The non-governmental organization "Gyvi gali" aims to promote the availability of plant-based nutrition in Lithuania due to its benefits for health, the environment and animal protection, so we decided to evaluate what the political parties participating in the 2024 elections promise us.
The importance of a plant-based diet: healthier people, less damage to the environment and animal protection
Back in September of this year, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasized that the promotion of plant-based nutrition is one of the ways in which EU countries can contribute to reducing climate change. She called on countries to include plant-based nutrition in their national strategies, emphasizing that a healthier diet not only improves people's quality of life, but also helps to achieve common environmental goals.
Gyvi gali encourages greater attention to the development of plant-based nutrition due to its impact on public health and the environment. A plant-based diet contributes to lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduces water and soil use, and helps preserve biodiversity. At the same time, this diet reduces the extent of animal cruelty that occurs in intensive animal husbandry.
Promoting a plant-based diet in public settings such as schools and hospitals could be a decisive first step towards a healthier society and environment. Also, healthy nutrition should become a national priority, as it would directly lead to savings in the health care system - the incidence of chronic diseases, such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, would decrease.
How do the parties respond to the goals of Gyvi gali?
Freedom Party and Lithuanian Green Party provide clear guidelines in their programs on how to promote the development of plant-based nutrition. Freedom Party proposes increasing the availability of plant-based food in public institutions - schools, hospitals and other public institutions - by promoting the consumption of plant-based meals and supporting innovations in food technologies such as fermented meat. Lithuanian Green Party offers not only tax benefits for plant-based products, but also seeks to make plant-based meals in public institutions first choice. This would mean that plant-based meals would be provided as the primary choice, with animal-based foods only as an alternative. This initiative best fits the priorities of Gyvi gali.
Union of Peasants and Greens, while supporting traditional animal husbandry, also makes an important proposal to create a roadmap for the development of plant-based nutrition, which could become a strategic basis for promoting plant-based nutrition. This proposal is valuable because it would allow targeted development of plant-based nutrition in Lithuania. However, on the other hand, the party also supports strengthening the livestock sector, which is at odds with Gyvi gali's goals of reducing livestock subsidies and switching to more sustainable food sources.
Freedom and justice in its program emphasizes the importance of availability of plant-based dishes in public institutions. The party aims to ensure that schools, hospitals and other public institutions have the opportunity to choose wholesome, balanced meals of plant origin. Diversification of food intake is also encouraged in order to reduce consumption of processed foods and saturated fatty acids, which are found in abundance in animal products. This is a positive initiative that, if implemented, would contribute to the development of plant-based nutrition and support the aspirations of Gyvi gali.
Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) their program focuses more on general environmental and climate change management goals, but has not made specific proposals for promoting a plant-based diet. They emphasize the importance of protecting a healthy environment and ecosystems, so one wants to believe that in the future the party could listen to the proposals of such organizations as "Gyvi gali" and develop more specific measures in the field of plant nutrition.
Social Democratic Party also emphasizes sustainable agriculture and food production, but does not propose specific measures to promote a plant-based diet. Although their program is focused on the general promotion of sustainability, it can be expected that in the future they can contribute to the development of plant-based nutrition and a culture of healthy eating in the public sector.
Liberal movement supports the promotion of a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle, but also does not propose specific measures for the development of a plant-based diet. Their agenda is more focused on economic and infrastructure issues, with less focus on plant-based food innovation.
Democratic Union "For Lithuania" the program is about promoting a healthy eating culture, including reducing VAT on fresh fruits and vegetables. Although this is a step towards a healthier diet, there are no clear measures for the development of plant-based nutrition in the public sector or the presentation of plant-based products as the first choice.
Public procurement and local food
Public procurement is an important tool in ensuring not only the availability of plant-based nutrition, but also its promotion in the public sector. Freedom Party and Lithuanian Green Party emphasizes the importance of organic and local food in public procurement, emphasizing the importance of short food supply chains. This means that products from local farmers could be more readily available in schools, hospitals and other public institutions, promoting more sustainable and healthy eating.
Such solutions would not only help promote the consumption of plant-based nutrition, but also reduce the environmental impact of food production, as local food supply reduces CO2 emissions during transportation and strengthens the local economy.
Instead of conclusions - a wish for the future
After analyzing the programs of the parties, it can be seen that Freedom Party, Lithuanian Green Party and Freedom and justice best fits the priorities of Gyvi gali. They actively support the development of plant-based nutrition and offer innovations compatible with the principles of the green economy. Union of Peasants and Greens, while supporting traditional animal husbandry, also makes an important proposal - the creation of a plant-based nutrition roadmap. Homeland Union - Christian Democrats of Lithuania, Social Democratic Party, Liberal movement and Democratic Union "For Lithuania" present general environmental goals and healthy nutrition in their programs, but there is a lack of clear and specific measures to promote plant-based nutrition and reduce the environmental impact of animal husbandry.
By evaluating these programs, we hope that the new Seimas could implement a more ambitious program promoting the availability of plant-based food in the public sector and society. Lithuania could emulate such advanced countries as Denmark or Finland, which are already advanced in the areas of promoting plant-based nutrition and sustainable nutrition. Ambitious and forward-looking policies would not only help achieve climate change mitigation goals, but would also improve public health and contribute to animal protection.
Remembering that the recommendation submitted to the European Commission until 2026 to create an EU action plan for the promotion of plant-based food, we can only hope that Lithuania will ambitiously join this transition and, instead of delaying it, take the lead.
