Denmark Introduces 'Plant-Based Diplomacy Initiative'

As the current holder of the presidency of the Council of the European Union, Denmark is set to champion sustainable food systems throughout the EU, including a Plant-Based Diplomacy initiative, despite potential pushback from other member states.

Danish Plant-Based Diplomacy is a “formal collaboration” between several stakeholders, including the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Danish Food and Drink Federation, and the Danish Chamber of Commerce. Work is led by the Vegetarian Society of Denmark.

The initiative hopes to promote and inspire “increased and targeted plant-based funding and plant-based action” at an EU level and within member states. Overall, Denmark’s EU presidency programme calls for a transition towards a “more sustainable” food system, including a protein strategy and plant-based action plan. Denmark will host a plant-based food conference in September, followed by a “Plant Food Inspiration Summit” in October.

In 2023, Denmark became the first country in the world to publish a detailed roadmap towards sustainable, plant-based food systems. Since then, the country’s €170 million Plant-Based Food Grant has enabled new farming subsidies and supported food tech innovation, including the development of a new broad bean-based tempeh and fungi-based chicken alternatives.

Denmark’s EU-wide plant-based push comes at a time when member states’ attitudes to plant-based meat and other alternative proteins vary widely. While Switzerland recently introduced labels that flag cruel practices on common animal products, countries such as Spain, Italy, and France are renewing the legal debate over the use of “meaty” words on plant-based product labels.

Denmark’s plant-based transition has been a ‘political success’

Photo shows, from left to right: Richard McIlwain, chief executive of Vegetarian Society; Rasmus Prehn, member of the Danish Parliament and former minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries; and Rune-Christoffer Dragsdahl, the Secretary-General at Vegetarian Society of Denmark, standing in front of a Vegetarian Society backdrop and holding a sign that reads "if the Danes can do it, we can do it" — The Vegetarian Society The Danish Plant Based Diplomacy initiative aims to inspire other governments to promote sustainable, primarily plant-based food systems

Despite above-average meat consumption for Europe and the highest animal production per capita in the world, Denmark’s plant-based transition has been rolled out in direct collaboration with farmers and with cross-party support.

“Denmark has demonstrated that a plant-based transition is not only possible but also a political success, backed by both the agricultural and industrial sectors. With Danish Plant-Based Diplomacy, we want to share the Danish experience so the rest of the EU is inspired to develop similar initiatives that benefit the climate, biodiversity, and public health,” said Rune-Christoffer Dragsdahl, secretary general of the Vegetarian Society of Denmark and chair of the International Vegetarian Union, in a statement.

As reported by the Financial Times, Denmark’s burgeoning plant-based food market could be worth up to USD $2 billion and create 27,000 jobs by 2030.