For a second time, this year’s COP climate summit will feature pavilions dedicated to food system change, including the Food4Climate pavilion.
Led by a coalition of leading plant-based and animal rights organizations, such as ProVeg International, World Animal Protection, and Upfield, the pavilion will spotlight the environmental impact of the food system to delegates from almost 200 countries.
It will also outline how food production could be transformed to reach net zero, including through nature-positive farming practices, plant-rich diets, and alternative proteins. The aim is to mainstream the transition towards a more resilient food system, benefiting both the climate and people affected by food insecurity.
Delegates will be encouraged to get involved in the pavilion through interactive exhibits, workshops, and presentations. The full programme can be viewed here.
“Top of the agenda”
For the first time ever, this year’s COP summit will feature an entire day of talks dedicated to food, agriculture, and water. COP28 also marks the first time that the event’s menu will be “1.5°C aligned”, with two-thirds of the food meat-free. The decision to focus on plant-based foods follows campaigning from ProVeg in collaboration with youth group YOUNGO and its Food@COP campaign.
Despite the huge impact of the food system on climate change, the COP summits only began to acknowledge the importance of food system transformation last year. COP27 saw a “tectonic shift” with the presence of the Food4Climate and Food Systems pavilions; the latter will also be returning for COP28.
“Food has broken through to the top of the agenda because countries have listened to the climate experts and understood the science,” said Raphael Podselver, Director of UN Affairs at ProVeg. “We expect real decisions to be taken so that we can unlock the potential of healthy, plant-rich diets and protein diversification, reducing emissions from food systems and improving food security.”
