The food one eats can be very personal and emotive, and tied to our social identity in various ways. The meat industry has been feeding into such ideologies through its marketing campaigns in addition to lobbying governments to prevent the implementation of policies targeted at reducing meat and transitioning to plant-based options.
In the UK, there is a growing demand for plant-based alternatives, which currently imports one-third of its plant-based alternatives from Europe. There is an opportunity for the UK to produce such plant-based products locally, which would reduce the costs of the goods while creating and securing new jobs. Plant-based milk products such as soya, oat, almond, rice and coconut milk have become increasingly popular, with 1 in 10 people consuming them every day.
Swift action is needed by leaders to demonstrate green ambition by investing in research and innovation to develop healthy and sustainable plant-based alternatives and further understand their health and environmental implications. The National Food Strategy has recommended that £1 billion needs to be invested in innovation to create a better and sustainable food system and make the UK the world’s most innovative nation by 2035.