Lidl Belgium Is Permanently Reducing Plant-Based Prices

Lidl Belgium is about to permanently reduce the price of plant-based protein prices to make them more accessible.

From May 15, vegan proteins sold in store will be the same prices as their animal product equivalents. The decision follows a recent study that found that 42 percent of Belgians would buy meat-free foods if they were more affordable.

Lidl hopes to double plant-based food sales by 2030. It also plans to make 20 percent of proteins sold vegan by that time. The retailer already sells a number of alternatives in its Vemondo line – including dairy-free cheese, milk, and meat analogues – and it looks set to increase this line even more in the coming years. This expansion will see more legumes, seeds, and vegan alternatives replacing meat, fish, and eggs.

“Vegetable proteins have a positive impact on both people and the environment,” said Ines Verschaeve, Project Manager for CSR Purchasing at Lidl Belgium, in a statement. “By lowering the prices of the plant-based alternatives to the same level as the animal variant, we want the customer to be able to choose a plant-based alternative more easily.”

The trend towards plant-based price parity

Simon Dack / Alamy Stock Photo Lidl sells a range of plant-based alternatives under its Vemondo line

Lidl Belgium follows closely in the footsteps of Lidl Germany, which announced a similar move in October.

The retailer said at the time that it wanted to “invite customers more to try out the plant-based alternatives – without the price being the decisive criterion.”

Food awareness group Pro Veg celebrated the decision, saying “it recognises how important plant-based foods are in tackling the climate crisis as well as supporting companies’ in their environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting.”