World Health Organization Head Calls For Plant-Based Diet Shift [Video]

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said a shift towards more plant-based diets is “essential” for the health of people and planet. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, made the comments in a video during COP28, the UN Climate Summit that took place in Dubai in December 2023. 

He noted that food production is responsible for “almost one third of the global burden of disease” and 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of these emissions are from animal agriculture. 

“Transforming food systems is therefore essential, by shifting towards healthier, diversified, and more plant-based diets.”

Dr Ghebreyesus joins a growing chorus of high-profile voices highlighting the benefits of plant-based diets. 

In an episode of Planet Earth III that aired on the BBC in December 2023, Sir David Attenborough told viewers that “the vast majority of agricultural land – more than 75 percent – is used to raise livestock and this is very inefficient.” He praisedplant-based diets …