As we reflect on the developments and challenges of the past year, one thing is clear: 2022 has been a very significant year for the global plant-based shift. 

First, the good news: plant-based eating has continued to explode in popularity while also being recognized in global climate policy discussions. Specifically, the importance of plant-based eating was discussed, if only in limited ways, at both the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), which were both held in 2022. 

While the agreements coming out of both COP15 and COP27 did not make the commitments that we would have hoped to see, the fact that the plant-based issue was on the table for discussion represents major progress. 

And, in the face of governments taking insufficient action and even pushing back against the crucial plant-based shift, individuals and organizations worldwide are mobilizing to change that. In Canada, 2022 saw the first big successes of the recently formed Plant-Based Cities Movement, which is a grassroots initiative encouraging Canadian municipalities to reduce their consumption of animal products, and ongoing work by the Coalition for a Sustainable Food Transition, a group of Canadian environmental and animal welfare organizations working to promote a dietary transition among Canadians towards more plant-based foods. Earthsave Canada is proud to be represented and active in both of these groups.

There are many challenges ahead. The animal agriculture industry is aware of the momentum behind the plant-based movement and is employing strategies pioneered by the tobacco industry to confuse the issues and obscure the harm they cause. They often rely on intentional misrepresentation of low quality studies and hope that the public will blindly accept their claims or, at least, remain uncertain enough to stick with the status quo. 

It’s not going to work. While the industry is well-funded and highly motivated, it can only hide the truth for so long. The science overwhelmingly supports the conclusion that veganism is the way to go. Plant-based advocates who are well-versed in science are growing in number every year, demanding that their governments take action to support the necessary shift in our diets. More and more individuals are already experiencing the joy of eating plant-based diets while reaping the health benefits and contributing to a more sustainable and kinder world. 

At Earthsave Canada, we live by the principle that those who have the information and the means to act must do so, and fast. That’s why we aim to balance the information the public receives from industry with well-researched resources. We are more enthusiastic than ever about expanding the reach of our message and seeing more positive change in 2023. If you wish to support our work, please consider making a donation. 

From all of us at Earthsave Canada, we wish you all the best for the new year.