Climate Change enthusiasts and edvocates have called on the government to take a decisive stand by signing the Plant Based Treaty, positioning the country as a leader in Africa and the Global South in the global fight for sustainable food systems, climate justice, and public health.
The Plant-Based Treaty is a global call to action promoting sustainable food systems by phasing out unsustainable animal agriculture, adopting healthy plant-based diets, and restoring ecosystems.
Speaking at a press conference held on Friday at Hotel Triangle in Kampala, Reagan Eriga, a Plant Based Treaty campaigner delivered a passionate appeal to both policymakers and the public.
“This is a crucial moment in our shared global journey toward sustainability, justice, and resilience. We are gathered here with one clear and urgent message, it is time for Uganda, Africa, and the global community to endorse the Plant Based Treaty,” he said.
He emphasized that endorsing the treaty would be more than a symbolic gesture it would be a pivotal act of leadership.
“This is a call for bold leadership, informed decisions, and collective responsibility,” he said. “Africa stands at a crossroads. With fertile land, a rich agricultural heritage, and a vibrant youth population, we have the power to lead a global movement.”
Eriga described the treaty as a roadmap toward a healthier planet and healthier citizens, grounded in environmental protection and food system transformation.
“By supporting this treaty, we can create a food system that works for us: free from overdependence on imports, rooted in food sovereignty, and built to generate economic opportunities and meaningful employment,” he added. “This is not just an environmental issue; it is a matter of economic justice, public health, and social equity.”
Calling on all sectors of society to back the movement, Ainebyona noted, “Let us be the generation that chose compassion, justice, and sustainability over complacency. Let us be the voice that inspires transformation.”
Julius Kitone, a journalist and campaigner with the Plant Based Treaty Uganda, echoed these sentiments, calling the moment “pivotal in history” and urging bold leadership from Uganda’s political class.
“Our planet is under immense pressure; from climate breakdown to biodiversity collapse, from rising food insecurity to worsening health crises,” Kitone said.
“At the heart of these interconnected challenges lies our broken food system and we now have a roadmap to address it: the Plant Based Treaty,” Kitone added.
He stressed the global significance of Uganda’s potential endorsement.
“By doing so, Uganda can champion a global shift toward sustainable, just, and climate-resilient food systems, and take this message boldly to the world stage,” he noted.
Kitone also framed the endorsement as a moral responsibility calling upon every Uganda go endorse it.
“We call on Ugandan leaders to endorse the treaty, not just as a policy choice, but as a moral obligation to our citizens, to our environment, and to future generations.”
He highlighted the role of civil society in pushing for progress.
“This leadership must be collective. We are calling on civil society, grassroots movements, youth, farmers, educators, and health professionals to unite in raising their voices to push for change, to demand action, and to hold our leaders accountable.”
Kitone also challenged the role of the Global North in driving environmental degradation through industrial animal agriculture, urging Uganda to take a principled stand.
“Uganda’s endorsement can serve as a powerful catalyst, urging all nations especially those in the Global North to halt their destructive reliance and export of industrial animal agriculture,” he asserted.
Kitone also underlined the urgency of the campaign.
“The Plant Based Treaty is not just a document, it is a movement. A movement that says: we can no longer afford to cross planetary boundaries. We must act now.”
“Let Uganda rise as a voice of reason, resilience, and responsibility,” he said. “Let us take our message from Kampala to the world and ignite a global shift toward justice, sustainability, and true climate leadership.”
Nakawa East Member of Parliament, Balimwezo Nsubuga endorsed the Plant-Based Treaty, highlighting its potential to promote a shift towards a plant-based diet and sustainable food systems aimed at improving human health, combating climate change, and preserving biodiversity.
Balimwezo emphasized that the treaty focuses on the protection, restoration, and sustainable management of plant life.
“If we don’t address sustainability of the plants, then we are absolutely doing Africa [a disservice] when we don’t talk about protection,” he stated.
He raised concern over widespread destruction of vegetation.
“We have seen how people have cut trees, food trees. Even here in town, you have seen how people have destroyed the ecosystem, and all these are plants. Some are homes of our terrestrial species, and therefore we need to protect them and how do we protect them? Through policy,” Balimwezo said.
He called on the government, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to mobilize the masses to support and endorse the treaty.
Balimwezo also pledged to present the proposal to Parliament to help establish a supportive policy framework.
Dr. Muhereza Katongole also endorsed plant-based diets, stressing their importance to human health. He noted that such diets lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and other chronic illnesses.
“As we grow older, because we are becoming a preparation that can grow older, we are at risk of cardiovascular diseases you can even add type two diabetes. Plant-based diets have lower cholesterol, but also have the good cholesterol unsaturated fats so your risk of cardiovascular events, stroke, hypertension, are lower,” he explained.
He added that even younger people are susceptible to inflammation, which plant-based diets help to reduce. Dr. Katongole urged all Ugandans and stakeholders to support the treaty for the benefit of public health.
On his part, Constatine Aporu, CEO of Noble Ece Space, said they endorsed this treaty because it addresses food security.
“We endorsed the Plant-Based Treaty because it fronts the food system change approach. It addresses food insecurity, regenerates the Earth, and promotes a sustainable world for both humans and animals,” he said.
Aporu also mentioned that the treaty has so far been endorsed by over 240,000 people globally and called upon policy makers to work collectively to advance its goals in Uganda.
The Plant-Based Treaty supports science-backed climate solutions, public health, and animal welfare through five core values: climate responsibility, public health, animal protection, food justice, and global cooperation.
