ProVeg argues in its briefing ‘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 'golden 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.
What Europe is doing:
- Germany: dietary guidelines already recommend upper limits for meat.
- Netherlands: encourages supermarkets to increase their plant-based protein sales.
- Spain: passed legislation that requires greater provision of plant-based foods in schools.
Rising above the European crowd is Denmark, which published the world’s first comprehensive Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods that promotes plant-based food production and consumption in one coherent policy.
Julian Cottee, senior corporate engagement manager at ProVeg, said: “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.
“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.”