Why We Signed The Plant Based Treaty (And Why Everyone Else Should Too)

We're proud to announce that in December 2023, we signed the Plant Based Treaty. But what is it? Why did we sign it? And why should you consider signing it too?

What's The PBT?

The PBT is a global coalition of individuals, organisations, businesses, and cities joining together to call on international governments to negotiate an international Plant Based Treaty as a companion to the UNFCCC Paris Agreement.

It was created to address climate change, since it will be impossible for any government to meet the goals set under the Paris Agreement without a major shift towards plant-based diets, even if current fossil fuel emissions are completely halted. As you probably know, animal agriculture is responsible for around 66% of all food’s annual emissions, yet provides only 18% of calories (Johan Falk 2020).

The Treaty has three core principles designed to put food systems at the heart of combatting the climate crisis:

1. RELINQUISH - No land use change, ecosystem degradation or deforestation for animal agriculture.

2. REDIRECT - An active transition away from animal-based food systems to plant-based systems

3. RELINQUISH - Actively restoring key ecosystems, particularly restoring forests and rewilding landscapes

"Fossil fuels and animal agriculture are the driving force behind runaway global warming as well as extensive biodiversity loss, large-scale deforestation, species extinction, water depletion, soil degradation and ocean dead zones. Addressing fossil fuels isn't enough - we need action on food systems too; that's where the Plant Based Treaty comes in."

Why Did We Sign It?

In our work submitting objections to planning permission for animal farming, TAAP is already on the front lines of promoting the PBT’s first demand: Relinquish. This means preventing global warming causing further damage through:

·      No building of new animal farms

·      No expansion or intensification of existing farms

·      No conversion of plant-based agriculture to animal agriculture

·      No conversion of any land for animal feed production

·      No clearing of forests or other ecosystems for animal grazing, animal rearing or animal farming of any kind.

Of course, we're also very much on board with the other two demands, and passionately believe that this shift to plant-based agriculture is absolutely critical to slowing down the environmental damage that has already been done to our planet.

Why We Should All be Signing

Long story short, the more people who sign, the more chance the PBT has of changing (and saving) the world, before it's way too late.

The PBT organisation also provides guidance for campaigning for your city, town, business, university, or charity to sign the plant-based treaty. Changes in procurement policies and switching to plant-based only food in cafeterias can keep animals off the menu in a big way! We hope to see more local councils sign the PBT, as this will give local councillors one more reason to deny planning permission to animal farms, as it means they will be able to point to a council motion or resolution indicating the council’s commitment to the Plant Based Treaty’s goals.

Signing the treaty may seem like a baby step today, but just imagine how things would change if even 10% of cities, universities, and hospitals in Ireland and the UK signed the PBT? Alongside a change in national culture, a political and legal movement to promote plant based diets can help bring about real change. The PBT organisation’s vision is to one day see the PBT become national policy and enforced through legally binding treaties and trade agreements.

In the meantime, we’ll continue to do our part to protect animals from harm.

Ready to sign the treaty? You can do so here (and don't forget to spread the word!).