Sustainable Food Transition Coalition
Promote plant-strong diets, for the environment and our health
Science is clear
Transitioning the Canadian food system so we produce and consume more plant-based foods will benefit our environment and our health.
Fighting climate change
Animal agriculture is responsible for 15% to 25% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. This is more than all cars, planes, trains and ships in the world combined. Even when the scientific community clearly recognises that transitioning to more plant-based foods in diets is an essential piece to solving the climate crisis, our governments and even most environmental advocacy organizations still fail to make this a priority. Our food consumption, just like our use of fossil fuels, should not be considered a personal choice if it contributes to altering the climate for future generations.
Protecting our environment
Animal agriculture is among the leading causes of deforestation worldwide, is the primary cause of soil degradation in North America and generates large amounts of waste that pollutes our waterways.
Producing animal protein takes about 100 times more water than producing plant protein. Given that most of the plant protein we produce is used to feed farmed animals, transitioning to more plant-based foods would reduce the pressures on our ecosystems.
Improving our health
Since 2019, Canada’s Food Guide is clear: choosing plant-based protein more often, and meat less often, improves our health. Processed meats, which are still served at our schools, hospitals and government cafeterias, are known to increase the risks of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, the two leading causes of death in Canada.
Also, intensive animal agriculture creates highly favourable conditions for the emergence and transmission of novel viruses to humans, and thus increases the risk of future pandemics like COVID-19.