The Plant-Based Food Alliance UK has called on the country’s government and citizens to tackle climate change by reducing the number of animal products consumed.
In the wake of record-breaking heatwaves, the organisation has pointed to research by Oxford University which found that individuals’ carbon footprints could be reduced by 73% by switching to a plant-based diet. Furthermore, CEO Marisa Heath says the UK government’s target of net zero emissions by 2050 cannot possibly be met without a reduction in meat consumption.
In light of this, the Plant-Based Food Alliance has called on the government to take specific actions to encourage the consumption of plant-based foods. These include environmental labelling of food and drink products, public health campaigns explaining how people can incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets, and schemes to help farmers transition to producing plant-based foods.
The Plant-Based Food Alliance UK
The Plant-Based Food Alliance UK was founded in October of last year to provide a voice for the growing plant-based sector. The founding members are Alpro, Oatly, ProVeg UK, Upfield, and The Vegan Society.
In June, the organisation criticised the UK government’s Food Strategy White Paper, calling it a “missed opportunity” to exploit the potential of plant-based foods in fighting climate change. Heath called for the country to embrace the sector and become an international leader in the shift towards a plant-based diet.
“Green technology and infrastructure take time to develop and build, but plant-based diets can be adopted immediately and the time to act has never been more urgent,” she said. “With just over a quarter of the UK population already describing themselves as flexitarian, there is an opportunity to lean into this consumer-led shift.”
