World Health Summit, Berlin October 2022, focused on complexity between Climate & Food

“This year the World Health Summit is focusing particularly on the complex interdependency between climate change, food systems, digital transformation, peace and global health.”  Olaf Scholtz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

“We are united around one goal: to end the pandemic while developing more equitable and sustainable models.”  Emanuel Macron, President of the Republic of France in the Opening Ceremony of the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany.

The World Health Summit was attended by 4,100 people from more than 140 nations.  The three-day Conference involved more than 60 Panel Discussions with more than 200 Women Speakers and more than 200 Men Speakers. 

Some of the panels included:

“From Words To Action For Better Non-Communicable Disease Outcomes.”  According to this Panel, ‘Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes, as well as mental health disorders such as suicide, are now the dominant cause of death and disability across the world.’ 

This panel mentions ‘research’ and ‘innovative approaches’, and ‘improved access to treatment’, but not the proactive approach of adopting a plant-based diet, and eliminating meat, dairy, including cheese and yogurt, and fish.   The meat, dairy and fish based diet has been linked to the NCDs of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and some cancers due to the overabundance of fat and cholesterol only present in sentient beings who are eaten, and are not found in plants. 

Suicide is quickly becoming a leading cause of death worldwide.  Depression and suicide are linked to the meat and dairy based diet.  Cortisol is the main stress hormone present in both humans and animals in stressful situations.  Slaughter, incarceration, a life of rape, kidnapped babies, and torturous ‘milking’ are stressful for all sentient beings including animals.  Cortisol affects mood disorders, especially depression.  Excessive amounts of cortisol are ingested by humans who eat animals and drink their milk. This excessive cortisol causes human depression, often resulting in suicide.  Eating a sustainable, healthful plant-based diet can eliminate depression and suicide possibility.  

“Antimicrobial Resistance as a Global Challenge”.  ‘AMR caused an estimated 4.5 million deaths associated with bacteria in 2019, making it a leading cause of death worldwide.’

The meat and dairy based diet is the main cause of antimicrobial resistance.  Deadly AMR is caused by the enormous amounts of antibiotics forced on incarcerated animals.  These excessive amounts of antibiotics are used to keep the unfortunate individuals from perishing prematurely due to the horrendous conditions in which they are forced to live before a human profit can be made on their suffering.  These excessive amounts of antibiotics are then consumed by the humans who eat the flesh of these unfortunate individuals and drink their milk.  This was not explored in the panel.

“Engaging Globally For Planetary Health”.  ‘The narrative of Planetary Health, connecting the global challenges of Climate Crisis, Biodiversity Loss and all other planetary boundaries with human health is very powerful, engaging, and possibly game-changing regarding Science Engagement.  Engaging the public, policymakers and industry as well as opening science towards different knowledge systems and expertise is key to this concept and the opportunities to really make a difference.’  

The best way to resolve these human and planetary health issues is with a comprehensive, global initiative, and not an assortment of local, unenforceable initiatives.  Vegan International is advocating a United Nations Convention Against Speciesism to resolve planetary and human health issues effectively.

“Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness and Response”.   ‘Lessons from Ebola and Covid-19 Outbreaks’. 

This panel highlighted the importance of international collaboration in tackling global health threats but did not cover the single greatest means of prevention – avoidance.  Zoonotic pandemics result from human – animal interactions.  Exploiting and abusing animals is the cause of these pandemics.  The best way to prepare for a pandemic is to avoid it by ending Speciesism.

“The Cost of Inaction- The Importance of Pandemic Prevention at the Source.”  ‘Scientists calculate the costs of preventing further pandemics – via forest protection and improved wildlife trade regulation – over the next decade would amount to just 2% of the estimated financial damage caused by COVID – 19.  Such prevention strategies would also come with considerable co-benefits for climate and biodiversity.  Research shows the proportion of pathogens crossing from one stage to the next, from pre-emergence to pandemic stage decreases as the costs for stopping those increases.  In this inverse correlation: the earlier we prevent, the more cost-efficient it is… in solving the triple, intersecting crises of health, climate and biodiversity.’

This panel touched on important aspects of prevention but does not go far enough.  An enforceable United Nations Convention Against Speciesism would effectively prevent the next pandemic from happening, as well as promote biodiversity, reduce pollution, land degradation and reduce global warming and rising water levels.

“Healthy Planet – Healthy People”.  ‘Planetary Health is a transdisciplinary concept that addresses this crisis and the impacts of human disruptions to earth’s natural systems on human health and all life on earth.  It is an approach with aims to understand human impact on the world and how we can address it…And how we can communicate the most urgent threat to global health – the triple crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.’

Animal agriculture produces methane which holds heat in the atmosphere more effectively than carbon dioxide, produces more sewage and pollution than other industries combined, and results in habitat destruction and species extinction, the underlying causes of biodiversity loss.  There was no mention of this, and the underlying causes of many human health issues including the NCDs and pandemics - speciesism.  A simple and direct means to eliminate this cause is an enforceable law to prevent speciesism – a United Nations Convention Against Speciesism.

“One Health in Action”.  ‘The COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence of other zoonosis, along with the increasing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) make clear that we need to approach the topic of health with a broader understanding regarding the close links between the health of humans, animals, agriculture and the environment using the so called One Health approach.  Since the diversity of species and habitats on Earth is vital to all life, including human life, it is essential to protect the natural environment in all its diversity, lessening the risk of future pandemics and vector-borne diseases.’

Vegan International has established a relationship with one of the Speakers on this panel, regarding promoting the idea of an enforceable  United Nations Convention Against Speciesism.

“The Role of Parliamentarians in the Development of A Global Pandemic Treaty”.  This Panel Discussion included Members of Parliament from Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Cameroon, Argentina, and Germany.  Vegan International has established a relationship with one of the Speakers on this panel and plans to reach out to other Speakers from the Panel.

“Lessons Learned from Covid-19”.  ‘Over the past 50 years, there has been a significant increase in the emergence of infectious diseases.  More than 70% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonoses, diseases caused by germs that spread between wild animals, farm animals, and humans.  Almost all of the pandemics we know of are zoonoses (SARS, Cov2, Ebola, and COVID-19), to name a few.  These emergences and re-emergences are deeply linked to the pressures exerted on the environment, in particular on natural habitats and biodiversity.  These pressures increase contacts between virus reservoirs in wildlife, livestock and humans.”

No mention was made of the fact that all this is the result of Speciesism, the human exploitation of other species, destruction of their habitats, biodiversity loss caused by species extinction, and the only solution is to eliminate speciesism.   Speciesism is acting on the belief that humans are superior to all other species, and that humans can exercise complete control over every aspect of the non-humans.  This prideful concept has brought humans and the planet to a precipice, which if not curtailed, will destroy both the humans and the planet itself.

“Outsmarting Pandemics”.  ‘Surveillance at the animal – human interface’ was mentioned, but it did not go far enough.   A suggestion is highly unlikely to be as effective as the enforceable United Nations Convention Against Speciesism advocated by Vegan International.

This is only a small sample of the many Panels, but I would be remiss without adding that the Hotel Berlin Central District did an outstanding job of hosting the World Health Summit, including the almost 100% healthful, sustainable, gorgeous, imaginative, and delicious gourmet lunches and breaks. Although these were not completely vegan, they were very close.  No one complained about the lack of meat and dairy, and all the Conference attendees loved them.  The items were elegant, imaginatively named, and a delight for all.  None of these plant-based offerings was boring or unappetizing.  Even the center pieces on the buffets were an inspiration – artistically arranged cauliflower heads, fresh tomatoes, and squash from sustainable sourced local farms and business.  Terra cotta pots of fresh herbs decorated the tables, and cacti in porcelain planters decorated the dining room. 

Vegan International proposes the solution to global human health crises and planetary destruction is to eliminate speciesism. 

This is the single greatest cause of human health crises: pandemics, Non-Communicable Diseases (which are currently responsible for most human mortality even compared to pandemics), global warming, pollution of air, water and land, habitat destruction, species extinction, and biodiversity loss, which are major factors in zoonotic disease, and misuse of scarce resources,are all caused by speciesism: abusing and exploiting other species for the benefit of the human species. 

Speciesism is destroying the planet and everyone on it, both humans and non-humans.

Scientific facts prove that methane traps heat in the atmosphere more effectively than carbon dioxide, making it the single greatest cause of global warming.  The massive amounts of feces in factory farms, where non-humans are exploited, tortured, and murdered, is the single largest source of airborne methane. 

Hunger and starvation in developing nations could be avoided using grain being fed to the unfortunate individuals raised to be ‘food’ in the developed nations, and instead feed that grain directly to the people who are exporting it at political subsidy induced artificially low prices while they and their children experience hunger, poverty, and starvation. 

Obscene amounts of money are spent on the meat, dairy and fish diet-related preventable Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the developed nations while children and adults in the developing nations suffer lifetime disabilities from the inexpensive to treat, and preventable Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).  This is an inexcusable injustice of inequity.

Exploiting animals is unsustainable.  It requires more land, water and energy to raise animals for food than cultivating plant food for direct human consumption.  One acre of land can yield between twelve and twenty times more plant food than animal-based foods. 

“Global food production threatens climate stability and ecosystem resilience and constitutes the single largest driver of environmental degradation and transgression of planetary boundaries.  A radical transformation of the global food system is urgently needed.”  “The animal protein culture, conventionally viewed as improved consumption in a ‘nutrition transition’, has serious environmental and health consequences.”  “Eating plants directly rather than in meat, dairy, eggs, much less of the crop is required to deliver the same amount of protein, without the pollution and pandemics.”  The Lancet

The current Anthropocene Epoch characterized by one species (humans) dominating all other species is destroying planet Earth.  The unjust treatment of individuals who do not look or communicate like humans is a result of destructive human pride and supremacy.  This prideful, inconsiderate, self-righteous attitude is destroying human health and the entire planet.  Only when pride is superseded by compassion for all species will planet Earth become truly sustainable.

“Non-human animals are sentient beings not mere property and must be afforded respect and legal recognition” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

These unfortunate non-human individuals are unjustly incarcerated in disease ridden, horrific conditions, subjected to mutilation, violation, rape, kidnap of their children, and ultimately horrifically murdered, usually while fully conscious, all to satisfy the whims of those in power – the humans, who are making themselves and the planet increasingly unhealthy in the process.  Their lives are calling out for justice, and we are experiencing a portion of that justice now in the global health issues we are facing.  The human species will not experience peace or safety while continuing to exploit other species. 

Everyone deserves justice, and a United Nations ‘Place at the table’ regardless of species.  ‘No one left behind’, should apply to everyone on planet Earth, not just to one species.  There needs to be a radical, comprehensive approach to sustaining human health and preventing destruction of the planet.

A shift to the plant-based diet, and giving animals universal rights, would promote sustainability and remove the specter of pandemic zoonotic disease.  Animals, birds, and fish are humans’ co-habitants on planet Earth.  They are the least protected, most exploited individuals on a planet that is currently on a headed for disaster if radical changes are not implemented.

As far as I know, only one Speaker at the World Health Summit mentioned the word “Justice”.  It was Marco Lambertini of the World Wildlife Fund International in the Closing Ceremony.  Maybe if more attention was paid to this simple concept, the planet would not be in the unhealthy condition it is in now. 

The United Nations recommendation of stricter regulations of live markets, the UN Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare, global investigations, national and local laws and regulations have not been effective in solving the problem.  What is needed is a radical, comprehensive approach.  Vegan International is advocating a United Nations Convention Against Speciesism to effectively resolve this issue by giving enforceable rights to all, and to end the destructive path spaceship Earth is currently on.