Key insights from the New Food Conference 2024
By Gemma Tadman, Business Communications Manager, ProVeg International
There is an urgent need for the food industry to adapt and innovate. As our global population grows and protein consumption increases, we must learn how to make our food system more sustainable. On 3 September, I attended the insightful ProVeg New Food Conference, where industry leaders, innovators, and thinkers came together to discuss this very topic.
The day was packed with valuable insights, thought-provoking discussions, and actionable strategies to tackle future challenges of food production and consumption.
Here are five key insights from the New Food Conference that stood out, showcasing the evolving landscape of alt-proteins and the role we all must play in shaping a more sustainable food system.
1. We must support farmers in the protein transition
The shift toward plant-based and alternative proteins cannot happen in isolation – it must involve collaboration between retailers, brands, governments, farmers, and other food industry stakeholders.
As Jack Vera, Counsellor for Agriculture, fisheries, food security and nature at the embassy of Germany highlighted during the conference, farmers are the key to a successful transition. However, they need support in navigating the complexities of shifting from animal-based to plant-based protein production.
This includes helping them to understand how to grow new protein crops, providing fair, long-term contracts for their produce, assisting them in the creation of peer networks, and building the infrastructure required for a smooth protein transition.
“We must remember that farmers already have many risks outside of their control. To encourage them in the protein transition, we must keep additional risks at a minimum. We need to combat the risks that come with climate change and weather events by creating systems like cooperatives and fair contracts to ensure more long-term planning for farmers. Retailers should work with them in this.”
“For change to happen, every part of the value chain needs to take a step away from business as usual, and make real relationships of trust and understanding.”
The success of the protein shift depends on all stakeholders working together to ensure that the transition is not just sustainable but also economically viable for the farmers who are the backbone of the global food system.
2. We must shift the narrative from sustainability to food security
While sustainability remains an essential goal, when communicating with policymakers about alt-proteins, the focus should increasingly shift toward food security. Ivo Rzegotta of GFI Europe pointed out that the narrative around alternative proteins is evolving. Policymakers are more receptive to messages around food security, which highlights the importance of resilient food systems and reducing dependence on fragile supply chains.
“The alternative protein industry faces pressure from policymakers, like naming bans, cellular agriculture bans, etc. With all this, we need to adjust our messaging. We should take a more holistic view that emphasises food security, as well as the economic benefits and role of farmers.”
This approach taps into the urgency of ensuring that as populations grow, everyone has access to affordable, nutritious, and plentiful food. It’s a powerful framing that positions alt-proteins as part of the solution to global food challenges, moving beyond environmental concerns alone.
Read more about food justice and security here.
3. Retailers must be more accountable for their role in the food system
The role of retailers in the transition to alternative proteins was a recurring theme at the conference. With their enormous influence over consumer choices, retailers have a responsibility to become more accountable for promoting sustainable and ethical food systems. The consensus was that it is no longer enough for retailers to simply offer plant-based alternatives; they need to play an active role in shaping consumer demand and preferences.
Dr Gereon Schulze Althoff of Tonnies Group and other panellists emphasised that retailers can do more by increasing the visibility of alt-protein products, offering better shelf placement, educating consumers about the benefits of alt-proteins, and increasing the ratio of plant-based products in comparison to animal-based products. Protein trackers can be used to set targets for and measure a retailer’s ratio of plant-based products.
“Most retailers have sustainability policy goals,” Schulze Althoff said, “but we need targets on protein splits. And we need a joint protein tracker methodology as there are multiple in action.”
ProVeg’s Protein Tracker can offer retailers a solution to tracking protein splits. Find out more here.
Supermarkets’ role in lowering the cost of plant-based products was also highlighted. Marion Hochli of Planted explained that price parity initiatives can be implemented in stores to reduce the cost of plant-based products and increase sales. For example, in 2023 Lidl Germany implemented a price parity pledge among their own-brand Vemondo range, price matching them with equivalent animal-based products. This price adjustment saw a 30% boost in plant-based sales. Other European retailers have since followed suit, making plant-based options more affordable and thus, more attractive to consumers.
“It is super important that we reach price parity with animal-based meat in the next five years. However, we also need to be careful with what we compare it with, because the true cost of meat is not transparent on shelves.”
Retailers should see themselves as drivers of change, helping to scale the market for sustainable products and reducing barriers for consumers looking to make more conscious choices.
4. Product communication should favour taste, texture, and experience over nutrition and sustainability
A major takeaway from the conference was the importance of prioritising taste, texture, and experience when marketing plant-based products. While nutrition and sustainability are desirable aspects (and key motivators), consumers ultimately want products that are delicious and satisfying above all else. A great example of this is Hands Off Chocolate, which successfully transitioned to fully plant-based (to improve sustainability) without losing customers, by focusing on flavour and indulgence to maintain consumer loyalty.
Lukas Neus of Kitchen Town shared similar insights, explaining that silent transitions – where ingredients are swapped without fanfare – can be successful if the taste and texture are uncompromised. Consumers are more likely to stick with plant-based alternatives if they don’t feel like they’re sacrificing the quality of their eating experience. Therefore, marketing strategies should soft-pedal sustainability and health benefits in favour of promoting the sensory pleasures of the product.
“Consumers can read health messages as taste sacrifices! We need to be careful of that.”
“[At Redefine Meat] we’re trying to reach those deniers and the reachable using meaty brand language – you have to speak a different language to them. We’re not talking about sustainability or veganism, it’s about taste and being as ‘normal’ as the animal version. Consumers have too many things on their minds already, they don’t want more from their food! So we must make it about the taste.”
5. We need to focus on producing better (not more) products
The final key insight from the conference was that the alternative protein industry needs to prioritise producing better products – tastier, healthier, and more innovative, over producing more of the same thing or scaling up. As Edwin Bark of Redefine Meat noted, while there is growing consumer interest in plant-based products, the industry must focus on quality to ensure long-term success. It’s not enough to flood the market with a wide variety of options; consumers will gravitate toward products that offer superior taste and texture.
“People will stay away for a year if they have a bad experience. You need to bring a quality that allows the triers to stay.”
Diego Pacheco of Novameat reinforced this point, emphasising that taste remains the top factor for consumers. Even the healthiest product will struggle if it doesn’t taste good. The industry should continue to invest in R&D to improve the sensory aspects of alternative proteins, ensuring that the products are both nutritionally sound and indulgent. Brands must achieve high quality products before they tackle the challenge of scaling them up.
Diego’s point rang home that the plant-based boom isn’t over, as some industries or media outlets might want the public to believe. We’ve just reached a phase of market saturation where lots of the same types of products are available – and only the truly delicious products are winning over consumers. Therefore, to take the plant-based market to the next level and continue its growth we must produce better products, not more of the same in type or quality.
“Taste is king, texture is queen.”
Actionable insights and conclusion
The New Food Conference 2024 provided a roadmap for the future of alternative proteins, with clear actionable insights for the industry:
Collaborate with farmers: Support the farming community through education, financial incentives, fair, long-term contracts, and infrastructure to ensure a smooth protein transition.
Frame policy conversations around food security: Shift the dialogue with policymakers from sustainability to food security, highlighting the need for resilient food systems.
Retailer accountability: Retailers must play a proactive role in facilitating the transition to alternative proteins, from consumer education to tracking their in-store protein split.
Focus on taste and experience: When communicating with consumers, prioritise taste, texture, and the overall eating experience over health and sustainability claims.
Invest in quality: Continue to improve the quality of alternative protein products, focusing on taste, texture, and nutrition to ensure consumer satisfaction and market growth.
As the alt-protein sector continues to grow, the focus must remain on collaboration, innovation, and consumer experience. The journey toward a more sustainable and secure food system is a collective effort, and these key insights from the New Food Conference 2024 offer a clear direction for how we can move forward.
For more support on your alternative protein strategy, get in touch with our experts at [email protected].
Gemma Tadman
Business Communications Manager
