Moving to plant-based foods: LA County expanding program to cut down on emissions

L.A. County is working to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions by changing what food it purchases.

On Tuesday, the county board of supervisors unanimously passed a motion to expand efforts to purchase more plant-based foods at county-run departments.

Building on a law passed last year, the L.A. County update recommends serving a 2-to-1 ratio of plant-based to non-plant-based entrees and requires county food programs to offer a daily vegan meal and alternatives to dairy products. The recommendations also call for prioritizing purchasing from local growers, among other things.

Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Hilda Solis authored the motion.

“As our region’s largest employer, we have a responsibility to ensure county facilities have a positive environmental impact,” said Supervisor Horvath.

The county has more than 110 food contracts that will need updating. A report by the Department of Public Health found that challenges to implementing these efforts include cost and consumer preference.

Why it matters

More than 30% of planet-heating pollution comes from the global food system, largely meat and dairy cows, according to the world’s top climate scientists.

L.A. County departments purchase a significant amount of animal-based food: In 2023, for example, the county purchased nearly 234,000 pounds of meat and poultry annually compared to just 7,822 pounds of plant-based meat for the Los Angeles General Medical Center.

The county estimates greenhouse gas emissions from the food the Department of Public Health purchases is equivalent to driving two million miles in a car.

The land use change and pollution from animals such as cows are a major driver of global pollution and water use. That’s why the world’s top climate scientists agree that changing our diets is a piece of the puzzle to reduce the pollution driving rapid climate change.

Research has shown eating more plants and protein from things like beans and sardines, rather than red meat, is better for health too.

A growing movement

The policy is part of a growing trend of local governments working to address the climate pollution and public health impacts of food.

Last June, West Hollywood passed a similar resolution to prioritize plant-based meals at all city-run events, and the city promotes “Veganuary,” a public awareness campaign to encourage eating more vegan meals throughout the month of January.

In 2022 the city of Los Angeles endorsed the Plant-Based Treaty, a global treaty to pressure governments to reduce reliance on animal agriculture.

The impacts of such initiatives have already been proven in places such as New York City, which enacted similar policies and reduced food-related carbon emissions by 36% across its hospital system.