A coalition of civil society groups and businesses, including The Vegan Society, is today launching a new organisation, the Plant-based Food Alliance UK, to act as a voice for Britain’s growing plant-based food and drink sector.
Backed by the Society, Alpro, Oatly, ProVeg UK and Upfield, the Alliance is being formed with the aim of helping to make the UK a global leader in plant-based food and drink.
Speaking on the launch of the Alliance, Marisa Heath, CEO, said: “We’re already seeing people introducing more and more plant-based meals into their diets, driven by a desire to improve their health and to reduce the environmental impact of their food choices. This is a change we’re seeing in every demographic of the population. We have an exciting opportunity to support this people-powered transition to a more sustainable, healthier food system, and to attract more innovation and investment in the UK as we do so. Preparing now for the shift towards plant-based foods will also shore up our national food security for future generations.”
Speaking about COP26 and the upcoming Food Strategy White Paper, Marisa Heath said: “With food systems accounting for one-third of greenhouse gas emissions globally, leaders gathering at the COP26 Summit cannot afford to ignore this shift. We need to see plans put in place for making our food choices more sustainable, and plant-based foods are the most impactful way of achieving this. The Government’s forthcoming Food Strategy White Paper presents an opportunity to build on the consumer-led shift towards plant-based food and drinks, with a quarter of the UK population already describing themselves as flexitarians.”
“Plant-based food and drink offers opportunities to every part of the UK food supply chain, including consumers, farmers, producers, retailers, and exporters. We look forward to working together with businesses and the Government to make the most of this potential.”
The Alliance, which is expecting to expand rapidly, will be developing a UK Plant-based Food Charter to outline how businesses and Government can work together to support the uptake in plant-based diets. Among the things, the Alliance will be campaigning for:
- Transparent environmental labelling of food and drink products, so consumers can understand the relative benefits of plant-based compared to animal-based options.
- Public health campaigns to explain the health and environmental benefits of plant-based meals, and how people can introduce more plant-based food and drink into their diets.
- Support for farmers to help them transition to meet the growing demand for plant-based foods.
For more information, please visit the Plant-based Food Alliance UK’s website.
