ProVeg International, a food awareness organization aiming to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040, has expanded its global presence by opening its first office in South America: ProVeg Brazil.
Led by journalist Aline Baroni, the Brazilian team will promote plant-forward public policies and work with the Brazilian government to highlight “food systems” as a central theme during the 2025 UN Climate Summit, COP30, which will take place in the Amazonian city of Belém.
“The team has a huge but exciting challenge to promote plant-based diets in Brazil”
With this addition, the organization now operates in 14 countries, broadening its reach and influence in promoting the health and environmental benefits of plant-based diets. The Brazil office follows the establishment of ProVeg Portugal earlier this year and offices in Nigeria and Malaysia in 2023.
Sebastian Joy, founding president of ProVeg International, said, “I am thrilled with the opening of our first ever office in South America. The team has a huge but exciting challenge to promote plant-based diets in Brazil and are very well-placed to raise awareness of the damage caused by the global animal agriculture industry.”
The impact of animal agriculture
The opening is strategically timed in the run-up to COP30, where the organization aims to emphasize the significant impact of Brazil’s animal agriculture industry.
The country is the third-largest cattle producer and the second-largest beef exporter in the world, according to the USDA. It is also one of the three largest producers globally of chicken and pork and a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with 58% attributed to livestock production, according to SEEG, a leading greenhouse gas monitoring platform in Latin America.
“We believe there is a real thirst for action to change the food system for the better”
Moreover, the country’s animal agriculture industry fuels the deforestation of the Amazon and Cerrado, which are among the most biodiverse ecosystems, and the displacement of indigenous tribes.
Brazilians embracing plant-based
ProVeg says that Brazilians are increasingly embracing plant-based diets, with some surveys indicating that 14% of the population identify as vegetarians. The Good Food Institute Brazil has also said that more plant-based diets will be adopted in the country as options become more accessible in restaurants and retail, appealing to a broader audience, from healthier to more indulgent alternatives.
The Good Food Institute has also expanded by opening its 7th office in Japan, a country that favors food tech, cultivated meat, and has a dynamic ecosystem of researchers and companies. The Japan office joins teams in the US, Europe, India, Singapore, Israel, and Brazil.
“Brazil is an incredible country and I know many people will be very receptive to ProVeg’s efforts to promote plant-based food. Industrialised animal agriculture has caused much harm in Brazil and we believe there is a real thirst for action to change the food system for the better,” Joy added.
