2026
Launch of the mouvement Santé planétaire au menu
An initiative by organizations in the events industry that offer menus promoting
global health.
The challenge we’re facing
Turning Events into a Driving Force for Global Health
While the global reality is clear—our food system must urgently transform to respect the planet’s limits—this transition has yet to take place in Quebec. At Équiterre, we believe that moving from theory to practice requires powerful collective showcases.That is why we have identified a priority lever for change: the events sector. The challenge we are taking on with this project is to mobilize event organizers so they can become ambassadors for planetary health menus. In addition to providing food, each event becomes an opportunity to:
- Bring decision-makers and guests together around a table where good food means plant-based proteins, whole grains, and local ingredients;
- Demonstrate the economic viability of these menus by promoting local marketing and highlighting the expertise of our local producers;
- Normalize new habits by proving, through a gourmet experience, that nutritious, local, and sustainable food is not only necessary but also delicious and beneficial to our health;
- By transforming banquets, conferences, and festivals into living laboratories for planetary health, we create a ripple effect that extends beyond the individual plate to sustainably influence our collective systems.
- + 3 000 Équiterre estimates that more than 3,000 organizations in Quebec are involved in the preparation and serving of mass meals and, given their reach, have the potential to accelerate the food transition. (1)
1. Based on a cross-reference of data from Statistics Canada (Registre des entreprises SCIAN 7223) and MAPAQ (MAPAQ (2024), Le Bioalimentaire économique - Bilan de l'année 2024)
In the video on the left, thanks to Maya Lewis, a community cook at Santropol Roulant. Kitchen space provided by Santropol Roulant.
“ Events that incorporate global health into their menus serve as a kind of showcase—they inspire and set an example. They encourage people to adopt sustainable eating habits at home as well ”
What Équiterre is doing
While sustainable food has always been at the core of Équiterre’s mission, our expertise in event planning was initially built through the creation of guides on eco-friendly events and benefit cocktail parties. This initiative will take a significant step forward in 2024 with the launch of strategic partnerships and pilot projects in the field.
Équiterre focuses primarily on:
- Promoting the marketing of local and sustainable foods to catering services and event organizers;
- Creating demand among informed buyers.
Ultimately, this work aims to facilitate direct sourcing for events through practical tools and networks with key players in Quebec’s supply chain.
Discover how our pilot projects and strategic partnerships are already transforming the face of Montreal events.
Project history
2025
Accompagnement du milieu de l'événementiel
Supporting the events industry
May | Équiterre collaborates on the development of the “Planetary Health” menu for the 2025 Montreal Climate Summit
March | Équiterre collaborates with Maestro Culinaire to create a menu entirely curated by the sales team at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
March | Équiterre collaborates on the development of the planetary health menu for Espace 1909 at Groupe CH
January | At the Maison du Développement durable, an event featuring a planetary health menu is organized. Event organizers of all sizes and catering services are invited to use the support tools developed by Équiterre to follow suit.
2024
Learn about the planetary health menu concept
Using a short video clip and the fact sheet “What is planetary health?”, Équiterre and the Système alimentaire montréalais (SAM) are coming out with two new ways to demystify the concept and help people better understand it better and integrate it into their lives.
Équiterre is partnering with Maestro culinaire, the caterer for the Montreal Convention Centre, to develop the menu for events in the 2024–2025 program.
2023
Publication of the study: Potential solutions for feeding the Quebec population towards healthy, sustainable food
The Institut de recherche en économie contemporaine (IRÉC), in collaboration with Équiterre, the Collectif Vital and the Canada Research Chair in Nutrition and Health Inequalities, release a study: Product lines at the heart of food autonomy: analysis and proposals for a structuring bio-food policy.
2021
Équiterre’s approach to sustainable food has evolved over the years towards the notion of planetary health
As part of its support and supply work, in particular via the program Recognizing Quebec institutions that feature Quebec food on their menus, along with its food education work, Équiterre has developed resource fact sheets that already contain the theoretical basis for future planetary health menus.
2008 à 2019
Organization of several large-scale eco-friendly events, including: annual benefit cocktail parties from 2012 to 2019; the “Course changer le monde” from 2015 to 2019 (a sporting event following
which a guide was produced).
Check out our global health events
Discover our tools
It’s possible to serve food that’s both nutritious and good for the planet on any occasion. Event planners and caterers, big or small—join the movement: put the health of the planet on the menu for your events with the help of our tools (tools are in French only).
Related content
Participate
Équipe
Project Manager, Sustainable Food
Advisor, Sustainable Food Procurement
Communications Officer, Sustainable Agriculture and Food
Planetary Health on the Menu at Events is an Équiterre project carried out in cooperation with a number of partners: Maestro culinaire and the Palais des congrès de Montréal, Arrivage, the Coopérative pour l'Agriculture de Proximité Écologique (CAPÉ), Tourism Montreal, Polycarbone, The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal), the Conseil du Système alimentaire montréalais and the Guichet unique pour la transition alimentaire (GUTA). It is made possible by the financial support of the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec, via the program Proximité, d’Aliments du Québec, and of La Caisse.
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