PBFA Urges New UK Government To Prioritize Plant-Based Food

The Plant-Based Food Alliance is calling on the UK’s newly elected Labour government to promote “healthy, sustainable” plant-based diets.

In a six-point call-to-action, the Plant-Based Food Alliance (PBFA) lists the key “asks” for Keir Starmer’s Labour Party to encourage climate-friendly and health-promoting food.

The six key action points are: To promote the role of plant-based foods in sustainable and healthy diets; to develop a plant-based action plan for new economic opportunities and bolstered food security; to update the “Eatwell Guide” in line with sustainability guidelines; to reform both Government Buying Standards and School Food Standards in line with sustainability guidelines; to grow more fruit and vegetables in the UK; and to “level the playing field” for plant-based products by driving investment and equalizing margins.

PBFA also breaks down several key areas within each action point, including policymaking, research and development funding, subsidization of plant-based farming, and more. Many of these tactics are already being endorsed and practiced by other nations, including Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland.

“The Labour Government is in a strong position to create structures that allow the country to harvest the abundant health, economic, and environmental benefits of increasing plant-based food consumption,” said PBFA CEO Marisa Heath, in a statement.

UK needs a ‘coherent food strategy’

Photo shows a woman cutting fresh vegetables on a kitchen counter — Adobe Stock There are myriad health, environmental, and economic benefits to promoting plant-based foods

The British nonprofit alliance – which includes founding members Oatly, Alpro, Upfield, The Vegan Society, the Good Food Institute, and ProVeg – points out that while the Labour Party has confirmed a commitment to Net Zero, such targets simply cannot be met without a transformed food system that is less dependent on high-emitting animal agriculture.

Food systems are responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Around the world, the vast majority of agricultural subsidies support meat and dairy production, making high-impact, unsustainable foods “artificially cheap” and pushing out unsubsidized, sustainable foods.

But despite a huge and still-growing body of evidence touting the benefits of a predominantly plant-based food system, the topic remains notably absent from the UK’s health, environmental, and climate action plans. The PBFA suggests that the new Labour government is in an ideal position to change that.

“A coherent food strategy that ticks health and climate goals, like the one introduced last year in Denmark, will support consumers to make better choices, will help the industry innovate, and ensure that UK farmers also benefit from a booming plant-based market,” said Heath.