- Civil society groups want supermarkets to drive plant-rich sales across Europe.
- More than 25 groups from 12 countries join the call to ‘measure, disclose, target and act’ at Berlin event, which draws representatives from major Euro supermarket groups.
Berlin
European civil society groups have launched a joint call for supermarkets to drive healthier, more sustainable food choices by rebalancing their plant and animal-source food sales in line with the Eat-Lancet Commission Planetary Health Diet (PHD).
A total of 24 health, environmental and consumer organizations from across Europe have so far signed up to the ‘Plant-Rich Europe’ call, launched in Berlin at the ‘What’s in Store: Retail & the Future of Protein’ summit on Friday 24 April.
The call, initiated by Madre Brava, ProVeg International, World Resources Institute and WWF, says retailers must measure, disclose, set targets and take action to rebalance the proportion of plant and animal food sales.
The founding group calculated that, to stay on track to meet the goal of 75% of food sales being plant-based by 2050 (the PHD target), plants need to make up at least 60% of food sales by European supermarkets by 2035.
The main shift needs to happen in the protein-source and dairy food groups. Protein-source food sales should be at least 33% plant-based (beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, for example) by 2035. Sales within the dairy category should be no more than 29% of all foods by 2035.
The event in Berlin, where the call was launched, drew representatives of retailers from across Europe, including Ahold Delhaize from the Netherlands, Rewe and Lidl from Germany, Tesco from the UK, and Migros from Switzerland.
Mariella Meyer, Senior Manager, Corporate Sustainability at WWF Switzerland, said: “This is a clear, united call from civil society, asking supermarkets to act now in a way that will provide their customers with healthy, affordable food and bring down the sector’s emissions.”
The groups say supermarkets must enable more plant-rich diets because:
- Supermarkets are powerful gatekeepers of food environments, shaping what people buy and eat through product availability, pricing, placement and promotions – and therefore have decisive influence on dietary patterns.
- Shifting diets towards plant-rich foods is essential to meet climate, nature and health goals, and current consumption of animal‑based foods in many European countries exceeds both health recommendations and planetary boundaries.
- Supermarkets themselves face growing business and supply‑chain risks from continued reliance on animal‑based foods, including climate volatility, land and water constraints, and failure to meet science‑based climate and nature targets. This makes plant‑rich sales a core resilience and risk‑management strategy, not just a consumer choice issue.
- On top of the climate, nature and health benefits, more plants and less meat and dairy represents an economic buffer for vulnerable families hit hard by the cost of living crisis.
“This call shows the consensus among civil society groups on the importance of the issue for planetary and human health, as well as strong agreement on who is best placed to act. It’s clear there is a huge appetite for action and great interest in being part of the solution,” said Nico Muzi, Chief Programs Officer at Madre Brava
“Civil society groups are challenging the supermarkets, but we’re also saying ‘we can support you in this shift’.”
END
Contact details for press officers:
Gemma Chapman, ProVeg International, [email protected]
Jon Bennett, Madre Brava, [email protected], 07738 298000
Notes to editors
Details of the call to action and civil society signatories can be found here: Plant-Rich Europe: A Joint Path for Retailers and Society.
Plant-Rich Europe is a joint initiative from Madre Brava, ProVeg International, WRI and WWF.
The call is being presented at a two-day event in Berlin – What’s in Store: Retail & the Future of Protein – which concludes Friday, 24 April, and brings together retailers, CSOs, policy experts and academics.
About ProVeg International
Our vision is a world where the food we eat is good for all people, animals, and our planet.
Our mission is to accelerate the transition to a sustainable global food system by making plant-rich foods and alternative proteins more accessible and appealing.
