The Coalition for a Sustainable Food Transition welcomes Montreal’s unanimous decision at yesterday’s Council meeting to become the second Canadian city, after Toronto, to join the C40 Good Food Cities Declaration. For the Coalition, which has been involved with the City in promoting an increase in the supply of plant-based foods, this is a significant gain.
The Planetary Health Diet, which was presented by the 2019 EAT-Lancet international group of scientists and is a founding principle for the Declaration, states that to combat climate change while promoting human health, meat consumption, particularly red meat, must decrease in favor of more plant-based foods.
“While many governments are slow to act on this issue despite the climate emergency, cities are taking the lead”
Émilie-L. Sauvé of the Coalition for a Sustainable Food Transition
“The City of Montreal’s commitment is in line with the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the guidelines of Canada’s Food Guide, inviting us to reduce our meat consumption to protect the planet and improve our health. We will follow with interest the implementation of municipal policies that accompany the signing of the declaration, including targets and timelines.”
The commitments made by the City of Montreal include a minimum of 75% vegetarian food in city-organized events and an overall increase in the consumption of plant-based foods within the city. According to a 2021 Statista survey, 66% of the Quebec population is open to eating more plant-based foods.