New plant-based food alliance launches to champion the vegan sector

October 20, 2021 –
From Vegan Food And Living

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A coalition of civil society groups and plant-based food and drink businesses has launched a new organisation, the Plant-based Food Alliance UK.

The Plant-based Food Alliance UK has launched to be a voice for Britain’s growing plant-based food and drink sector and to promote the potential of plant-based foods across every part of the food value chain.

The alliance is backed by Alpro, Oatly, ProVeg UK, Upfield, and The Vegan Society and expects to expand rapidly.

Speaking about the launch, the alliance’s CEO Marissa Heath says: “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.

“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 aim of the Plant-based Food Alliance UK

The alliance aims to make the UK a global leader in plant-based food and drink.

To achieve this, it will be developing a UK Plant-based Food Charter to outline how businesses and Government can cooperate to support the uptake in plant-based diets.

Additionally, the alliance will campaign 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.

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.”

Feeling inspired? Read more about how going vegan impacts the environment and our health.

Source: Veganfoodandliving.com