Nick PopeContributor
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) published guidance that urges food vendors to serve plant-based options or “lower-emission” meat.
The DNC’s sustainability guidance for food vendors serving customers at the convention in Chicago suggests that they should “offer low-emission menu choices,” including plant-based options, and “prioritize” chicken where possible because of its lower carbon intensity. Environmental activists and institutions like the United Nations have consistently asserted that reforming agricultural practices and decreasing red meat consumption are key to bringing down emissions and fighting climate change. (RELATED: Wagyu Burgers, Asian-French Fusion And More: Here’s What’s On The Menu At The UN Climate Confab)
Beef is considered to be by far the most carbon-intensive type of meat to produce, followed by lamb and farmed crustaceans, according to The New York Times.
The guidance is not binding, though the DNC has also created a survey for vendors, hosts of ancillary events and other stakeholders to fill out with information about the steps they took to make their contributions to the convention more environmentally friendly.
“Offer low-emission menu choices, including plant-based and locally sourced options. If meat is offered, prioritize lower-emission meats such as chicken,” the guidance states. Additionally, the DNC’s suggestions for vendors also include that they “request ethically sourced/fair-trade certified seafood, coffee, tea, and chocolate” and “source high-emission items like coffee through local, small business partnerships.”
Some of the food vendors listed on the DNC’s registry include restaurants that ostensibly serve meat, including “Bazaar Meat” and the “Chicago Chop House.” The DNC’s guidance also urges vendors to use reusable or compostable utensils and encourages them to source goods from local suppliers, in part to keep emissions down.
Additionally, the DNC is recommending the purchase of “renewable energy certificates,” or credits, to “measure and mitigate the impact of the energy used to heat, cool, and power venues and hotels.”
The DNC did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
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