Meaningful Milestones: Our Impact Timeline

The school district of Passo Fundo, Brazil, has formally committed to serving plant-based meals one day a week in city schools. This policy will affect about 720,000 meals each year. Passo Fundo is a medium-size city in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Mercy For Animals launched a campaign targeting Delaware North—the fourth-largest foodservice provider in the United States—urging the company to commit to making a percentage of their menus plant-based. This would align with their GreenPath sustainability program, which notably lacks such a policy. Delaware North serves hundreds of millions of people each year across national parks, sports arenas, casinos, and other venues.

As part of the campaign, our team published a video to social media featuring nine celebrities with over 10 million followers combined, urging Delaware North to commit to offering more plant-based menu items.

Our supporters also reached out to the company and their venues through social media and sent more than 1,245 emails to Delaware North executives.

Mobile billboards also drove around sports venues where Delaware North operates, including at a Buffalo Bills game, the Bruins’ season opener, and a Ryder Cup match. These billboards shared a QR code leading people to the campaign website DelawareNorthFails.com.

A sign spinner took to the sidewalks in and around Disney Springs, where Delaware North has multiple restaurants.

We submitted a policy brief to India’s delegation at the Bonn Climate Change Conference—a key annual UN meeting where countries prepare for the next major climate summit. In the brief, we urged India to include plant-based food systems in its nationally determined contribution, the country’s official climate action plan under the Paris Agreement.

Our recommendations highlighted that governmental initiatives and reports in India already show that plant-based foods have a much smaller carbon footprint than animal-based ones. We also pointed out how shifting toward plant-based eating supports several UN sustainable development goals, including those focused on health, well-being, and sustainability. By making food a bigger part of its climate strategy, India could protect the planet while improving people’s lives.

On September 25, we hosted a hands-on plant-based cooking workshop for teams from 12 Accor hotels in São Paulo, Brazil. The morning session focused on plant-forward policies, food system awareness, behavioral “nudges,” and culinary inspiration to encourage more plant-based dining.

In the afternoon, our partner chef led a culinary workshop, teaching participants how to create a plant-based tasting menu. The menu featured an appetizer of arancini with leeks and Sicilian lemon stuffed with mixed mushrooms and cashew cream; a main course of tempeh curry with vegetables, peanuts, cilantro, and lemon; and a dessert of apple crumble with walnuts served alongside rich plant-based ice cream.

Participants praised both the flavors and the creativity of the recipes. In total, 20 people attended the training session, and 19 joined the cooking workshop, all showing strong interest in integrating plant-based cuisine into their hotels’ menus.

During New York Climate Week, ProVeg International, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, and Mercy For Animals came together to host the Food Systems Strategy Lunch—a collaborative event bringing a community together over delicious plant-based cuisine. The gathering created a space for meaningful conversation about transforming food systems to be healthier, more sustainable, and better for all.

Participants discussed critical topics such as financing food system transformation, the role of food systems in the upcoming COP30 climate negotiations, and how local governments and community groups can drive impactful change. The event strengthened connections among leaders in the movement and highlighted the importance of collaboration in creating a sustainable future for food.

Best Western has reported their cage-free progress for the second time this year—remarkably reaching 70% cage-free eggs globally. This demonstrates the growing impact of persistent advocacy by Mercy For Animals and our allies in the Open Wing Alliance.

In June, as part of the OWA’s global campaign, we gathered more than 5,000 signatures for a Change.org petition, engaged volunteers to take online actions, and contacted company leadership to push for progress.

Beyond online efforts, we distributed flyers in four major Mexican cities, expanding the campaign’s visibility. In Europe, we joined a coordinated postcard action, sending nearly 200 postcards from supporters in Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany.

We continue to urge Best Western to fulfill their global cage-free commitment.

Walmart U.S. reported new figures on their cage-free transition, showing steady progress across their stores. Both Walmart and Sam’s Club have increased the percentage of their eggs sold that are cage-free.

Although the changes are incremental, Walmart’s massive scale means the impact on animals is measured in the millions. Each step forward represents countless hens spared the extreme confinement of cages.

Mercy For Animals, in collaboration with the Center for Biological Diversity, EAT, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, and the Global Law Alliance for Animals and the Environment at Lewis & Clark Law School, has introduced the Food Systems NDC Scorecard. This innovative tool evaluates how well countries’ nationally determined contributions (NDCs)—climate action plans submitted under the Paris Agreement—integrate food system considerations.

The initial set of assessments covers six countries: the United Kingdom, Brazil, Kenya, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand. These evaluations highlight the strengths and gaps in each country’s approach to aligning food systems with climate goals. Notably, while many NDCs address agricultural production, they often overlook areas such as food consumption, distribution, and food loss and waste—areas that are essential to comprehensive climate action.

The Food Systems NDC Scorecard serves as a benchmark for countries to assess their current strategies, identify areas for improvement, and inspire more ambitious and holistic approaches to integrating food systems into climate planning. As the world approaches COP30, this tool aims to catalyze discussions and actions that recognize the pivotal role of food systems in achieving climate resilience and sustainability.

For detailed assessments and insights, visit the Food Systems NDC Scorecard website.

In 2027, the U.S. military will begin replacing its four vegetarian MREs (meals ready to eat) with fully vegan ones. This shift comes after years of advocacy led by Mercy For Animals and dedicated volunteers—including service members, veterans, and recruits—who pushed Congress and the Department of Defense to explore plant-based MREs.

In 2022, our campaign helped secure language in the National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Defense Logistics Agency to study demand for vegan MREs. Now that groundwork is paying off. The new menus will feature vegan entrées and snacks like protein bars, recovery bars, fruit-flavored cereal, and even plant-based animal crackers.

We estimate that these plant-based MREs will be distributed at around 1,700 locations around the world and that millions of vegan MREs will be consumed each year—making this one of the biggest shifts toward plant-based eating in U.S. military history. This milestone is a major step toward making compassionate meals available to service members.

On September 17, we hosted an online workshop for teams from six Accor hotels in Belém, Brazil, training 32 staff members on plant-forward policies, the impacts of the current food system, the use of behavioral “nudges,” and ingredient substitutions. As COP30 approaches, these hotels are preparing to introduce new plant-based recipes and nudges in October.

To build on the workshop, on September 20 the same teams participated in a practical cooking session with our partner chef. The training featured creative recipes such as Amazonian herb ricotta; chocolate and coumarou cake; Brazil nut yogurt with taperebá jam; and fettuccine with pomodoro sauce, butter bean meatballs, toasted seeds, and fresh herbs. The session was a resounding success, with participants actively engaged and praising both the flavors and the approach.

Exal, a major restaurant and foodservice company in Brazil, signed a partnership agreement with Mercy For Animals to advance plant-forward dining. This collaboration commits Exal to introducing new plant-based dishes across their food outlets and implementing behavioral “nudges” to encourage diners to choose these options.

As a first step, Exal launched a pilot project in 10 of their restaurants and received recipe development and consultation from our team in Brazil. These consultations help assess each location’s menu and identify opportunities to integrate plant-based dishes effectively. In the coming weeks, restaurant teams will receive hands-on training in both nudge techniques—simple changes to make plant-based options more appealing—and culinary skills for preparing these dishes. They will also get tailored materials to support the rollout.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to making plant-based dining more accessible and appealing.

We provided testimony before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health in support of Senate bill 922, known as the “Bean New Deal.” Our testimony highlighted the health benefits of plant-based diets—such as reducing risks of chronic diseases—and stressed the importance of offering inclusive food options for people with diverse dietary needs. We also emphasized that plant-based options can advance environmental sustainability while expanding access to nutritious meals.

Senate bill 922 proposes that public institutions in Massachusetts, including schools, state agencies, and higher education facilities, offer at least one plant-based protein option at every meal. The bill reflects a growing movement to make healthier, more sustainable food choices accessible to all and to ensure public institutions lead by example in supporting climate-friendly eating.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently released draft rules for regulating labels on plant-based products like soy milk and vegan cheese. These rules will dictate how these products can be labeled and sold in India.

We submitted comments on these draft rules urging FSSAI to adopt fair, balanced regulations that protect consumers without harming the country’s growing plant-based sector. We explained that labels such as “analogue” or “non-dairy” could confuse shoppers and create negative impressions of these foods. Instead, we recommended clear, positive terms like “plant-based,” “vegan,” and “dairy-free,” along with flexible rules for restaurants and small businesses. Supporting plant-based innovation in this way would give consumers better options while helping India meet its public health, sustainability, and business goals.

We are excited to grow our partnership with Accor to expand plant-based options in their hotels. As part of this collaboration, 18 Accor hotel locations are piloting new plant-based meals and ingredients, along with subtle “nudges” that encourage guests to choose these dishes. The company has committed to offering 25% plant-based options at these locations until at least 2030.

We hosted workshops in São Paulo and Belém to train dozens of hotel staff on plant-forward policies, sustainable ingredients, and culinary techniques, with chefs leading hands-on sessions that received enthusiastic feedback.

Mercy For Animals provided recommendations on Brazil’s national goals as they relate to the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). These SDGs constitute a global framework that governments, businesses, nonprofits, and researchers use to guide policies, track progress, mobilize funding, and collaborate on issues like poverty, climate, and inequality. We recommended adding more focus on eating a variety of proteins and encouraging plant-based foods, since these shifts can help reach goals related to global hunger and climate change.

Mercy For Animals has maintained ongoing dialogue with Starbucks about ways the company could more strongly emphasize plant-based milk across their menus. Ahead of the fall 2025 menu launch, we met with Starbucks to review offerings and propose additional plant-based options.

The new seasonal menu rolled out across U.S. Starbucks locations on August 26. Two of the new drinks use oat milk as the default: the Pecan Oatmilk Cortado and the Iced Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte.

Starbucks is actively promoting these offerings. The pecan-flavored oat milk drinks are central to the fall lineup, highlighted in the company’s fall menu announcement. The seasonal menu is expected to run until early November, when Starbucks typically transitions to their holiday offerings.

We view this rollout as a meaningful step in plant-based evolution at Starbucks—and we’ll continue engaging with the company to expand default plant-based options across future menus.

We shared feedback on several parts of Brazil’s One Health National Action Plan, which is a government plan to connect human health, animal health, and environmental protection. We pointed out how factory farming and eating too many animal products harm both the environment and public health. We also suggested actions to support more variety in protein sources and encourage plant-based diets, since these shifts can help protect people’s health and the planet.

Mercy For Animals has been in conversations with Peet’s to help the company release and promote plant-based milk across their menu—including seasonal beverages that use oat milk by default. Ahead of Peet’s 2025 fall menu rollout, we met with the company to discuss how they can further expand plant-based options and position them more prominently.

Peet’s new fall lineup includes the Cardamom Citrus Cold Brew Oatmilk Latte as a featured drink made with oat milk by default. Peet’s released their 2025 fall menu nationwide on August 21. We’ll continue to engage with Peet’s on expanding default plant-based offerings on future menus.

The national mitigation strategy of Brazil’s climate plan focuses on actions connected to food systems. We suggested stronger targets to expand the land used for growing plant proteins and to support the development of alternative proteins. We also argued that “alternative proteins” should mean only plant-based, fermented, and cell-cultivated products. We developed these recommendations with the Brazilian Vegetarian Society, GFI, ProVeg, and World Animal Protection.

We participated in Abastur, Mexico’s largest and most influential expo for the hotel, restaurant, and catering industry. Held in Mexico City, the event provided an excellent opportunity to engage with key industry leaders and promote the expansion of plant-based options across the hospitality sector.

At the expo, we set up and staffed a highly engaging and informative booth in partnership with the Asociación de Emprendedores Veganos de México (Mexican association of vegan entrepreneurs) and several innovative plant-based brands.

This collaboration enabled us to present a unified front, showcasing the diversity and potential of the plant-based market in Mexico. The team’s primary objectives were to attract attendees, showcase and promote our services, foster business relationships, and enhance brand visibility.

Through culinary demonstrations featuring vegan dressings and baked goods, attendees learned how plant-based options can be both easy to prepare and incredibly appealing.

We renewed our partnership with the city of Sobral and introduced new training programs. In August, we led training sessions that combined classroom learning and hands-on activities to help the city launch the Viver Bem Sobral project, a local initiative focused on improving health and well-being in schools.

A new bill in Brazil threatened the production and sale of plant-based milk by forbidding producers from using the term “milk.” This would have been a major setback for the country’s growing plant-based milk industry. But thanks to advocacy from Mercy For Animals and our partners, the harmful language was removed from the current draft of the bill.

The new language—introduced after an amendment from federal deputy Duda Salabert, drawing on a technical note from Mercy For Animals and The Good Food Institute—allows companies to keep using the word “milk” as long as labels clearly say “dairy-like product.” This important change means consumers will still be able to recognize and choose plant-based milk in Brazil.

After sustained engagement, including meeting with Mercy For Animals, CAVA updated their chicken welfare progress, reporting advancements on almost every component of their Better Chicken Commitment policy. The company shared that significantly improved litter, lighting, enrichments, and floor space have been provided to all chickens in their supply chain and that 35% of these chickens no longer suffer cruel live-shackle slaughter.

We’re excited to announce a new partnership with Accor, Brazil’s largest hotel chain. Together we’re working to make plant-based dining more accessible and appealing across Brazil.

Accor has set an ambitious goal: By 2030, at least 25% of the dishes offered at 300+ hotels in Brazil will be plant-based and low-carbon.

To help Accor achieve this goal, we’ll work with them on a pilot program and lead a four-module, in-person training for chefs and managers focused on plant-based cooking and behavioral “nudges” that encourage guests to choose plant-based meals. We will also provide menu consultation and support to integrate and promote delicious plant-based dishes across Accor’s restaurants.

The Pigs and Public Health Act (PPHA) was reintroduced, marking another step forward in our fight for stronger protections for pigs. Mercy For Animals, as lead of the PPHA coalition, played a central role in advancing this effort.

The bill would establish better handling standards for pigs at every stage of production—on farms, during transport, and at slaughter. Importantly, it creates an online portal for workers, including contractors and employees, to confidentially report violations of animal welfare laws. These reports would be aggregated and published annually, with whistleblowers’ identities protected. Finally, the bill directs the CDC and USDA to issue a joint report on the public health risks posed by downed pigs. Reintroducing the PPHA demonstrates growing momentum toward holding the industry accountable and ensuring a safer, more compassionate food system.

We held a workshop on healthy and sustainable food systems for nutritionists from the Municipal Education Network of Recife. This workshop marks the kickoff of our institutional food policy program’s implementation in the city, where a cooperation agreement is in the final stages of signing.

In an interview with Brasil de Fato, we highlighted how big cattle farms for beef production are causing deforestation and fueling fire cycles in Brazil’s rainforests and savannahs.

Mercy For Animals shared feedback with the federal government in Brazil on many parts of the country’s proposed Food Systems and Climate Framework, a Brazilian government initiative that aims to integrate public policies on food, environment, and climate in order to promote food and nutrition security, reduce hunger, and mitigate the impacts of food systems on climate change.  We pointed out the many environmental and social problems caused by animal farming and suggested actions to encourage a variety of protein sources and more plant-based diets. These changes can help fight climate change, improve food and nutrition security, and reduce the impact of food systems on the planet.

After years of Mercy For Animals outreach, Denny’s added a permanent new vegan menu item at all locations—the Plant-Powered Pancake Slam. We have been encouraging Denny’s to add plant-based entrées since 2019. In 2020, we persuaded the company to publicly commit to adding a new plant-based menu option. At the same time, Denny’s expanded the availability of their Beyond burger. In 2024, our contact left the company, but we continue to engage executives via email, cold calls, and LinkedIn messages.

In an important interview with Brasil de Fato, Mercy For Animals explained that to fight avian flu, we need to address industrial animal farming, which is a major catalyst for disease spread.

After a month-long Mercy For Animals campaign, 7 Brew Coffee announced that they would no longer charge an additional fee for beverages made with plant-based milk. This new policy applies to the rapidly growing company’s 360+ locations across the United States, making compassionate and sustainable options more accessible.

Our motion, An Integrated Approach to Tackling the Climate Emergency That Includes Animal Protection, was approved after getting enough signatures. It recommends that Brazil’s public policies include animal protection as part of climate action, especially in adaptation efforts, following the One Health Approach, which links human health, animal health, and the health of the planet.

Our motion, Promotion of Protein Diversification and Plant-Rich Diets to Face the Climate Emergency, was approved after getting enough signatures. It recommends that Brazil’s public policies encourage eating a variety of proteins and more vegetables through public awareness campaigns, economic incentives, and updated food-buying rules. Although not legally binding, motions approved at the National Environmental Conference carry a lot of weight, since they shape the policy debate and may guide policy decisions.

Mercy For Animals wrote and submitted recommendations for the national mitigation strategy of Brazil’s climate plan. We suggested adding actions to encourage plant-rich diets and more variety in protein sources, including ways to influence what people eat. These changes can help lower greenhouse gas emissions from food and support progress on the UN’s sustainable development goals.

Mercy For Animals gave in-person testimony before the House Joint Committee on Higher Education in support of a bill in Massachusetts that aims to increase access to plant-based protein options in the state’s public institutions. The bill would also integrate plant-based nutrition and cooking into all public culinary training programs, develop voluntary training programs, grant incentives for schools expanding plant-based options, and direct the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to include plant-based nutrition in health and physical education frameworks by 2027.

SLA Management, a foodservice provider for K–12 charter and private schools, has committed to making plant-based meals a central part of their meal program. SLA set a goal for one-third of their menu offerings to be plant-based by the end of 2027, increasing plant-based options by 10% annually starting in fall 2025. This comes after a year of engagement with our team and partner organizations.

Mercy For Animals wrote and submitted recommendations for the national adaptation strategy of Brazil’s climate plan, focusing on the sectoral plans related to food systems. This strategy is a plan to help the country prepare for and handle the impacts of climate change. Our recommendations suggested creating economic, financial, and technical incentives to encourage people to eat more plant-based foods and a variety of proteins. For example, this could include programs to make plant foods more affordable or campaigns to promote them. These changes can help make Brazil’s food system stronger and better able to handle challenges like extreme weather, droughts, and other effects of the climate emergency.

New York has taken bold steps to protect animals and the environment: Legislation to ban octopus farming for human consumption has been officially introduced. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Monica R. Martinez and paired with assembly bill A8043, would make New York one of the first states to take a stand against the cruel and unsustainable octopus-farming industry.

If passed, the law would prohibit any attempts to farm octopuses for food, make it illegal to sell or transport farmed octopus meat, and impose meaningful fines of up to $1,000 per violation each day. These measures send a clear message that New York will not allow this practice to take hold.

This bill is proactive. Currently no octopus farms exist in New York, and this legislation ensures it stays that way. By acting now, lawmakers are protecting sensitive, intelligent animals before an industry built on their suffering can even begin.

Mercy For Animals wrote and submitted recommendations for the Family Agriculture plan under Brazil’s Climate Plan’s National Mitigation Strategy. This plan focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farming. We suggested creating economic, financial, and technical incentives to help small family farms that still raise animals shift to growing plant-based foods. This kind of support can make the transition easier and faster while helping fight climate change.

Mercy For Animals wrote and submitted recommendations for the agriculture section of Brazil’s Sustainable Taxonomy, which is a system that defines what economic activities can be considered sustainable. We suggested that it should include activities that are not only environmentally friendly but also help the food system adapt and stay strong against climate change, like growing beans and legumes. We also recommended that higher animal welfare standards be included, and that farming methods that confine animals more tightly should not be considered sustainable or a good solution for climate change.

After more than a year of conversations with Mercy For Animals, Pret A Manger agreed to add the plant-based Crunchy Miso Mushroom Wrap to their menu. The UK-based food and coffee chain has 68 stores in the United States.

After conversations with Mercy For Animals, the Dancing Crane Cafe at the Bronx Zoo replaced all dairy ice cream on the menu with dairy-free. The cafe also removed meat toppings from all their pizzas and increased the price of beef burgers, making them more expensive than plant-based burgers.

Thanks to persistent pressure from Mercy For Animals, McDonald’s Canada has taken a major leap forward for animals. In 2024, 100% of the chicken the company sourced in Canada was processed using controlled-atmosphere stunning, a slaughter method far less cruel than live shackling. Just one year earlier, only 60% of their supply met this standard.

Mercy For Animals has frequently engaged McDonald’s Canada through emails and calls. By featuring the company in our annual Canada Animal Welfare Scorecard, we’ve held them accountable and encouraged transparent reporting. The chain’s progress shows the power of relentless advocacy—and the progress that’s possible when companies take meaningful steps to alleviate animal suffering.

Metro Inc., one of Canada’s largest grocery retailers, has increased their progress on animal welfare after sustained engagement with Mercy For Animals and regular inclusion in the Canada Animal Welfare Scorecard. Metro reported that all chickens in their supply chain are raised in less crowded conditions, and nearly 80% are no longer slaughtered by the worst method—up from about 63% the year before. Metro’s progress helps raise the bar for chicken welfare across the Canadian grocery sector.

We played a key role in the introduction of Oregon senate bill 80, which would place a moratorium on new and expanding large concentrated animal feeding operations in the state. Over several months, we met with elected officials to educate them on the urgent need for this policy, built support among lawmakers, and secured a co-sponsor. These efforts culminated in the formal introduction of SB 80, a critical step toward protecting Oregon’s environment and communities from the harmful impacts of factory farming.

After conversations with Mercy For Animals, Starbucks added a new plant-based option to their food menu: the Spicy Falafel Pocket.

A groundbreaking law to protect farmed animals is now in effect in Michigan and will eliminate the worst suffering for millions of hens each year while preserving critical protections for thousands of pigs and calves. This success means hens across the state are no longer confined to cages and can finally stretch their wings, perch, and nest—simple but vital behaviors denied them in factory-farming systems.

Mercy For Animals is proud to have been part of the powerful coalition that made this possible. Michigan has banned not only cages for hens but the sale of eggs from caged hens, regardless of where they are produced. This ensures that the protections extend far beyond Michigan’s borders and sends a strong message to the egg industry nationwide.

A new law is now in effect in Colorado: Most eggs sold in the state must come from hens who are free from cages and provided enrichments that allow them to express more-natural behaviors. Thanks to pressure from Mercy For Animals and our supporters, this law is transforming the lives of millions of hens—enabling them to stretch their wings, perch, nest, and dustbathe for the first time.