoming discussions between UN member states at the fifth sessions of the UN Environment Assembly, and the UN Food System Summit in 2021 will mark the start of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The open letter to UNEP expresses a hope that civil society organizations will be given a chance to have their voices heard during these important agenda-setting meetings.
Click here to read the jointly-signed letter to UNEP.
The following civil society organizations joined ProVeg International in signing this letter:
50 by 40 https://50by40.org/
Animal Legal Defense Fund https://aldf.org/
A well fed world https://awellfedworld.org/
Better Food Foundation https://www.betterfoodfoundation.org/
Brighter Green https://brightergreen.org/
Center for Biological Diversity https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/
Compassion in World Farming https://www.ciwf.org.uk/
Doctors for nutrition https://www.doctorsfornutrition.org/
Farm Forward https://www.farmforward.com/
Feedback https://feedbackglobal.org/
Four Paws https://www.four-paws.org/
Global Forest Coalition https://globalforestcoalition.org/
Greenbaum Foundation https://www.greenbaumfoundation.org/
Greenpeace https://www.greenpeace.org/international/
Health Care Without Harm https://noharm.org/
Humane Society International https://www.hsi.org/
Lean and green kids https://www.leanandgreenkids.org/
Omar Niode Foundation, Indonesia. https://www.omarniode.org/
Peoples Federation for National Peace and Development (PEFENAP) https://www.facebook.com/PEFENAP/
Plant Pure Communities https://plantpurecommunities.org/
Rapad Maroc https://rapad-maroc.org/?lang=en
Society for the Protection of Animal Rights in Egypt http://www.sparelives.org/
Sinergia Animal https://www.sinergiaanimal.org/en
Sustainable Rossmoor https://sustainablerossmoor.org/
TAPP coalition https://www.tappcoalition.eu/
The pollination project https://thepollinationproject.org/
Tzu Chi Foundation https://tzuchi.us/
World Animal Net http://worldanimal.net/
World Animal Protection https://www.worldanimalprotection.org/
