ProVeg has carried out a catering survey at the UN climate summit in Belém, Brazil
A survey carried out by the food awareness organisation, ProVeg Brazil, at 19 outlets serving food at COP30 has found that 51.2% of all meals and snacks available are entirely plant-based (vegan) or vegetarian (with the use of dairy, eggs or other animal derivatives).
The number exceeds the commitment made by the Extraordinary Secretariat for COP30 which, in June, at the Bonn Climate Conference in Germany, announced a target of 40% vegan and vegetarian foods.
“We are pleased that Brazil has met and exceeded its target for climate-friendly catering,” Stefany Guerreiro, Food and Nutrition Project Manager at ProVeg Brazil, said.
“Food is a central theme on the climate agenda, especially in Brazil. We can’t discuss the climate crisis without talking about food systems, and transitioning to plant-rich diets is one of the most effective solutions for a person to reduce their impact on the climate,” she said.
Livestock production is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in Brazil, well ahead of transportation and energy, and is estimated to account for approximately 60% of the country’s total emissions, according to calculations based on data from the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals Estimation System (SEEG).1
The survey audited 166 savoury dishes and 70 desserts and found that the offer of entirely plant-based dishes represents 30.1% of the total savoury meals (50 dishes), while vegetarian meals came to 21.1% (35 dishes). The dessert offer also stood out, with 47% of the 70 options being entirely plant-based.
ProVeg Brazil has been proactively working for the predominance, diversity and quality of plant-based food at COP30 since the planning phases of the event. The organisation established a dialogue with the Extraordinary Secretariat for COP30, offering technical support for the qualification of plant options and training during the presentation event to the selected operators at the Hangar in Belém.
Beef still on the menu
The objective of ProVeg’s work is to reinforce the importance of plant-based diets as a climate solution and to provide support for the serving of plant-based foods at the conference. But despite the positive numbers, ProVeg identified problems that may create barriers to access for sustainable options.
The survey found that 12% of the proposed savoury dishes and snacks contain beef, a food product with one of the biggest carbon footprints.
“The presence of beef at an event focused on the climate crisis, is surprising,” Guerreiro said.
Another challenge is the high cost of some of the plant-based meals served at lunch and dinner.
“Plant-based meals generally have cheaper ingredients so they should be more accessible to the consumer. The price can also be an incentive to consume more sustainable food,” Guerreiro said.
In addition, usability problems were identified in the menus. Of the 19 locations analysed, seven had flaws in the signage of the plant options, with a lack of consistent application of indicative icons.
“We found menus where the icons were simply not used, or were applied sporadically. This makes the identification of plant-based options unintuitive, requiring the consumer to actively check each ingredient,” explains Guerreiro.
Another issue were drinks like cappuccinos and lattes. Only 34.6% (9 out of 26) offered a plant-based dairy alternative, such as oat or soy. The majority (65.4%) was prepared exclusively with dairy products of animal origin, limiting the options for people who opt for more sustainable or lactose intolerant options.
“It is important to note that, per litre, cow’s milk requires many times more land for its production than soy milk.2 It is known that deforestation is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in Brazil, and that cattle ranching is directly related to this problem, hence the importance of increasing the availability of plant milk”, Guerreiro said.
ENDS
Footnotes
- SEEG-SISTEMAS-ALIMENTARES.pdf
- Poore, J. & T. Nemecek (2018): Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science 360(6392), 987–992. doi:10.1126/science.aaq0216
Notes to Editors
For media inquiries, email Peter Rixon at [email protected].
For scientific data about the benefits of plant-based eating, see our Food System Data website.
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.
