A coalition of civil society groups and businesses have launched a new organization, the Plant-based Food Alliance UK, to act as a voice for Britain’s growing plant-based food and drink sector. 

Backed by Alpro, Oatly, ProVeg UK, Upfield and The Vegan Society, the Alliance aims to make the UK a global leader in plant-based food and drink.

People-powered transition 
“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 see in every demographic of the population,” says Marisa Heath, CEO of the Alliance. 

“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.”

Backed by Alpro, Oatly, ProVeg UK, Upfield and The Vegan Society, the Alliance aims to  make the UK a global leader in plant-based food and drink.“Preparing now for the shift toward plant-based foods will also shore up our national food security for future generations.”

The government’s forthcoming Food Strategy White Paper presents an opportunity to build on the consumer-led shift toward plant-based food and drinks, with a quarter of the UK population already describing themselves as flexitarians.

Earlier this week, Anna Taylor, executive director at The Food Foundation, said that international events such as COP26 and the Nutrition for Growth summit present an opportunity for industry to develop new global commitments. 

Addressing the white paper and COP26, Heath says that 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,” she notes. 

“Plant-based food and drink offer opportunities to every part of the UK food supply chain, including consumers, farmers, producers, retailers and exporters. We look forward to making the most of this potential,” adds Heath. 

Plant-based lifestyles win over consumers
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 also be campaigning for:

• Transparent environmental labeling of food and drink products so that 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.

In line with Innova Market Insights’ number two trend for 2022, “Plant-based: The Canvas for Innovation,” consumers consider plant-based alternatives to be healthier and better for the planet.

With personal health and global sustainability proving to be strong drivers of consumer choice, plant-based R&D has refocused from mimicking meat, fish and dairy to optimizing and diversifying options.

A third reason, the desire for diet variation, further boosts interest in plant-based beyond the traditional vegan and vegetarian sectors, leading to a 59% increase in launches of new plant-based products in the year to August 2021.

Earlier this week, the Good Food Institute (GFI) addressed the implications of part one of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Sixth Assessment Report, while highlighting opportunities for alternative proteins to mitigate climate impacts.

The GFI was also recently awarded US$5 million to boost research into alternative proteins – a “powerful and scalable climate solution” that lacks critical funding.