The Plant Based Treaty
We are a grassroots initiative creating bottom-up pressure for the negotiation of a global Plant Based Treaty as a companion to the UNFCCC Paris Agreement. Modeled on the Fossil Fuel Treaty, the Plant Based Treaty aims to put food systems at the forefront of combating the climate crisis to halt the widespread degradation of critical ecosystems caused by animal agriculture and to promote a shift towards healthier, sustainable plant-based diets.
The Treaty
Individuals, groups, businesses and cities that endorse the Plant Based Treaty are expressing their support for national governments to come together to negotiate a global Plant Based Treaty, including the three core principles and 40 suggested proposals as outlined below.
Demand 1 | Redirect- Declare a climate emergency – join the 2,000+ local governments in 39 different countries that have already done so
- Address the methane emergency: According to the United Nations, a 0.3°C temperature rise could be averted by 2045 if methane emissions were cut by 45% this decade. As the leading source of human-caused methane emissions, a transition away from animal agriculture to a sustainable plant-based food system would help us meet these goals as soon as possible
- Food security should be placed as a priority for all nations, with a focus on ending poverty and hunger and making nutritious food accessible for all
- Acknowledge and support the pivotal role small farmers have in feeding the planet; support them to maintain (or restore) autonomy over their lands, water, seeds and other resources
- Shift away from monoculture-based arable farming that depletes soil, decreases biodiversity and is reliant on external inputs such as animal manure and agrochemicals towards towards diversified, agroecological, veganic (vegan and organic) farming using regenerative, permaculture and natural principles that restore soil and ecosystems, enhance food security and provide nutrient-dense foods
- Calculate greenhouse gas emissions based on consumption and develop a food strategy for Climate Action Plans that prioritizes a switch to plant-based foods and public education
- Update government food and dietary guidelines to promote wholefood, plant-based food
- Design public information campaigns to raise awareness about the climate and the environmental advantages and health benefits of plant-based food, nutrition and cooking
- Aim to reduce the public’s consumption of animal-based food through education in schools
- Transition to plant-based meal plans in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, government institutions, universities and businesses
- Mandate honest labelling of food products including carbon labelling and cancer warning labels on all processed meats which have been declared carcinogenic by the World Health Organization
- Introduce a meat (including fish) and methane tax with proceeds funding restoration of land destroyed by animal agriculture
- Subsidize fruits, vegetables and legumes to make a wholefoods, plant-based diet more affordable and end food deserts that hurt low income communities
- Redirect government subsidies for animal agriculture, slaughterhouses and industrial fishing to environmentally-friendly production of plant-based food
- End government subsidized advertising for the meat, dairy and egg industry
- Create green bonds to fund a transition to a plant-based economy
- Provide financial support and training for farmers, ranchers and fisherpeople to move away from animal production to diversified agroecological, plant-based (veganic) systems
Demand 2 | Relinquish
Stop the problem increasing
No land use change, including deforestation, for animal agriculture
18. No building of new animal farms
19. No building of new slaughterhouses
20. No expansion or intensification of existing farms
21. No conversion of plant-based agriculture to animal agriculture
22. No conversion of any land for animal feed production
23. No clearing of forests or other ecosystems for animal grazing, animal rearing or animal farming of any kind
24. No new fish farms or expansion of existing aquaculture farms
25. Protection of Indigenous Peoples; their land, rights and knowledge
26. Ban all live exports
27. No new large-scale industrial fishing vessels
Demand 3 | Restore
Actively healing the problem while building resilience and mitigating climate change
Restore key ecosystems and reforest the earth
28. Reforestation projects to be rolled out in appropriate ecosystems using native tree species to restore habitats to a previously similar state
29. Reforestation and restoration of the oceans is prioritised by designating additional areas of the oceans as zero fishing Marine Protected Areas (known as Highly Protected Marine Areas – HPMAs)
30. All existing Marine Protected Areas should be declared strictly no fishing zones and converted to HPMAs
31. Active programs rolled out to replant critical carbon absorbers in the oceans, such as seagrass beds
32. Restore key degraded ecosystems which are essential for carbon sequestration cycles: mangroves, peat bogs, forests, some types of grassland
33. Focus shift on nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation
34. Subsidies made available for farmers and landowners who practise good land stewardship and are actively restoring the land and the associated ecosystem services (such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity, flood defence, general climate change resilience)
35. Subsidies made available for rewilding and reforestation projects
36. Incentivised subsidies / grants for farmers to switch from animal agriculture to diversified plant production
37. Cities: increase trees and wildflowers, increase green community projects, wildlife corridors, green rooftops, local growing schemes, work towards biodiversity increases
38. Enhance food justice by providing access to healthy food for all, especially low-income communities
39. Repurpose available land freed up from animal grazing and animal feed production for: rewilding, reforestation (if appropriate), returning land to Indigenous people, nature reserves, hiking zones, community growing, allotments (if appropriate), agroecological veganic food growing (where possible)
40. Shift of some land ownership into community hands so the land can be repurposed for reforestation, green space and community food gardens and allotments
Cities that endorse the Plant Based Treaty are not legally bound by the 40 proposals and it does not mean they are obliged or able to fulfill the treaty demands. However, cities that endorse the Plant Based Treaty are encouraged to make meaningful changes and implement good practices in plant-based food policies and rewilding within their own jurisdiction and priorities.
Translations of the Plant Based Treaty:
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Plant Based Treaty in Action Report
What would a Plant Based Treaty look like in practice? Here it is in action…
CITY ENDORSERS
INDIVIDUAL ENDORSERS
ORGANIZATION ENDORSERS
