It’s time for an EU Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods!

There is not much good news coming out of Brussels these days. Environmental deregulations being proposed on a nearly daily basis, conservative and far-right parties fighting against civil society organisations, a European Commission reluctant to defend their past work on the EU Green Deal – the list could go on… 

At the same time, we know that we cannot afford to waste more time on one of the biggest challenges we face in our food system – the way we produce and consume proteins. Climate and environmental destruction; animals being treated as a mere commodity; pollution threatening the health of local communities; cardiovascular diseases because of meat-based diets; as well as deforestation and human rights violations in the Global South – all these are consequences of our industrialized animal production system.  

But now there is hope!  

It all started when Denmark launched the world’s first national action plan specifically for plant-based foods in late 2023. With its plan, Denmark aims to pivot the food system – from farm to fork – toward climate-friendly, plant-based production and consumption. Some examples of this?  

• Strengthening the entire plant-based value chain – including farmers, processors, manufacturers, retailers, chefs and public institutions 

• Boosting the production of plant protein crops 

• Setting up Denmark’s first ever vegetarian and vegan chef degree 

• Promoting plant-rich menus in schools, and updating higher-education curricula  

Importantly, the action plan is also backed by a significant amount of funding, allowing new innovative ideas and business models for the plant-based transition to be developed and implemented by farmers and companies. 

What made this possible was the remarkable teaming up of the Vegetarian Society and the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, a broad political consensus across party lines, as well as a shared understanding that was voiced by Denmark’s minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Jacob Jensen, during the presentation of the plan: “If we want to reduce the climate footprint within the agricultural sector, then we all have to eat more plant-based food”. And with Denmark recently agreeing to a landmark “tripartite agreement” for its agricultural sector and transforming 15% of its farmland into forest and natural habitats, one thing has been clear: only with more plant-based proteins, can more food be produced for people on less land, freeing it for nature. 

But this is not the end of the story. Rather, momentum is currently growing all over Europe. And we are excited that Foodrise is getting involved! 

In January 2025, 130+ organisations called on the EU Commission to propose an Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods by 2026, as recommended by the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU Agriculture (see here our blog post from last year). Such a plan should address the entire agri-food value chain, from production and processing, to retail, public procurement and consumer availability and affordability. It would also substantially reduce Europe’s dependency from feed imports. 

Our EU Advocacy Officer was then happy to learn more about the Danish success story during a visit in Copenhagen in spring.  

And in June, our team attended an impressive event in Brussels, hosted by Members of the European Parliament from 5 different political groups. Following a video message from EU Agriculture and Food Commissioner, Christophe Hansen, the event reflected on the experiences of Denmark and how these could be repeated at European level. With all this energy and enthusiasm, it was then exciting to see that the new Danish EU Presidency included a clear focus on the potential of a common EU action plan for plant-based foods and a common EU protein strategy in their working programme for the second half of 2025. And they got off to a flying start – with a first discussion of EU Agriculture Ministers on 14 July, about the future diversification of protein sources. 

For Foodrise, this is especially important because we have demonstrated in several reports the harmful impact of industrialised animal production. All these dangerous impacts show how essential the plant-based transition is for a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable food system. The EU Action Plan for plant-based foods can give this transition a huge boost by providing a framework so that retailers and financiers accelerate their plant-based policies and practices, while creating new business opportunities for European farmers. 

With the EU Commission in the middle of presenting its proposals for the future EU Common Agricultural Policy as well as the EU’s budget, Foodrise is all the happier to be part of a group of dedicated organisations which drives further the call for an Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods – with a clear strategy, passion, and willingness to build bridges.