ProVeg has been granted Observer Status at the Convention on Biological Diversity in a further sign of the NGO’s growing influence at UN level
Food awareness organisation, ProVeg International, has been granted Observer Status to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a multilateral treaty aimed at conserving the Earth’s plant and animal life.
“This is a fantastic achievement, allowing ProVeg to highlight how dietary choices are one of the most effective ways to protect Earth’s incredible biodiversity,” Lana Weidgenant, Senior UN Policy Manager at ProVeg, said.
“Plant-based foods play a vital role in reducing the destruction wrought by intensive animal agriculture on our forests, rivers and seas. Our new Observer Status at the Convention on Biological Diversity meetings will allow us to highlight this with a view to influencing food policy around the world,” Weidgenant said.
ProVeg already has Observer Status at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). ProVeg is also accredited at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), and holds special consultative status with the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The CBD granted ProVeg Observer Status because of its work related to biodiversity and conservation, including bringing forward education and policy for more healthy and less resource-intensive agri-food systems.
ProVeg promotes and delivers evidence-based, practical and innovative solutions, such as improving school meals through its School Plates programme, and supports farmers to cultivate protein-rich crops for human consumption through the EU-funded Smart Protein Project.
ProVeg cooperates with major global stakeholders, including high-level political figures, businesses, researchers, and civil society actors to safeguard ecosystems and transform our relationship with the natural world. The Food4Climate Pavilion at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh and at COP28 in Dubai showcased this cooperation.
ProVeg has also demonstrated its commitment to give a voice to youth while contributing to climate education at a local and international level with the launch of the ProVeg Youth Board in 2022.
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Notes to Editors
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About ProVeg International
ProVeg International is a food awareness organisation with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040. Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet.
