A small but mighty city in Los Angeles County is showing what forward-thinking plant-based food policy can look like. Earlier this year, the City Council of West Hollywood unanimously passed a resolution requiring that plant-based food be served by default at all city-sponsored events where the city provides food to attendees. Animal products are still available — but now only by request.
It’s a quiet shift in defaults with a loud potential impact, and it’s exactly the kind of policy change Better Food Foundation, Plant Based Treaty, and Mercy for Animals have long championed.
The resolution, formally titled “The Plant-Based Food Policy for City-Sponsored Events,” makes plant-based food the standard offering at meetings, receptions, and public gatherings where the City of West Hollywood provides catering. The policy also prioritizes procurement from local businesses where possible and is reinforced by educational information displayed in food-serving areas, so attendees understand the reasoning behind their meal.
The City Council described the approach as “a tremendously effective yet simple strategy to support people in consuming healthier and more sustainable foods, thereby reducing catering water, land, and carbon footprints.”
That framing matters. This isn’t a ban, and it isn’t asking anyone to give anything up. It’s a recognition that what gets served by default is what most people end up eating — and that public institutions have an opportunity to make the default the option that’s better for human health, the climate, and animals.
Behavioral research has shown again and again that the choices presented as the standard are the choices most people select. When plant-based foods are the headline option rather than an afterthought tucked beside a meat tray, participation skyrockets without anyone feeling pressured.
A factsheet published earlier this year highlights how public food procurement policies — the rules governments use to decide what food they buy and serve — can be one of the most underused levers for building a more sustainable food system. Cities, school districts, hospitals, and government agencies collectively purchase food on a massive scale. Even modest shifts in their defaults ripple outward to producers, suppliers, and the broader culture around eating.
West Hollywood’s policy also acknowledges something often overlooked: current food norms can leave many people out. Attendees with cultural or religious dietary restrictions, those with allergies, and the 30 to 50 million Americans who are lactose intolerant frequently find themselves picking around the menu at events where meat and dairy take center stage. A plant-based default is, among other things, a more inclusive default.
West Hollywood didn’t stop at the procurement policy. The City Council also voted to endorse the Plant Based Treaty, joining a growing list of municipalities pushing for food system change at the policy level. Its neighbor, the City of Los Angeles, became the largest U.S. city to endorse the treaty in 2022. Internationally, capitals such as Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Belfast have also signed on.
In a statement on the West Hollywood vote, the Plant Based Treaty noted: “The unanimous passing of the Plant Based Treaty in West Hollywood, a city known for its progressive policies aimed at creating a better future for its constituents and all life on this planet, marks a significant milestone. Following their groundbreaking policy of default plant-based food procurement, achieved with Mercy For Animals and Better Food Foundation, we are hopeful to see more plant-based policy initiatives.”
We’re proud to have supported this work alongside our partners. Vice Mayor Chelsea Lee Byers spearheaded the resolution, and the policy was made possible by the dedication of advocates, organizers, and council members who recognized that small policy changes can create an outsized impact.
West Hollywood’s resolution is a template. Any city, county, university, or institution that provides food at events can adopt a default plant-based policy tomorrow — without banning anything, without raising costs in many cases, and without asking anyone to change their personal beliefs about food.
If you’d like to see a similar policy where you live, work, or study, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out, share this story with decision-makers in your community, and help us keep the momentum going. Defaults shape diets, diets shape demand, and demand shapes the future of our food system.
West Hollywood Implements Plant-Based Default for City Events
West Hollywood goes vegan by requiring plant-based dishes at all city events.
More Info on Plant-Forward City Policies and Resources for City Advocates.
UCLA student, Sarahjeet Dosanjh, makes plant-based food the default at a campus sustainability career fair.