130 Climate & Consumer Groups Urge EU to Create Plant-Based Diet Action Plan

Over 130 climate advocacy organisations, animal rights activists, doctors, and consumer groups have joined forces to urge the EU agrifood commissioner to develop a plant-based action plan by next year. They argue that current policies do not prioritize healthy, sustainable, and balanced diets, and a bloc-wide action plan for plant-based foods is essential for a successful transition to a more sustainable food system. This plan would boost the region's strategic autonomy, create new business opportunities for farmers, and save €1.3 trillion annually in economic costs of animal protein production and consumption in the EU.

The EU's Common Agriculture Policy is heavily skewed towards livestock farming despite meat and dairy accounting for a large portion of EU agriculture emissions and farmland. The recommendation to create an action plan for plant-based food aims to shift towards plant-based agriculture chains from farmers to consumers, making the sustainable choice the default option. The EU Commission and its member states are urged to embrace and support this transition to position the region as a global leader in competitive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems.