Exactly five years ago today, ProVeg International was established in Berlin, Germany. Since then, the organisation has grown by leaps and bounds. We are now active in ten countries, with more than 200 team members worldwide, and a whole lot of accomplishments under our belt.

On this fifth anniversary of the founding of ProVeg, we look back on the organisation’s achievements and recommit to our mission of reducing global animal consumption by 50% by 2040. And, of course, we also want to say a big thank you to you for your support. It’s only with the help of people like you that we can look back over these last five years of plant-based successes!

You helped make ProVeg a pioneer in the global plant-based sector

Dairy censorship, veggie-burger bans, advocating for the end of the promotion of meat and dairy: the last few years have been dominated by the important political work of lobbying in defence and support of the plant-based sector. With numerous campaigns in different countries, our presence at the COP world climate conferences, and various appeals to the European Union, we lobbied and petitioned for policies that advance food-systems change. 

You helped increase the availability of plant-based alternatives

Tasty plant-based alternatives can be found in every supermarket today, thanks, in part, to the activities of ProVeg. For example, the ProVeg Incubator has supported more than 70 startups so far, with the resulting products now available at more than 15,000 points of sale. Moreover, the V-label has been hugely successful in certifying products in the food-service sector, with 30% of all V-Label-certified vegan and vegetarian products worldwide and 40% of all V-Label-certified companies certified by ProVeg. In addition to a growing number of products, sales of plant-based alternatives are also increasing every year. This is all made possible by supporters like you!

You helped advance awareness about the health benefits of plant-based diets

It is now widely recognised that a plant-based diet has numerous advantages over a diet that is rich in animal-based products, with more and more medical professionals and nutritionists advocating the health benefits of plant-based eating.

At VegMed, Europe’s leading scientific congress on medicine and plant-based nutrition, experts explore the role of nutrition in preventing diseases and healing the body. Healthcare facilities are also rethinking things: in 2021, Klüh Catering was awarded the Frankfurt Prize for its ‘Pflanzenkraft’ vegan-and-vegetarian menu line for hospitals, which was developed in partnership with ProVeg Germany. In addition, ProVeg supports commercial-catering kitchens and canteens in the development and implementation of healthy plant-based recipes.

You helped to build a fairer world

A plant-based diet can help us move towards a world where more people are fed and the food system is fairer and more efficient. Following the Planetary Health Diet, we launched Planetary Health Mensa. With this project, we support student unions and dining halls in adding delicious, healthy, and sustainable food options to their menus. We have also launched our School Plates Programme in the UK, which aims to make school food in the UK healthier and more sustainable. So far, this has resulted in more than 5 million meals in the UK being switched from meat-based to meat-free or plant-based in the UK.

On a political level, we are actively advocating for the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, which aims to strengthen climate and biodiversity protection in European agriculture, and promotes, among other things, the cultivation of alternative proteins and plant-based eating. In this way, Farm to Fork aims to ensure stable food systems and safeguard harvests, with the long-term goal of making our food system more resilient to wars, pandemics, and the climate crisis.

You’re helping to protect the environment

A plant-based diet also has numerous positive effects on the environment. It can mitigate the climate crisis, while helping to preserve biodiversity and conserve resources.

Thanks to your ongoing support, we were able to maintain a strong presence at the annual UN climate-change conference and engage with global policy makers, pushing for the inclusion of food systems in the global climate-change agenda. 

We have also started the global Diet Change Not Climate Change campaign. The campaign encourages people to pledge to reduce their carbon footprint through their diet and inspire others to take action. The DCNCC also has a Youth Board that consists of 10 young activists from around the world with a burning passion for the environment. The board provides a strong voice for young people and spreads the DCNCC message about the connection between our food systems and climate change.

You help protect sentient beings

A plant-based diet reduces animal suffering. Thanks to the growing selection of plant-based meat, egg, and dairy alternatives, as well as numerous delicious vegan recipes on instagram and other social-media platforms, making the switch is becoming increasingly easy. Our very own Veggie Challenge has reached nearly half a million individuals and teams at work to challenge themselves and support each other on their journey to reducing and replacing animal products through our great app.

The online Veggie Challenge campaign accompanies participants for 30 days, providing them with information, recipes and a personal online coach. So far, 474,750 people have taken part in the challenge, collectively avoiding the slaughter of 949,500 animals, as well as saving 29.6 million kg CO₂-eq, 18.5 million litres of water, and 3,788 km² of land.

Our gift to you: The best recipes for every occasion!

We’ve packed the best of our recipes from the last five years into a single ebook. From plant-based sushi to seitan steaks with a pepper crust to chocolate chia pudding with strawberry compote, there’s something for everyone. 

Plus, the ebook contains a special highlight: the plant-based Black Forest Cake was created especially for this ebook on the occasion of ProVeg’s 5th anniversary.

We are better positioned than ever

Today, ProVeg is active in 10 countries on four continents. ProVeg has Permanent Observer status to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), is accredited to the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), and has received the United Nations Momentum for Change Award for its Delicious Food for All program.

With more than 200 employees and numerous supporters, every day we are working to move closer to our mission of reducing global animal consumption by 50% by 2040.

We hope that you enjoyed this small selection of highlights from the last few years. Please consider supporting us with a donation so that we can make the next five years even more effective.

5 for 5! Donate €5 for 5 years of ProVeg

Your support will help us to achieve our vision of a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all people, animals, and our planet. For this, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Please help us to continue our magnificent work in the years to come. Only through the generosity of supporters like you can we stay independent and push the plant-based movement forward.