Daily Hive, Nov. 4, 2021
A motion put forward by Councillor Pete Fry, and passed unanimously by Council, calls for the City to shift 20 percent of municipal animal-based food purchases to plant-based foods.
The motion cites the growing body of evidence outlining the animal agriculture industry’s contribution to climate change. It points to the role plant-based diets and food system change play in meeting our international climate commitments and staying within 1.5 degrees of global warming.
The motion also cites the Vancouver Humane Society’s (VHS) recently released report, which showcases the impact such a shift in municipal food purchasing would make in Vancouver.
Plant-Based Purchasing Savings for City and Climate passes unanimously at Council, a 20% shift in our procurement to plant-based. Supported by great speakers on climate, equity, healthy eating for kids, and a fantastic report from @VanHumane read here:https://t.co/MWrNpYLRT2 pic.twitter.com/AxS4ek5QoW
— Pete Fry (@PtFry) November 3, 2021
The report concludes that reducing municipal purchases of animal-based products by 20 percent and replacing them with plant-based foods could save the City up to $99,000 in procurement costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 500 tonnes, and save the equivalent of nearly 400 farmed animal lives on an annual basis.
The City’s unanimous support for shifting municipal food purchases toward fewer animal products and more plant-based foods serves as an example that other municipalities should follow.
If we hope to combat climate change and create a more humane and sustainable food system, we must keep urgent actions on the table – and sustainable, plant-based foods on our plates.
[… Read more at Daily Hive ]
See also:
City of Vancouver unanimously passes motion to shift 20% of animal-based purchasing to plant-based, citing VHS report
Vancouver Humane Society, Nov. 4, 2021
Update: The report “Increasing Plant-Based Purchasing at the Municipal Level” led to a motion put forward to Vancouver City Council. Many supporters wrote in to support this motion and it made an impact: The motion was passed unanimously by Vancouver City Council…
VHS recently launched a new report, “Increasing Plant-Based Purchasing at the Municipal Level”, which examines food purchasing for the City of Vancouver. The report reviews the impact of a shift in municipal food purchasing that reduces the volume of animal-based foods by 20%, to be replaced with plant-based alternatives.
It concludes that by replacing 20% of animal-based food products with plant-based alternatives, the City of Vancouver could expect to:
VHS is distributing this report amongst municipal decision-makers at the City of Vancouver and will be highlighting opportunities for its implementation.
[… Read more at Vancouver Humane Society]