UN Food Systems Summit - International Plant-Based Foods Groups call for central role of plant-based diets in global and national food systems transformation strategies

UN Food Systems Summit – International Plant-Based Foods Groups call for central role of plant-based diets in global and national food systems transformation strategies

In the run-up to the UN Food Systems Summit taking place on the 23^rd of September, ENSA is joining forces with other international Plant-Based Foods groups to call on the international community and national governments to make plant-based diets a central part of global and national strategies for developing more sustainable, healthy, and equitable food systems and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

We believe ambitious actions must be taken to realize the potential of a food system based on plants for direct human consumption to have a positive impact on environmental sustainability, human health and social justice.

As the UN Food Systems Summit provides the stage to turn ideas into concrete actions, the signatory organisations recommend the international community and national governments take the following actions for an effective shift towards predominantly plant-based food systems globally:

• Integrating plant-based foods into public procurement (e.g. plant-based options available in schools, hospitals, etc.), as well as in national dietary guidelines;
• Educating citizens about plant-based foods via public campaigns;
• Ensuring that labeling requirements for plant-based foods products empower consumers to make more sustainable food choices;
• Using economic incentives to facilitate access to plant-based products;
• Developing food environments where plant-based foods are presented as the sustainable choice (e.g. in retail stores);
• Supporting farmers in moving towards more sustainable agricultural practices and crops (e.g. plant protein crops) by providing and/or redirecting financial incentives to reduce the quantity of arable land used for animal feed and animal production, instead utilizing the land for crops for direct human consumption; and
• Allocating funds for targeted research and innovation on plant-based foods, and to explore and support diversified climate-friendly crops and plant aquaculture both on land and under the sea.