ProVeg’s annual New Food Conference took place at the end of October in Berlin and was a resounding success, according to the company.
The New Food Conference is Europe’s largest gathering of food industry luminaries, drawn from all over the world, to exchange ideas on the best ways to create a more sustainable food system. The event featured eye-opening panel discussions, presentations, and networking opportunities, along with some innovative startup pitches.
Hosted at Axica Conference Centre, both live and online, the New Food Conference (NFC) always provides the ideal place to pick up implementable insights for your business and discover new investments, as well as actions to effectively support the building of a sustainable and resilient food system.
In its recent New Food Hub article, ProVeg International shared critical takeaways from panel discussions that took place at the conference. A hot topic that featured heavily throughout the two-day conference, was the need for a level playing field between plant-based and animal-based products.[1]. One approach on the journey to achieving this is price equality.
Stable price development
But to begin, why do we need price equality in the first place, and how will this affect the future of food in Europe? This was a key question posed by Paul Rich, ProVeg International Director of Strategy and Growth, the moderator of the NFC panel discussion, ‘How to guarantee a stable price development and stay competitive with the meat and dairy industry?’.
Price equality is one excellent move that will help on the journey of ‘levelling the playing field’ between plant-based and animal-based products.
Price equality would make plant-based products more cost-competitive with animal-based products, affordable to more consumers, and thus, accessible for everyday shoppers, likely increasing uptake. Amali Bunter, Head of Sustainability for Lidl Germany, explained: “Our price parity move can make us as discount retailers operate in this complex environment to give consumers choice and an easy decision when they come in store.”
Lidl Germany’s recent decision to equalise the pricing of its plant- and animal-based products across all German stores is notable, and one that other European retailers are now replicating. Although it’s a great start that sets a fantastic example for policymakers, it doesn’t start and end with price parity. Industry players can do more than equalise product prices to level the playing field.
“Policymakers mostly react, so it’s crucial to have big retailers that set great examples because then we can change a lot,” comments Senior Project Manager Dirk Liebenberg of ProVeg International.
Rosa Tauber, Head of Sustainability and Environment at Rud Pedersen Public Affairs Berlin, explained that we also “need a 0% tax” on plant-based products, adding that businesses can help by seeking out “conversations with policymakers on tax.”
“And,” Rosa continued, “we also need more awareness in raising public procurement.”
How else can we level the playing field?
- Lowering the VAT on plant-based products to match or fall below animal-based ones.
- Allocating more subsidies for plant-based agriculture.
- Investing in public education campaigns that inform consumers about the environmental, ethical, and health implications of their dietary choices.
- Promoting R&D grants for plant-based food innovation to improve the quality and affordability of plant-based products.
- And much more.
Levelling the playing field between plant- and animal-based products won’t be easy, and it won’t be as ‘simple’ as achieving price parity or communicating more efficiently to consumers. However, the conversations at this year’s New Food Conference showed that with strong collaborations and transparent communications from a wide variety of food industry players, we can get the journey started.
Read the full New Food Hub article, here, and get support on your alternative protein strategy by getting in touch with ProVeg’s experts at [email protected].
[1] Fair and equitable competition between the plant- and animal-based categories. It involves ensuring that plant- and animal-based products can compete on a more equal footing in the market.
