City of Toronto commits to global initiative reducing meat consumption

Oct 10 2019, 5:40 pm

Toronto has joined with 13 other major cities across the world in a commitment to reduce meat consumption and increase access to fruits and vegetables.

The Good Food Cities Declaration, announced at the C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen, aims to achieve a ‘Planetary HealthDiet’  by the year 2030, which will include balanced and nutritious food reflective of the culture, geography, and demography of a region.

Copenhagen, Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and many others sit alongside Toronto on the list of dedicated cities.

The cities involved in the initiative are committing to implementing a series of measures by 2030, including: aligning food procurement to the Planetary Health Diet, (ideally sourced organically); supporting an overall increase of healthy, plant-based food consumption in cities; and reducing food loss and waste by 50% from 2015 data.

The initiative works to support a prompt shift towards more sustainable living, as an official climate emergency has been declared.

“Greenpeace applauds Mayor Tory’s commitment to making Toronto a more healthy, livable and sustainable city,” Greenpeace Canada Nature and Food Campaigner Yasmeen Peer said in a release.

“Implementing this ambitious declaration will be one of the most effective ways Toronto can tackle the climate emergency the city recently declared.”

According to Greenpeace, last week, over 100 scientists around the world including David Suzuki called for city leaders to reduce urban meat consumption. Current livestock emissions are growing, they report, and account for 14.5% of direct global greenhouse gas emissions.

Mayor John Tory addressed the crowd at the C40 World Mayors Summit to emphasize the part that businesses play in forward-looking changes; the video can be watched below.

Kayla GladyszKayla Gladysz

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