Could Eating Less Meat Become a National Movement in Spain?

In a swift wave across Spanish municipalities, Alcorcón’s City Council has become the third city in just eight weeks—after El Masnou and Parla—to formally endorse the international Plant Based Treaty. As of its plenary session on July 16, Alcorcón joins a growing roster of 42 cities worldwide, including Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Belfast, in supporting the global initiative.

This decision, touted by the city as a preventive measure against cardiovascular disease, highlights the sobering reality that diet remains Spain’s leading health threat. Its strategy seeks to tackle both public health and environmental stewardship in one fell swoop.

Alcorcón’s statement at the council meeting pulled no punches: “The current diet, rich in animal protein and processed foods, combined with a more sedentary lifestyle, is causing an increase in obesity, overweight, and associated chronic diseases that diminish the health of the population and increase healthcare costs,” the statement reads.

“We are experiencing a climate emergency that requires rapid, strong, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gases, and that means addressing emissions from our food system. If we were to shut down all fossil‑fueled engines, emissions from our food system would increase global temperatures by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius,” the statement says. 

Global data backs up their urgency. Food production generates roughly 29 percent of all human greenhouse‑gas emissions, with over half originating from meat and dairy production. Meanwhile, research shows that alternative dietary patterns—vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian—could slash emissions, land use, and water pollution by up to 75 percent.

Spanish households have already been adjusting: from 2006 to 2023, a modest uptick in adherence to Mediterranean‑style diets was accompanied by reduced consumption of red meat, fish, dairy, and fats, corresponding to measurable drops in dietary emissions.

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A measured, multi‑faceted strategy

Alcorcón’s endorsement isn’t purely symbolic. Its commitment includes an array of policy proposals: promoting healthy diets grounded in scientific insight; elevating the role of small farmers; supporting ecologically diverse community gardening; launching public awareness campaigns touting the environmental, health, and animal‑welfare benefits of plant‑based diets; reducing animal‑product consumption through education; expanding veggie sureties in public and private institutions; piloting vegetarian and vegan options in municipal dining halls; urging caterers to diversify their menus; hosting a Healthy Pottery Pot Contest and instituting “Vegetable Wednesday”; advocating for industry-level engagement with both the Edinburgh Climate Pact and the Plant Based Treaty; encouraging sister cities and regional governments to follow Spain’s lead; halting land‑use changes (including deforestation) for livestock; and forwarding the motion to national and regional ministries.

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Councillor Eduardo Olano framed the shift: “The challenge of the food transition is ethical; it’s about putting values into action, empathy, love, and building the best possible future […] Food is something personal, with deep emotional and cultural roots. Let’s talk about what we need to develop healthily with calm, consideration, and respect. But let’s talk without hype, listening to scientific evidence, without conflicts of interest. Alcorcón and the world deserve it.” 

Catalysts and champions

Enric Noguera, campaigner for the Plant Based Treaty in Spain, underscored the urgency: “Our recent floods, heat waves, and droughts show that the climate emergency is here and getting worse […] The political class should implement policies that can protect the population and facilitate a transition to a healthy and sustainable food system. That is why we applaud Alcorcón’s decision to support calls for a Plant Based Treaty and implement measures that promote healthy plant‑based food.” 

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The Treaty’s global movement has been building since its launch in August 2021. It now counts over 40 cities, nearly 250,000 individual supporters, five Nobel laureates, IPCC scientists, and more than 4,000 organizations—including high-profile endorsers like Heura, the Jane Goodall Institute, and national nutrition and public-health associations.

Among celebrity backers, Paul, Mary, and Stella McCartney issued a joint statement: “We believe in justice for animals, the environment and people. That’s why we support the Plant Based Treaty and urge individuals and governments to sign it.” Their endorsement underscores a cultural momentum toward plant‑centered diets—and the social cachet that comes with it.

Why Spanish cities are leading the charge

Spain’s surge of municipal endorsements isn’t happenstance. In just eight weeks, El Masnou became the second and Parla the first city in Spain to offer formal support. That rapid momentum reflects both local climate stressors and deepening public awareness: a 2023 public health study found rising vegetable and grain intake among Spaniards, as red meat, fish, dairy, and fats declined.

European and global contexts echo similar motivations. Flexible, predominantly plant‑based diets have been shown to dramatically reduce agricultural emissions and health costs; one study calculated a potential 43 percent decline in carbon‑mitigation expenses by 2050. Meanwhile, cities from Edinburgh (the first European capital to sign) to Nijmegen (Ireland’s second) have begun banning meat advertising and integrating plant‑based strategies into formal climate plans.

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National governments are also stepping up. Denmark’s €170 million ($197.7 million USD) action plan launched in October 2023 included support for novel plant‑based foods, chef training, and grants—all part of a careful, carrot‑not‑stick approach. Its strategy even aims to reduce livestock emissions and convert farmland back into natural ecosystems.

The science is unequivocal: animal agriculture produces more emissions per calorie than most plant foods. The UN estimates that agrifood systems accounted for 37 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, with projections on track for dramatic rises by 2050. Expert consensus holds that to meet Paris Agreement goals, dietary transformation is indispensable.

What comes next

Alcorcón will now monitor its public-catering reforms, community‑garden programs, and awareness initiatives—following the blueprint laid out by El Masnou and Parla. If successful, this municipal-level strategy could scale across Spain, forging a national push toward plant‑based norms.

But the city doesn’t stand alone. It communicates this motion to regional and national institutions—in Madrid and beyond—urging aligned agricultural, environmental, and social policy. The hope is that municipal influence will drive systemic reform at higher levels.

With its tradition of the Mediterranean diet—and a growing awareness of climate-linked dietary risk—Spain finds itself at a cultural turning point. Cities like Alcorcón are acknowledging that the future of food is not just a matter of preference, but of policy, ethics, and survival.

As Eduardo Olano warned, this must be a respect‑driven conversation: “Let’s talk without hype, listening to scientific evidence, without conflicts of interest.” In doing so, Alcorcón hopes to model a path that melds tradition, science, and social responsibility.