Allegations by scientists against FAO report should be urgently addressed, says ProVeg
Food awareness organisation, ProVeg International, supports calls for an urgent review of a globally influential study that was produced by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), after allegations were made that the study underestimated the importance of meat reduction to curb greenhouse gases.
Whilst ProVeg welcomes reassurances already given by the FAO to the media that the report underwent rigorous review, ProVeg still believes further review, in light of the concerns, would allow for clarification on the matter.
“The science repeatedly shows that diet change is the most effective way of reducing emissions from agriculture. So we were disturbed to hear of allegations that this message may have been skewed in some way by a body as influential as the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO),” Jasmijn de Boo, Global CEO of ProVeg International, said.
“It is vitally important to rise above special interests in order to tackle the threat to humanity posed by climate change. Diet change as a solution to emissions reduction can be embraced in a way that benefits not just the climate but human health and social justice as well. We welcome the FAO’s response that they will revisit their study and urge them to clarify the extent to which it accurately reflects the science as it stands today,” de Boo added.
The FAO report was released at the UN climate summit, COP28, in Dubai last November, where ProVeg was also present, at a Pavilion promoting food system transformation. As well as promoting the importance of plant-rich diets at the summit, ProVeg supported efforts to ensure that two thirds of the catering at COP28 was plant-based, ensuring that the 70,000 delegates got to experience how tasty a plant-based diet can be.
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Notes to Editors
For media inquiries, email Peter Rixon at [email protected]
About ProVeg International
ProVeg is an international food awareness organisation working to transform the global food system by replacing conventional animal-based products with plant-based and cultured alternatives.
