Project Drawdown describes a plant-rich diet as meeting daily protein needs with locally produced, healthy plant-based food based on 2,250 calories per day. For the agriculture and land use sector in Gelderland, that behavioural change yields a reduction potential of 0.675 to 1.126 Mton CO₂-eq in 2030. It concerns a scope 3 solution: the emissions reduction does not take place exclusively within the province and therefore does not count towards the sector totals.
The size of that range places food choice alongside technical measures as a serious climate lever for the region. Lower demand for animal protein reduces livestock numbers and with that the need for agricultural land, freeing up space for new nature or renewable energy generation. Short chains reinforce that effect: in Gelderland an estimated 1 in 10 farmers already sells directly through the short chain. Source: Climate Action Recap Gelderland (agriculture and land use sector analysis), New Economy.