Targets for plant-based/plant-rich procurement in public catering
Why this action matters
Evidence-groundedExplicit plant-based procurement targets are justified because evidence shows high consumption of animal-based foods is associated with greater environmental impacts, including higher greenhouse gas emissions and land use, while plant-based diets can reduce these impacts. Studies indicate that transitioning to plant-based diets can significantly lower the environmental footprint of food systems, supporting the need for policy-driven shifts toward more sustainable dietary patterns.
Concept connections
LLM-generatedBBiosphere SSociety EEconomy · ▶effects of this action ◀prerequisites · Click a concept to explore related actions
Consequences of this action
Evidence-groundedThe action itself
Setting quantified, time-bound targets for the proportion of protein or food spend sourced from plant-based or plant-rich foods in public catering ensures a structured shift toward more sustainable food procurement practices.
UK implications
In the UK, this action would drive measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and land use associated with food procurement, as plant-based diets are shown to have significantly lower environmental impacts compared to animal-based diets, particularly in terms of emissions and land use.
Global implications
UK leadership in setting such targets could influence global food systems by promoting the adoption of similar procurement strategies, contributing to broader climate and biodiversity goals, and encouraging the scaling of sustainable food production practices worldwide.
National policy stance
No dataCouncil positions (17)
Supporting — 6
Scientific foundation
Domain-level evidence from the peer-reviewed library
Equity & Access
The global food system is the single largest activity driving the climate crisis, primarily due to its significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss [Rockström et al., 2023] Animal products can markedly exceed those of vegetable substitutes in terms of environmental impact, as they use ~83% of land and 18% of our calories [Poore et al., 2018] The current global diet uses 4.13 billion ha of land, with 43 per cent of cropland used to raise farmed animals rather than feed humans directly [Rockström et al., 2023] Food justice requires implementing food distribution and subsidy systems ensuring healthy food access, especially targeting marginalised communities [Rockström et al., 2023] The adverse impacts of land and marine animals encountering and ingesting toxic chemicals originate from agriculture and aquaculture, many of which are highly biologically active [Rockström et al., 2023]
Food Security
The global food system is the single largest activity driving the climate crisis, primarily due to its significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss [Rockström et al., 2023] Animal products can markedly exceed those of vegetable substitutes in terms of environmental impact, as they use ~83% of land and 18% of our calories [Poore et al., 2018] The current global diet uses 4.13 billion ha of land, with 43 per cent of cropland used to raise farmed animals rather than feed humans directly [Rockström et al., 2023] Food justice requires implementing food distribution and subsidy systems ensuring healthy food access, especially targeting marginalised communities [Rockström et al., 2023] The adverse impacts of land and marine animals encountering and ingesting toxic chemicals originate from agriculture and aquaculture, many of which are highly biologically active [Rockström et al., 2023]