ProVeg UK Policy
While dietary change at an individual level is important, it’s vital that it happens in parallel with a wider transformation of the food system. Which is why ProVeg UK dedicates considerable resources to informing and influencing policy-making at national and local levels, across the UK.
We advocate for policies that support a shift towards a more plant-forward food system in the UK, advancing ProVeg’s global mission of replacing 50% of animal-based products with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040.
What we do
The core focus of our UK policy work is building long-term relationships with policy-makers, at both national and local levels.
We also contribute our expertise to relevant policy-making processes, by distributing policy briefings, convening key stakeholders, and submitting evidence to government consultations and parliamentary inquiries.
In order to maximise the power of a collective voice, we are members of several organisations that are focused on particular policy issues:
Eating Better
ProVeg UK is a founding member of Plant-Based Food Alliance UK, a coalition of NGOs and businesses that are committed to promoting plant-based diets and amplifying the voice of the plant-based food sector in the UK, thus improving public health and helping the government to achieve its environmental goals.
School Food Review
School Food Review is a coalition of more than 35 organisations working together to improve England’s school food system. ProVeg UK supports the coalition’s efforts to improve the quality of school food, ensuring that all school meals are nutritious and sustainable.
Plant-Based Food Alliance UK
ProVeg UK is a founding member of Plant-Based Food Alliance UK, a coalition of NGOs and businesses that are committed to promoting plant-based diets and amplifying the voice of the plant-based food sector in the UK, thus improving public health and helping the government to achieve its environmental goals.
Our policy aims
We want to see policy changes that will help the country make the transition towards delicious, healthy, and more sustainable diets that are good for people, animals, and our planet.
The UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) has made it clear that meat and dairy consumption in the UK needs to be reduced in order to meet our net zero goals. The CCC recommends a 20% shift away from meat and dairy consumption by 2030 (rising to 35% by 2050), in order to put the UK on the path to net-zero emissions.
The National Food Strategy (a government-commissioned independent review of the UK’s food system) recommends even more ambitious targets: 30% less meat, 20% more fruit and vegetables, and 50% more fibre by 2032.
Our policy proposals
For making change happen
A UK plant-based action plan
The UK has significant potential to become a world leader in the rapidly growing plant-based-food sector, building on its already strong market for plant-based products, along with innovative producers and high-quality scientific research. In order to realise this potential, we urge the government to develop a national plant-based action plan. This plan could be modelled after a similar recent initiative in Denmark, and could include new funding for research and development, support and incentives for farmers to grow the relevant crops, and investment in expanding plant-based production facilities.
Fair labelling of plant-based substitutes
Many current policies prevent a level playing field for plant-based products and should be reviewed and resolved. In particular, we advocate for the removal of restrictions that prevent plant-based dairy products from using protected dairy terminology such as milk and cheese. Research demonstrates that consumers are not confused by the use of dairy terms for plant-based products, and lifting these restrictions is crucial to building confidence and driving investment in the plant-based dairy sector.
More sustainable dietary guidelines
The UK’s national dietary guidelines should provide a clear roadmap for the national dietary shifts that we know are necessary. We urge the government to review and update the Eatwell Guide in order to reflect the latest evidence on health and sustainability, highlighting the nutritional benefits of plant-based foods and emphasising the positive impact of plant-based diets on greenhouse gas emissions and water usage.
Forward-looking public procurement policies
The UK’s procurement policies should support our public institutions in serving healthy, climate-friendly meals that include more plant-based options and less meat. UK schools serve 1.2 billion meals annually, most of them containing animal-based products. We urge the government to update the School Food Standards and Government Buying Standards in order to reflect the latest dietary guidance and take environmental considerations into account. This should include removing the current requirement to serve dairy every day and meat three times a week in UK schools. Additionally, we advocate for new requirements to increase the availability of fruit and vegetables, and to ensure that at least one nutritious plant-based option is available on all public-sector menus.
What we’ve been up to
International School Meals Day: What’s the school food concept Shokuiku?
What can we learn from Japan, and other countries, about school food? Colette Fox, Public Food Lead…
International Women’s Day: celebrating 20 women leading food system change
Fighting for a better world seems to be getting tougher with each passing year. But, at the same time, there…
New report steers right direction for future of UK food, says ProVeg
UK Climate Change Committee calls for shift to precision fermentation and plant-based foods Investment…
If you have any questions about our policy work or would like more information, please get in touch at
As a non-profit organisation, we rely entirely on grants and supporter donations. We are making significant changes to school meals across the country – if you’d like to help drive our mission forward, please consider donating to ProVeg.
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