Priority must be on sustainable practices, farmer well-being and ecosystem health
Farmers play a crucial role in underpinning the shift to healthy and sustainable diets, ProVeg International has told delegates at this year’s UN climate summit, COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan.
ProVeg is operating out of the Action on Food Hub Pavilion for the duration of the climate summit, which runs until 22 November, to highlight the huge advantages that a transition to more plant-rich diets can make.
Current farming practices rely heavily on emissions-intensive animal agriculture, and are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and negative economic impacts.
The combined social, economic, and environmental costs of global food systems are estimated to be as high as $19 trillion annually, or 22% of global GDP in 20201. The global agriculture and food-and-beverage sectors generate around $4 trillion in combined value, in stark contrast to the hidden costs2.
“There is urgent work to be done to change food systems to reduce food production’s impact on people and the planet,” Juliette Tronchon, Head of UN Affairs at ProVeg, said.
“Encouraging the production and consumption of more plant-based foods is an effective way to do this. Plant-rich diets are not only more sustainable, they are healthier and they contribute to global food security. So much more food can be produced if crops are grown for direct consumption by humans rather than being fed to intensively farmed animals,” Tronchon said.
Consumer demand for plant-based food continues to grow, widening the opportunity for farmers to transition to producing more fruit, vegetables, and plant-based protein crops.
“With the right policy reform, this approach improves soil health and biodiversity while also creating substantial income opportunities for farmers,” Josh Bisig, Senior Project Manager at ProVeg, said.
“Engaging in different delivery systems, such as local market gardening, and environmentally friendly organic farming strengthens resilience and promotes self-sufficiency, particularly in light of recent market disruptions,” he added.
Pro-farmer policy recommendations
ProVeg is pushing for the development of a number of policy measures that will help accelerate the transition to more plant-rich diets and away from intensively produced meat. This include:
- Agricultural subsidy reform (see graph below) that creates international frameworks that prioritize subsidies and incentives for sustainable crop production and diversification.
- Improved access to capital and funding to allow the development of value chains that empower farmers to capture more value from sustainable production, supported by infrastructure and market development.
- Knowledge and infrastructure systems development that support farmers in diversifying toward more sustainable agricultural practices and products.
- Increasing demand for sustainable produce by encouraging minimum requirements for plant-based and organic foods in public food procurement policies and lower VAT rates on plant-based and organic products
- Farmer-friendly policies that build long-term support systems for farmers that are focused on autonomy and community engagement.
ENDS
Footnotes
- Ruggeri Laderchi, C., et al. (2024). The Economics of the Food System Transformation. Food System Economics Commission (FSEC), Global Policy Report.
- Hendriks, S. et al. (2023). The True Cost of Food: A Preliminary Assessment. In: von Braun, J., Afsana, K., Fresco, L.O., Hassan, M.H.A. (eds) Science and Innovations for Food Systems Transformation. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15703-5_32
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
Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet. ProVeg International is a food awareness organization with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040.
