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A group of Olympians and other top athletes have signed an open letter calling for 2028’s Los Angeles-based Olympic Games to be entirely plant-based.
Signatories include Olympic weightlifter Kendrick J. Farris, Olympic rock climber Alexander Megos, Olympic weightlifter Angeline Berva, Olympic road cyclist Simon Gescheke, and Paralympic swimmer Sarah Bofinger. Other top athletes such as France’s “strongest woman” Angeline Berva and vegan strongman Patrik Baboumian also signed the open letter.
“As a vegan athlete, I’ve experienced how a plant-based lifestyle not only fuels peak performance but also aligns with a vision of sustainability and compassion,” said Farris, who has been vegan for over a decade and appeared in 2018’s documentary The Game Changers.
The open letter is addressed to LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover and begins by thanking him for his commitment to an eco-friendly approach to the next Olympic Games. The letter notes that the 2024 games in Paris set a strong precedent by making 60 percent of its meals vegan, but suggests that “Los Angeles can do even better” when it hosts the Olympics in 2028.
“Advocating for a vegan Olympics in Los Angeles is a powerful statement about our collective responsibility to protect the planet and promote a kinder, healthier future,” added Farris. “Together, we can show the world that greatness thrives on compassion.”
Read more: Vegan Strongman Patrik Baboumian Shares His Favorite Protein Sources
LA28: animal charities call for plant-based Olympics
The open letter was organized by Jenny Canham, the director of outreach and engagement at the nonprofit Animal Outlook. Canham began calling for a plant-based Olympics last year and highlighted the “incredible strides” LA has made with plant-based initiatives recently.
In 2024, West Hollywood announced a “groundbreaking” new policy of providing plant-based food by default at all council-run events. Also in 2024, Los Angeles County passed a motion that required all departmental food to be plant-based by default.
Animal agriculture is a top contributor to the climate crisis. Plant proteins have an 89 percent lower environmental impact than animal-derived meat, with comparable nutrients and myriad health benefits.
LA28 will see participation from around 15,000 athletes and the attendance of millions of visitors. At 2024’s games, hundreds of chefs prepared more than 40,000 meals every day.
Plant Based News has contacted the Olympics for comment.
Read more: The Top 10 Most Vegan-Friendly Cities In The World
