The Plant Based Switch

Category: Best online/offline idea

Flow Slow Girls

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Whats your Action Idea?

If we are serious about reducing the emissions from our food systems and the impact animal agriculture has on land use and biodiversity loss we need every important actor in the food industry doing its part. We need system change as well as individual change and our proposal addresses both. How? Through a guide that facilitates plant based shifts in HoReCa menus (*Horeca is an abbreviation of the words Hotel/Restaurant/Café) and also in the menus of certain institutions equipped with kitchens (schools, universities, Parliament). Our guide will focus on expanding the vegan/plant-based options and also on adapting the existing menu to include plant based options through minor ingredient switches (identifying the meals that can easily be veganized by replacing 2-3 ingredients with their plant based alternative). Plant based options are still very hard to find in Romania. The food industry really needs a push in order to promote healthier and more sustainable food options. A systemic change in this area will definitely increase the availability and accessibility of these options for individuals. The guide will be written in Romanian, in the format of a kitchen training manual, an easy handbook for everyone who wants to know how to promote sustainable and healthy food options in their menus.

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What do you need to realize your idea?

We will promote our guide through online social media accounts (FB, Insta, YouTube and TikTok) and also by sending e-mail invitations to potential partners in the food industry. We live in a digital world mostly, so the fastest way to get to as many people as possible is through social media. We want to create a landing page and a social media account to further communicate our message.

How does your idea help our fight for fair and sustainable food system?

The discussion about the role plant based shifts play in combating the climate crisis is almost missing in Romania. We believe that it is high time to bring this discussion along with solutions and proposals to the table of those that can have a huge impact on influencing food choices - the ones that make and serve food. Having more plant based options will help us not only to reduce the excessive carbon emissions harming the planet, but also land degradation, water, and air pollution, loss of biodiversity, deforestation and ocean dead zone. The Youtube link shared below is a material created by one of the members of our team - Alexandra Corbu, about the impact food systems have on the environment.

Why is your idea a winner?

Our idea is a winner because it is powered by the immense potential of food to transform destructive habits into healing habits. We love food and we want to play a role in this transformation that needs every single one of us on board.

Have you already tried the action idea? If so, tell us what you experienced!?

Yes, we did test our ability to put these ideas into practice by collaborating with restaurants and food festivals before. This experience was mostly gained through our work in a NGO (The Romanian Vegan Association) but it is an experience that will most definitely help us in future projects as well. We realized that there is a lot of potential for change and that many people in the food industry need help to make the plant based switch easier. This really gives us hope.