Parla has become the first city in Spain and the 40th in the world to endorse the call for a global Plant Based Treaty.
The motion was introduced by Más Madrid’s Miguel Fuentes, a portfolio holder for ecological transition, youth, and sustainable mobility. It passed at the Plenary Session of the Parla City Council on May 14, 2025, with 14 votes in favour and 11 against.
In the motion, Parla acknowledges that animal agriculture “contributes disproportionately to climate change, biodiversity loss, water and air pollution, and food and land injustice”.
“Systemic changes are needed to transition from a food model based on exploitation to one that cares for the planet, people, and animals,” said Fuentes. “Joining the Plant Based Treaty is a first step.”
The motion commits Parla City Council to:
- Making the local food system more sustainable and healthy by promoting plant-based diets.
- Developing and implementing sustainable food policies in its climate action plan.
- Developing a Local Sustainable Food Strategy, including:
- Promoting plant-based menus in school cafeterias, day centers, and residencies.
- Public awareness campaigns on the benefits of plant-based diets for health, climate, and animal protection.
- Supporting urban gardens and local organic agriculture, with a focus on plant-based products.
- Prioritizing plant-based food in public procurement.
- Collaborating with education and health organizations to develop programs about the impact of the food system on the environment and health.
- Urging the Government of Spain and the government of the Community of Madrid to develop a National and Regional Food Transition Strategy consistent with climate and biodiversity goals.
- Urging the Government of Spain to introduce carbon emission labeling on food products.
- Forwarding the Plant Based Treaty motion passed by Parla to the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and the Interior of the Community of Madrid, the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and the 2030 Agenda, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, and the parliamentary groups in the Madrid Assembly and Congress.
“True climate leadership”
Other cities worldwide that have endorsed the Plant Based Treaty include Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Belfast, and many more.
“The city of Parla is showing true climate leadership by endorsing the Plant Based Treaty,” said Enric Noguera, Plant Based Treaty City Campaigner, Spain. “We know that diet change can be a sensitive topic, but it is not an issue that we can afford to ignore.
“The science is clear: we need an urgent transformation of our food systems if we are to keep global temperatures below the 1.5°C target established in the Paris Agreement. We are grateful for the councillors that presented and boldly supported the Plant Based Treaty motion, demonstrating the political will needed in the face of this massive crisis.”
