The 2020s will be a crucial decade. A large body of evidence-based scientific research shows that human society is facing enormous and unprecedented challenges in health and ecological sustainability. These challenges stem from a complex mix of climate change, biodiversity loss, zoonotic diseases, chronic diseases, land and water use, and food security etc.
Food is the single strongest lever to optimize human health, environmental sustainability and the welfare of farmed animals. The food system is the critical nexus between these critical issues, and it’s a survival issue for human civilization. Can it be transformed in time? How does it shift? Can we build a sustainable system? Our livable future, our health and the development of our society all depend on it, and it is a matter of great urgency.
As a founding member of the 2030 Pledge, we firmly believe that a good food system can help us meet the major challenges to the survival of human civilization and increase the resilience of human society, and that transformation is imperative. As the world's largest country of food production and consumption, China has long faced a series of challenges related to health and ecological sustainability. We look forward to making our due contribution to the future of human society through practical and effective actions, starting with China. Therefore, we are taking the following pledge and committing ourselves to its realization:
In this first year of the 2020s, we hope to bring together all stakeholders caring for human health and ecological sustainability so we can unite our efforts to make the 2030 Goal a reality: we want to increase the nation’s overall consumption of high-quality, biodiverse plant-based diets by 30% by 2030, replacing 30% consumption of current animal-based foods. At the same time, we will keep improving animal welfare, enhancing public health, ecological sustainability, food security, biodiversity, and the resilience of food systems and human civilization.
The 2030 goals should be part of a global multilateral effort, and the push from China or any
individual country is far from enough. We hope that plant forward, food education, animal
welfare, healthy diets, food waste reduction, eco-friendly agriculture, good circularity,
biodiversity of food are all part of the same whole, united and interconnected in the face of a
shared future for humanity, no matter what kind of organizations or fields they work in. We
believe that a positive change in one area will bring about change in all related areas. The efforts
of each and every organization involved are essential to achieving the 2030 Goal. More
possibilities will emerge as more forces join in and work together for the interests of all earthlings.
Let's work together to build a healthy and ecologically sustainable future for China and humanity
as a whole. It is our hope that the 2030 Goal will be achieved in the best way and with the
greatest potential, starting from this first year of the 2020s.
