Our team spent two successful weeks at the United Nations (UN) June Climate Meetings in Bonn, Germany, where we advocated for an increase in plant-rich food systems and, of course, followed the food and agriculture negotiations. We were also busy with various exciting projects, including the launch of both ‘Future Plates’, our sustainable catering guide for large-scale events, and the Belém Declaration on Plant-Rich Diets, together with more than 100 supporters! Here is a recap of our highlights.
We co-organised an official side event
Our first conference contribution was the official side event, ‘Future proofing food: Is protein diversification the key to healthier and sustainable food policies?’. Our Head of UN Affairs, Juliette Tronchon, moderated the event alongside Glindys Virginia Luciano from EIT Food. Representatives from The Good Food Institute Brasil, the regional office DACH (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) of the Physicians Association for Nutrition, and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark also joined the discussion and shared valuable insights.
During the event, we explored how protein diversification can reshape food policies for boosting sustainability, food security, human and planetary health, and climate adaptation. The panel showcased best practices and highlighted solutions to inform the agriculture negotiations countries undertake under the UN Climate Change Convention Framework (UNFCCC). The side event featured case studies and sparked a Q&A with a very engaged audience.
We launched the Belém Declaration on Plant-Rich Diets
At our first press conference, we launched the Belém Declaration on Plant-Rich Diets, a vital call to action for governments worldwide to promote healthy and sustainable diets by drafting and implementing ambitious action plans for promoting plant-based foods. The declaration recognises the powerful, multifaceted role of plant-rich diets in tackling the climate crisis, supporting public health, protecting biodiversity, enhancing food security, and even delivering economic benefits.
We’re incredibly proud to have brought together a diverse group of partners who have signed on to support this critical initiative. More than 100 civil society organisations, policymakers, and cities have endorsed the declaration. Their commitment, alongside ours, will strengthen collaborative efforts to accelerate a global transition to more plant-rich diets through national action plans in all UN member states.
ProVeg Brazil Director Aline Baroni and Juliette Tronchon joined a meeting of Brazilian civil society with the COP30 Presidency. At this event, our team handed over the declaration to COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago, and COP30 CEO Ana Toni. We hope we will have a chance to continue the discussion in the lead-up to COP30 in November.
We launched the sustainable catering guide, ‘Future Plates’
The sustainable catering guide ‘Future Plates’ is a practical tool for caterers looking to deliver meals that are not only delicious but also aligned with climate goals. We launched the guide during our second press conference.
‘Future Plates’ makes the case for plant-forward menus and shows caterers how to do it. The guide includes thoughtful strategies, examples from past global events, and even recipes. It’s designed to make the transition towards greener catering not just achievable, but enjoyable.
In Bonn, we had a meeting with Juliet Kigundu, Team Lead Coordination Unit at UNFCCC, who was delighted to receive a copy of our guide. We hope we can support the UNFCCC in providing sustainable and plant-rich catering at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) and beyond.
We strengthened collaborations
Senior UN Policy & Advocacy Manager Stephanie Maw co-organised daily meetings with other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that are part of the Food & Climate Action Group. The group is an independent coalition of more than 25 international NGOs advocating together for food systems transformation within the UNFCCC. At the daily meetings, we discussed developing news from different negotiations, agenda items and incoming COP Presidency initiatives relating to food and agriculture, and how to coordinate joint advocacy efforts.
Stephanie Maw was invited by Plant Based Treaty to join a roundtable discussion with African leaders, changemakers, and colleagues on championing solutions for sustainable food systems in the region. Participants shared their on-the-ground perspectives on enhancing food security, health, and food sovereignty through coherent policies and inclusive community-led approaches while tackling global warming. We are looking forward to continuing this cross-country exchange to support country-driven action in a region that is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
We represented the Action on Food Hub
Juliette Tronchon spoke at a press conference organised by EIT Food to represent and once again launch the Action On Food Hub, a strong community of diverse stakeholders collaborating to promote food systems change at COP30 in Brazil.
The Action on Food Hub is a collaboration between two food pavilions from previous UN Climate Change Conferences: the Food Systems Partnership (convened by EIT Food), and the Food4Climate Pavilion (convened by ProVeg International). The Action on Food Hub was first brought to life at COP29 in Baku, and we will join forces again at COP30 to create synergies, align advocacy, and advocate for better food systems.
The Action on Food Hub will feature a diverse range of stakeholders, from farmers to policymakers, and will be inclusive of youth and underrepresented groups. The programme will encompass three types of events: plenary sessions, roundtable discussions, and policy workshops. We cannot wait to see what COP30 brings!
We are ready for COP30 in Belém
After two busy weeks in Bonn, our team is already preparing for the next UN events. We’ll continue to promote plant-rich diets as an effective way to mitigate the climate crisis, and hope to see tangible actions. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn to get the latest news on our UN work.
Eileen Valy
International Senior Digital Communications Manager
