SÃO PAULO—Animal protection organization Humane World for Animals Brasil joined the international hospitality company Accor, for a roundtable discussion entitled “The menu of the future: Are you ready to serve it?,” at Accor’s internal F&B Academy, an educational program for employees working in the food and beverage sector at the company’s hotels. Held at the Grand Mercure São Paulo Ibirapuera, in São Paulo, the event brought together nearly 300 Accor employees from different regions in the country. The program reflected Accor’s plant-forward gastronomic approach and focused on pathways toward more responsible food, including greater focus on animal welfare, waste reduction and prioritization of plant-based ingredients.
At the roundtable event, Paula Duarte, corporate engagement specialist at Humane World for Animals, discussed the role of animal welfare in purchasing decisions and corporate strategies in the food and hospitality sectors, as well as opportunities to expand the presence and appeal of plant-based options on menus.
“The changes we hope to encourage require sincere dialogue with companies to identify viable paths for progress and to show that it is possible to reconcile animal welfare, sustainability and attractive gastronomic experiences for consumers, Animal welfare needs to be considered an integral part of the sustainability strategies of food and hospitality companies. By incorporating this topic into purchasing decisions and establishing commitments for their supply chains, companies can contribute to concrete advances in animals’ living conditions and to the transformation of food systems.”
In June 2025, Accor announced its Corporate Animal Welfare Policy for the Americas, with guidelines aimed at promoting more responsible practices in its operations and supply chains. In the food area, supplier selection now takes into account management practices and the living conditions of animals raised for consumption. Planned measures include gradually phasing out shell and liquid eggs from hens confined in cages and purchasing meat from pigs raised for food from collective gestation systems, prioritizing the free-farrowing model.
“This is an opportunity to make food systems more sustainable, both through the diversification of menus and through attention to the origin of foods and the conditions in which animals are raised. Corporate animal welfare policies and responsible sourcing practices are fundamental to guide these choices. At the same time, it is important that plant-based options spark the interest of different audiences, valuing flavor, variety and the dining experience, and are not seen merely as an alternative for those who already follow a vegetarian diet,” says Antonietta Varlese, senior vice president of communications, sustainability and institutional relations at Accor Americas.
Accor Hotels Brazil
Recent steps taken by Accor helped to shape the roundtable agenda. In June 2025, Accor announced its Corporate Animal Welfare Policy for the Americas, with guidelines aimed at promoting more responsible practices in its operations and supply chains. In the food area, supplier selection now takes into account management practices and the living conditions of animals raised for consumption. Planned measures include gradually phasing out shell and liquid eggs from hens confined in cages and purchasing meat from pigs raised for food from collective gestation systems, prioritizing the free-farrowing model.
Other roundtable participants included Alcione Pereira, founder of Connecting Food, and Marrie Tarrisse, head of sustainability at Arcos Dorados, who shared their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for transforming food practices in large-scale operations with significant potential for impact.
Humane World for Animals works globally to persuade corporations, financial institutions, food service companies, governments and farmers to eliminate the worst practices of industrial animal agriculture that subject the greatest number of animals to the longest duration of suffering, including intensive confinement. The organization’s work is global, with farmed animal welfare teams in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the European Union, India, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Viet Nam. Humane World for Animals also promotes a shift toward a more plant-forward, climate-friendly global food system by providing culinary resources and training to institutions serving millions of meals daily and advocating for policy change at national and international levels.
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