With the government developing a new national food strategy, we have a real opportunity to empower supermarkets to put plant-based foods at the heart of our food system.
The EAT-Lancet Commission’s Planetary Health Diet suggests that at least 75% of our diet needs to be plant-based to reduce the prevalence of diet-related diseases like diabetes. Yet the latest National Dietary Survey paints a stark picture of where we are: 81% of adults exceed the recommended daily saturated fat intake, 96% don’t get enough fibre, and fewer than one in five adults meet the recommended five portions of fruit or vegetables a day.
Consumers want to change. Research by the Good Food Institute Europe, HarrisX and Plant Futures shows nearly 40% of UK adults are actively looking to eat more veg and plant-rich foods. But our current food system is stacked against them. Quality, nutritious plant-based options are often more expensive than cheap, factory-farmed meat, which supermarkets frequently sell at a loss with little to no return for farmers.
This status quo is unsustainable. Droughts, wars and pandemics are making our food supply ever more volatile. The case for resilient, plant-based supply chains has never been stronger.
The chase for change is already there
Fortunately, there is genuine retailer appetite for change. Support for the Meat Free Made Easy campaign has demonstrated that desire – and this isn’t just about growing a new category for profit. Plant-based foods are consistently high in fibre, low in saturated fat, and carry a fraction of the environmental impact of meat. Backing them is fundamental to retailers’ strategies for healthier diets and more resilient supply chains.
The UK government has already said that it sees the plant-based sector as a “major opportunity” as it develops its national food strategy. So what can actually be done?
One clear opportunity is setting sales targets for plant-based foods across UK food retail. Lidl is currently the only UK retailer to have made this move – committing to 25% of all protein sales being plant-based by 2030 – but major European supermarkets including Rewe and Albert Heijn are already setting targets. Almost all UK supermarkets already report their proportion of sales from different protein sources to WWF, although only some make this public.
A level playing field for plant-based
This presents a direct opportunity for government. Mandatory protein split reporting and sector-wide targets are already being mooted as part of the 10 Year Health Plan. By introducing a sector-wide protein split target, the government would create a level playing field and send a clear signal that it is serious about growing the plant-based food sector.
The impact could be transformative. With retailers given a clear goal to increase sales of plant-based foods, the whole mindset across the supermarket sector would need to shift. Plant-based would no longer be fringe – it would become a mainstream component of strategy across NPD, store layouts and advertising spend.
The parallel with the Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate is instructive. By requiring car manufacturers to sell a growing proportion of EVs until 100% is reached by 2035, government gave the car industry a clear roadmap for change. A protein split target would do the same for food – and support a transition to healthier diets that cannot afford to wait.
By setting a retailer target for sales of plant-based proteins, the UK government can support healthier food choices and access to affordable, sustainable protein sources. The case for acting now has never been clearer.
Mark Cuddigan is CEO of This
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