‘Beans Not Beef’: Doctors Call On US Government To Promote Plant-Based Diet To Fight Climate Crisis

A group of doctors is calling on the US government to promote a plant-based diet to fight the climate crisis. 

Members from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) demonstrated outside the National Mall last week.

‘Beans Not Beef’

Vanita Rahman, MD, Lee Crosby, RD, LD, and Zeeshan Ali, PhD, led the campaign, which saw experts holding signs stating: “Beans Not Beef.”

The same slogan was also spelled out on the floor, made from bags of beans. All food used in the demonstration was later donated.

According to PCRM, swapping beef for beans could help the US reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. It cites a study that says the plant-based swap could account for 46-74 percent of the US’ 2020 reduction goals.

Promote plant-based diets

PCRM recently petitioned the White House to promote plant-based diets in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It also requested a ‘strategy to shift subsidies for meat and dairy products to fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans’.

Susan Levin, MS, RD, CSSD is the director of nutrition education for the Physicians Committee. She wrote to the USDA: “While we’re pleased that the Biden administration has already taken initial steps in this important area… The role of dietary contributors to climate change remains neglected.

“A report published in The Lancet in 2019 concluded that a dietary shift toward plant foods and away from animal products is vital for promoting the health of our planet.”

You can read the full letter here