Why every country should adopt a national action plan for plant-based foods

National action plans provide a practical pathway for governments to turn climate commitments into food-system results

At the UN Climate Change Conference COP30 in Belém, Brazil, ProVeg re-launched and promoted the Belém Declaration on Plant-Rich Diets – a joint call urging governments to adopt National Action Plans (NAPs) for Plant-Based Foods. The declaration responds to a stark reality – many countries’ climate strategies now reference agrifood systems, yet few of these strategies explain how dietary change will actually be delivered. Action Plans are one way to close that gap.

ProVeg spearheaded the Declaration, presenting it to policymakers during the June Climate Meetings and building early support before the COP30 meeting in November. The declaration has already been endorsed by more than 110 policymakers and civil-society organizations. That work continues beyond the UN Climate Change Conferences, and the case for national plans is strengthening as countries face tighter climate deadlines.

Advancing food system change at the UN Climate Change Conference COP30

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.

What National Action Plans make possible

A National Action Plan is a country’s strategic roadmap outlining specific priorities, commitments, and actions to address a particular national or international issue. NAPs can cover a wide variety of topics, from human rights to climate change, anti-corruption, and open government. They are often developed collaboratively with civil society as a way to ensure transparency and accountability. 

NAPs for plant-based foods give governments a structured pathway to shift production, procurement, investment, consumption, and public awareness, while linking dietary change to climate, biodiversity, and health and resilience outcomes.

In practice, this means increasing access to affordable plant-based foods, supporting farmers who are entering plant-based supply chains, improving public procurement in schools, hospitals, and public events, and protecting traditional plant-rich food cultures. Rather than isolated progress, the plans create coordinated movement across a country’s entire food system. 

Denmark’s example shows what this looks like in reality

In 2023, Denmark became the first country to adopt a National Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods, offering clear proof of concept. Backed by a major government fund (around €170m), its approach to protein diversification spans agriculture, food services, education, and retail, and includes investment in innovation, crop diversification, and product development.

Public kitchens and retailers receive support, while culinary training pathways prepare cooks for new menu design. A dedicated funding mechanism – the Plant-Based Food Grant – drives innovation, uptake and expansion. Denmark’s model shows that dietary transition can be planned, financed, and delivered, and that policy can broaden choice and market opportunity rather than restrict it.

Why the timing matters

The evidence is already strong. Plant-rich diets have been identified by the IPCC as a high-impact climate mitigation strategy.^{1 2} Shifting diets away from animal-based products and towards plant-rich foods reduces pressure on land and biodiversity,^{3 4} while well-balanced plant-based diets support public health.⁵ Additionally, expanding the production of plant-based protein strengthens food security and resilience.^{6 7}

As countries prepare their next set of Nationally Determined Contributions – the national climate plans for each country submitted under the Paris Agreement – the need for practical delivery tools, such as the Diets Toolkit launched by ProVeg and partners at COP30, is clear. Agrifood systems are already recognized by most governments as a critical area for change, but Action Plans are the mechanisms that translate recognition into change.

If governments are ready to move, ProVeg is ready to help.

We will continue to advance the Belém Declaration on Plant-rich Diets through outreach, technical support, and policy engagement, and invite governments, public institutions, and civil society organizations to join us and develop national plans of their own.

Simon Middleton

Senior Writer

1. 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] ↩︎
2. IPCC (2019): Figure 5.12 from the Special Report on Climate Change and Land. Available at: https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/chapter/chapter-5/5-5-mitigation-options-challenges-and-opportunities/5-5-2-demand-side-mitigation-options/5-5-2-1-mitigation-potential-of-different-diets/figure-5-12/ [22.03.2025] ↩︎
3. 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] ↩︎
4. 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/ ↩︎
5. WHO Regional Office for Europe (2021): Plant-based diets and their impact on health, sustainability and the environment. A review of the evidence. Available at: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/349086/WHO-EURO-2021-4007-43766-61591-eng.pdf [22.03.2025] ↩︎
6. 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. ↩︎
7. 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 ↩︎