The UN has marked today as the International Day of Plant Health (IDPH). Today we highlight the importance of plants and why we need to play an important part in the upkeep of our environment. This international day was adopted by the UN General Assembly, in order to raise global awareness on the issues of plant health, including seed health, as the foundation for all life on earth.

Both our wellbeing and the strength of our planet rely upon plants. As plants make up 80% of the food we consume and 98% of the oxygen we breathe, however, they are in danger. Which is impacting both food security and agriculture business, the primary source of revenue for endangered rural environments.

IDPH is significant to us here at Friends House as it aligns with our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) priorities. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a ‘blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all’ implemented by the United Nations General Assembly. We have implemented a number of practices that help us in achieving our 5 core SDGs, such as Life on Land; Responsible Consumption & Production; Climate Action. For more information on our Sustainable Development Goals read here.

As part of our catering partnership with Hubbub Catering London, we have developed the ‘Plant the Difference’ menu. A 100% plant-based, sustainable, healthy and delicious meal. For every 50 guests, this menu is ordered for, we will plant a tree. This initiative is dear to our core values as we aim to implement sustainable practices in order to care for our planet.

The world needs healthy plants as healthy plants can help to end hunger, decrease poverty and protect the environment in which we live. We believe we can all play a small role in implementing sustainable practices to protect our planet.