ProVeg backs recommendations for stronger role for plant-based foods
An advisory body to the German Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity has published a report that calls for the stronger promotion of plant-based food and other alternative protein sources.
The report, called “More choice at the table: Alternatives to animal-based products as a contribution to a more sustainable food consumption”, has been published by the Scientific Advisory Board for Agricultural Policy, Food and Consumer Health (WBAE).
The WBAE recommends actively promoting plant-based, precision-fermented and cultivated alternative products over animal-based foods in order to make it easier for people to have a more sustainable diet. To achieve this, the report calls for the creation of fair competitive conditions, targeted innovation support and transparency for consumers.
ProVeg Germany backs the WBAE’s report as a major step towards the goal of promoting sustainable alternative proteins – a goal which has already been set out in an agreement signed by Germany’s coalition Government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“Plant-based alternatives make it easier for people to change their everyday habits,” Simon Handschuh, Policy Expert at ProVeg Germany, said.
“They offer a low-threshold bridge to a more comprehensive plant-based diet, which has benefits for both personal health and the climate. So we very much welcome the German scientific body’s recommendations,” Handschuh added.
Reduce VAT on plant-based milk alternatives
ProVeg points out that one way of promoting plant-based foods would be by reducing the VAT on plant-based milk alternatives. These are currently taxed at 19%, compared to only 7% on cow’s milk.
Food retailer REWE and manufacturers vly, Berief and Oatly have launched a joint petition to equalise the VAT rate. ProVeg supports the initiative as a forward-looking food policy.
“Aligning VAT on plant-based milk alternatives with that of their animal counterparts, as is already the case in Portugal and France, would be a major step towards the goal of promoting alternative proteins set out in the coalition agreement,” Handschuh said.
Focus on communal catering instead of the degree of processing
The members of the advisory board see particular potential in communal catering and recommend that more fortified plant-based alternatives be integrated into menus.
For example, plant-based milk alternatives can be an adequate substitute for cow’s milk if they are enriched with calcium, iodine, vitamin B2 and B12. These can contribute to a fair food environment and improved nutrition for vulnerable groups such as older people, children and young people.
Like the WBAE, ProVeg advises differentiation in the debate on the degree of food processing. It is not the degree of processing that determines the health benefits of a product, but rather its nutrient content. The Nutri-Score system can serve as a useful guide for consumers and creates transparency.
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Notes to Editors
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For scientific data about the benefits of plant-based eating, see our Food System Data website.
About ProVeg International
ProVeg International is a food awareness organisation with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040. Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet.
