PLANT-FORWARD
FOOD PROCUREMENT 

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WHEREAS, the City of Portland and Multnomah County have a shared goal of being global leaders in addressing climate change, advancing environmental justice, and protecting the environment; and

WHEREAS, The City of Portland and Multnomah County’s 2015 Climate Action Plan includes the goal of reducing the impact of food choices on climate change and acknowledges that to meet greenhouse gas emission targets, the City, the County and its residents must shift their diets from high to “low-carbon” foods; and

WHEREAS, the September 2021 Portland Sustainable Consumption and Production Report reveals that 53 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from food purchases by individuals and institutions in the City of Portland and Multnomah County come from the purchases of animal products; and

WHEREAS, scientific analysis demonstrates that one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to transition to plant-forward or plant-based diets that reduce or eliminate the consumption of animal-based foods; and

WHEREAS, the City of Portland and Multnomah County have previously adopted recommendations and policies in support of reducing the City and County’s carbon footprint by reducing the purchase of animal-based foods; and

WHEREAS, the 2020 Climate Emergency Declaration issued by the City of Portland and Multnomah County commits the region to center its climate actions on justice and equity; and

WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic surfaced the horrific conditions workers in industrialized animal agricultural sector suffer under and that the disproportionate percentage of these workers are low-income people of color; and

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WHEREAS, large-scale, confined animal feed operations exploit workers and purchasing meat, dairy and eggs produced by this industry is not aligned with the 2020 Climate Emergency Declaration; 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Portland and Multnomah County establishes an official goal to accelerate the City and the County’s transition to climate-friendly diets by reducing by 70 percent animal-based food purchases and by eliminating entirely all purchases of meat, dairy and eggs from industrial animal agriculture operations by the City and County by xx.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Portland City Council refers this binding city ordinance to the Planning and Sustainability Commission to report to the Council on progress towards reaching this goal by xx.