Europe is pushing innovation and the UK needs to catch up, says ProVeg
ProVeg UK has today published a policy briefing that highlights how European countries are steaming ahead of the UK with the promotion of healthy, climate-friendly food.
However, ProVeg argues in its briefing published today, called “Rebalancing Our Plates; Policy Innovations for a Good Food Cycle”, that the UK government’s newly-announced “Good Food Cycle” national food strategy presents a generational opportunity for the UK to catch up. The briefing details how the UK can lead on promoting plant-based food to meet the challenges around climate change, the National Health Service (NHS) as well as food security.
In Europe, German dietary guidelines already recommend upper limits for meat, whilst the neighbouring Netherlands is encouraging supermarkets to increase their plant-based protein sales, and Spain has passed legislation that requires greater provision of plant-based foods in schools.
Rising above the European crowd is Denmark, which, nearly two years ago, published the world’s first comprehensive Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods that promotes plant-based food production and consumption in one coherent policy.
The ProVeg briefing takes these examples to show how the UK can adopt these best practice approaches to make the food system more sustainable and healthy and incorporate them into the “Good Food Cycle” strategy, which seeks to curb diet-related problems and tackle the challenge of climate change.
“The government’s Good Food Cycle is a golden opportunity to promote plant-rich diets for health and sustainability, and the UK needs to seize this opportunity,” Julian Cottee, Senior Corporate Engagement Manager at ProVeg, said.
“The strategy is attempting to be genuinely systemic and cross-departmental. It recognises the complexities of the food system and the need for many voices, communities and cultures to be engaged.
“One thing it doesn’t do – yet – is to lean into the facts about the need for a substantial transition towards plant-based protein sources in order to meet environmental goals.
“Plant-rich diets are internationally recognised as central to health and environmental sustainability, and governments must do all they can to promote them. We can’t afford to miss this opportunity to set out an ambitious vision and roadmap towards more diverse and resilient protein sources in the UK food system,” he said.
Four calls to action
The four action points laid out in the ProVeg policy briefing are as follows:
- Update national dietary guidelines to strongly encourage the consumption of plant-rich foods and reduce the consumption of meat.
- Mandate reporting for supermarkets on the proportion of plant-based vs. animal-based protein on the shelves.
- Ensure schools, hospitals and other public settings provide healthy, plant-rich catering and plant-based meals to everyone who wants them.
- Create a co-ordinated, cross-sector Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods that promotes plant-based diets from farm to fork.
“Clear action needs to be taken in the UK to lessen the burden on the National Health Service, improve children’s nutrition, slash greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen the country’s economy and food security,” Sophia Millar, Head of Programmes at ProVeg UK, said.
“By taking these four steps, the UK will set itself on a path towards a much more sustainable food system that will benefit people, the environment and the country’s food security,” Millar adds.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For media inquiries, email [email protected].
For scientific data about the benefits of plant-based eating, see our Food System Data website.
About ProVeg UK
ProVeg UK is part of ProVeg International, 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.
