Spanish and Portuguese premiere of #Powerplant draws full houses
The documentary #Powerplant premiered in Portugal (Porto) as
well as in Spain (Madrid). Both shows drew hundreds of people and were
followed by a question and answer session with Marianne Thieme, the
leader of the Dutch Party for the Animals and also one of the leading
figures in the documentary. The show was co-organised by the Portuguese and Spanish parties for animal rights and sustainability: PAN and PACMA. Thieme: “We are working on a food revolution in which the problems of the planet will no longer be our food for thought.”
The message of #Powerplant: veganism will not only save the planet, but is quite nice and delicious too. On top of that, vegetable food is becoming more and more mainstream: even big players like Ikea and Unilever are now going for veganism, the younger generation is growing up with it and renowned scientists and institutions speak out loud and clear that the transition to a plant-based society is indispensable.
The fact that this message strongly resonates in Spain and Portugal too was clearly reflected by the high turnout and the enthusiasm of the public. During the Q&A following the film, the guests could speak with Marianne Thieme, who takes the viewer along in #PowerPlant in the growing support for a different food system.
In Porto, Marianne was accompanied by her Portuguese colleague and PAN’s leading candidate for the elections of the European Parliament (EP), Francisco Guerreiro: “The EU spends around 20% of its budget – our tax money – on the destructive livestock industry. To keep our planet liveable, we must invest that money into sustainable, plant-based agriculture. We are going to fight for this in the European Parliament, together with our European sister parties, united in Animal Politics EU.”
The Q&A session in Madrid was a lively discussion between Thieme, Silvia Barquero – the leader of the Spanish animal rights party PACMA – and the audience. Barquero: “To stop climate change we must be aware of the largest emission source: the livestock industry. An industry that is cruel to animals, harmful for our health, and lethal for the environment. Now is the time to stop all subsidies to the livestock industry and to invest in sustainable agriculture that feeds our planet instead of depleting it. This will be our mission in the European Parliament.”