Policy
New alliance calls for plant-based foods to be at the core of EU Food Policy
Proveg International is proud to be a founding member of the European Alliance for Plant-based Foods (EAPF), which is launching today. Along with other NGOs, the private sector, and the scientific community, ProVeg is helping to realise the European Commission‘s ambitions of a sustainable food system that is “good for the people and the planet”. The multi-stakeholder coalition is concerned with the same plant-based value chain as ProVeg‘s network of stakeholders, and aims to build a sustainable food system in which plant-based foods take the leading role.
“European consumer preferences for healthier and more sustainable diets have substantially increased the demand for plant-based foods across member countries. The EAPF supports this positive development and advocates for better regulations for plant-based food products, making it easier for consumers to choose healthy and sustainable foods. ProVeg is proud to play an active role in the alliance. It directly connects our corporate partners and consumer networks to policy and communications efforts at an EU level. It is a win-win-win scenario for people, the planet, and plant-based food producers,” said Verena Wiederkehr, International Head of Food Industry & Retail at ProVeg International.
The EAPF brings together Proveg International and other NGOs (including the Good Food Institute Europe and World Animal Protection), as well as the private sector (including Upfield, Oatly, Nestlé, Beyond Meat, Heura Foods, and the European Margarine Association) and the scientific community (the European Medical Association), with more members intending to join over the coming months. Our joint mission is to place plant-based foods at the heart of the transition towards more sustainable and healthy food systems.
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For a better world presented by plant-based foods
The European Commission acknowledges the importance of plant-based diets in the agrifood transition. As the Alliance’s Secretary General, Siska Pottie, stated:
“To drive and accelerate the transition towards more plant-based diets with sustained success, it is important to join efforts and means. The European Alliance for Plant-based Foods is a multi-stakeholder coalition of the willing, who believe that only by acting together can we seize the potential and opportunities for a better world presented by plant-based foods.”
The EAPF has already undertaken its first action – addressing the issue of the labelling of plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products. By mobilising its multi-stakeholder network, the EAPF has gathered over 35 organisations around a joint letter calling for the rejection of potential bans on the use of meat- and dairy-related names for plant-based products. The proposals are currently under discussion as part of the revision of the Common Market Organisation Regulation, and will be discussed during the European Parliament Plenary session, which takes place in the third week of October.
The EAPF calls on the EU to enable consumers to make well-informed and conscious choices about their diets and the foods they eat. This requires a level playing field for plant-based foods in order to access the EU market.
We encourage organisations that share EAPF’s mission and goals to join the effort and help to make the Farm to Fork Strategy a reality.
Open letter to the European commission
ProVeg International has joined a group of civil society organisations in writing an open letter to the European Commission’s Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (CHAFEA), supporting the agency’s review of the EU promotion programme for agricultural products.
