By Hanna Zedlacher
Head of Progams
Have you ever heard of panda diplomacy? In short, China has been sending giant pandas to different countries as a tool of diplomacy. But, have you ever come across the term “plant-based diplomacy?” Well, you might be wondering if broccoli and cucumbers are part of gift exchanges between leaders of state, but let me tell you, it goes way beyond that.
Perhaps surprisingly – or unsurprisingly – Denmark was the first country to coin the term plant-based diplomacy. In 2023, the Danish government published an “Action Plan for Plant-based Foods” and became the first country worldwide to actually make a plan for plant-based food and seem to stick to it. The Minister for Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, Jacob Jensen, himself wrote in his preface,
“Plant-based foods are the future. If we want to reduce the climate footprint within the agricultural sector, then we all have to eat more plant-based food.”
To put it into perspective, Denmark is one of the largest pig meat exporters in the world. Danish farms produce approx. 28 million pigs annually(!). The export of pig meat accounts for more than 5 % of Demark’s exports. So, if the Danish Minister of Agriculture is talking about the importance of plant-based foods, then we better be listening!
This Danish approach is considered a great success, in terms of bringing people with different backgrounds together, to create common interest. I recently went to Copenhagen, Denmark to attend the Plant Food Summit. This event aimed to present first-hand how Denmark is implementing plant-based initiatives as part of the development of a future-proof food system. And all key stakeholders from politics, agriculture, industry, and civil society were present to share their contributions to reaching this common goal. Denmark intends to be a role-model in that regard for other European countries. Something I’d say is truly progressive and inspiring! I hope the rest of Europe is listening because from what I saw, the Danes are onto something.
Food is far more than what you see on your plate and consume daily. It has a huge impact on society, our environment and our climate. And we know what to do. Reducing the share of animal-based proteins in diets, among other things, plays an important role in reducing food system emissions. Witnessing how seemingly long-term antagonists work together to make plant-based food more mainstream fills me with hope and joy. By uniting in action and finding common ground, values, and goals, we create the change we need to see. As one of the key proponents of the plant-based diplomacy, Rune-Christoffer Dragsdahl of the Danish Vegetarian Society, said, “Because I am idealistic, I need to be pragmatic”. And that is how change begins.
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CREDIT image: Plant Food Summit/Deborah Ryan2