Fact Check: WEF did not caution govts on banning homegrown plants to check global warming
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international organisation for public-private cooperation. It provides a global and impartial platform for connecting
WEF
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international organisation for public-private cooperation. It provides a global and impartial platform for connecting stakeholders to build initiatives for cooperation and progress. It works hard to bring individuals, and political and business leaders each year to discuss significant issues that impact the global economy.
Recently, a social media post circulated with the claim that the World Economic Forum is demanding the governments enforce a ban on the public on growing their own food at home because the homegrown food emissions allegedly causing global warming.
The X post shared a link from a website named Slay News which published an article on October 6, 2024, with the title WEF demands ban on home–grown food to stop “Global Warming”. The article claims that the WEF argued that homegrown food creates emissions that allegedly cause global warming. ‘According to so-called “experts” behind a recent WEF study, researchers apparently discovered that the “carbon footprint” of home-grown food is “destroying the planet.”
As a result, the WEF and other globalist climate zealots are now demanding that governments intervene and ban individuals from growing their own food in order to “save the planet” from “global warming.” Globalists insist that allowing citizens to grow their own food will undermine efforts to meet the goals of the “Net Zero” agenda as dedicated by the WEF and the United Nations (UN)’
Fact Check:
The claim is False. The WEF did not make any such demand.
When we searched for any reports on the statement of WEF in the mainstream media, we did not find any records confirming this claim.
When we searched using the keywords ‘World Economic Forum + house plants” we found a few articles published on the website of WEF advocating the growth of house plants.
An article published on August 5, 2022, in collaboration with ‘The Conversation’ with the title ‘Houseplants can improve your mental health and well being, states that houseplants improve air quality, which can benefit our cognitive performance – something that is especially important for people who are inside all day. Gardening also reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety and increases positive emotions to the same extent as biking, walking, and eating out. Many of these outcomes are likely to be true of houseplants too.
We also found a video report that states as per research, houseplants can improve indoor air quality.
When we searched for WEF publications about carbon emissions, we found an article about carbon budgets and how to make them ‘net-zero’. The article states that carbon budgets measure how much CO₂ is produced by industry, homes, and all other parts of the economy to calculate how much emissions must be cut in the future. The aim is to reach net-zero emissions – striking an equal balance between the carbon released into the atmosphere and that removed from it.
In fact, we found a report published on WEF which advocates that a resilient global food system can be built by using a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder approach where the governments, private sectors, and also individuals needed to play key roles in the proper production and distribution of the food. Everyone needs to take tangible steps towards a world where safe, nutritious food is accessible to all.
A similar claim was debunked by other fact-checking organizations. Factly debunked this claim in February 2024. Therefore, the claim that WEF demanded governments of various countries to ban the growth of houseplants is False. The WEF made no such statement.