Geneviève Chatelain
Project Manager, Sustainable Food
Published on
Équiterre is taking advantage of the Montreal Climate Summit to officially launch the Planetary Health on the Menu movement. In front of about 100 guests who had the opportunity to sample a delicious “planetary health” menu created for the event, the organization is highlighting the importance of the food transition and the catalytic role that the events industry can play.
Planetary Health Menus, to strengthen a fragile food system
Faced with the numerous challenges and complexities of our agri-food systems, and the imperative to reduce the environmental impact, there is a consensus that changes need to be made to how we feed the population.
The Planetary Health on the Menu Movement directly addresses this issue by targeting large-scale events that have the potential to raise awareness and mobilize a broad, engaged audience around the benefits of this type of menu for both human and planetary health.
In concrete terms, planetary health menus are meals that respect the principles of food sustainability: nutritious and balanced, local and seasonal, with a lower environmental footprint. They are delicious, with a significant place for fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains in order to reduce the environmental impact.
Do you know any caterers or event organizers?
Discover the Planetary Health on the Menu movementThe events sector as a driver of change
For years, Équiterre has encouraged citizens as well as institutional food services in Quebec to make sustainable food choices. The Planetary Health on the Menu movement is extending this work to catering services and event managers, encouraging them to adopt and promote these types of menus.
The objective is two-fold:
To raise awareness among a broad audience by offering delicious planetary health menus at events in a tangible and inspiring way.
To increase the resilience of the food chain, from farm to table, by building networks and creating more business opportunities for local food producers.
A pilot phase has already led to the development of references and menus, with for example Maestro Culinaire at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, as well as a toolkit to help others join the movement. Équiterre offers caterers and event managers the opportunity to join the Planetary Health on the Menu Movement in order to respond to the growing demands of clients and industry players to integrate local and plant-based food into their events.
Towards an ecological transition
Ultimately, the Planetary Health on the Menu Movement contributes to the ecological transition by reducing GHG emissions (through for instance increasing plant-based options and reducing food waste), by promoting local food procurement, and by making sustainable choices more popular and accessible. It aims to engage key change agents - caterers, event managers, and event guests - towards a future where eating well goes hand in hand with preserving our planet.
The launch of this movement marks a significant step in mobilizing stakeholders, from farm to table, for food that supports human health, planetary health, as well as local agricultural and economic resilience.
About the Planetary Health on the Menu movement
Équiterre’s Planetary Health on the Menu Movement was created in collaboration with numerous partners: Maestro Culinaire and the Palais des congrès de Montréal, the CIBIM, Food Hub, The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM), the Conseil du Système alimentaire montréalais, and the Guichet unique pour la transition alimentaire (GUTA). It is produced in collaboration with the City of Montreal and thanks to the financial support of the ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec, through the program Proximité, Aliments du Québec, and of La Caisse.
About the Montreal Climate Summit
This commitment was announced at the 2026 Montreal Climate Summit. The Montreal Climate Summit brings together leaders from the city’s economic, institutional, municipal, philanthropic, community, and environmental sectors to foster collaboration and highlight concrete actions, transformative solutions, and cross-sector partnerships to accelerate the transition, strengthen resilience, and consolidate Montreal’s climate leadership.
Contact
For more information, please contact Geneviève Chatelain
