ProVeg urges retailers to “rebalance protein split” on market shelves for sustainable diet shifts

ProVeg International, WWF and the Green Protein Alliance are calling for food retailers to “rebalance food sales” that are aligned with the Planetary Health Diet developed by the EAT-Lancet Commission. This includes a split between plant-based and animal-based foods of 70% plant to 30% animal when all food groups are included, and 60% plant to 40% animal when focused on protein source foods including meat, eggs, fish and legumes.

This comes as UK supermarket Lidl recently set a protein split target to ensure that plant-based protein sales (in tonnage) account for 25% of its total protein sales by 2030. 

“Retailers play a pivotal role in ensuring that societies shift to healthy sustainable diets. Some retailers have already set clear targets to rebalance their protein sales. We are now calling on others to set a goal aligned with the dietary recommendations outlined in the Planetary Health Diet and ensure they have a strategy in place that will support customers in transitioning to plant-rich diets,” says Joanna Trewern, director of partnerships at ProVeg International.

Mariella Meyer, senior manager, Sustainable Markets, at WWF also believes food retailers can “lead the way by rebalancing their product offerings” in regions where animal-source foods are overconsumed. “We want to work alongside retailers and companies to enable a transition to more sustainable and healthy diets.”

Consumer dietary shift

Consumer dietary preferences are shifting globally, with many cutting their meat consumption and moving toward more plant-centric diets.

Globally, consumers are leaning toward plant based diets and away from meat consumption.In Germany, 59% of consumers report reducing their yearly meat intake. Meanwhile, in France and the UK, this number is 57% and 48%, respectively, according to a report by ProVeg, which is urging retailers to leverage these changing consumer trends to set even bolder protein split targets.

Meanwhile, over 90% of Dutch food retailers in the Netherlands are already tracking their protein split using ‘The Protein Tracker’ methodology, developed by the Green Protein Alliance and ProVeg Netherlands. 

“To change the protein split from 40/60 to 60/40 in six years, these retailers must take targeted measures using protein tracker data,” states the food awareness organization. 

Efforts to achieve the intermediate goal of 50/50 in 2025 also include Dutch retailer Jumbo recently ceasing promotions on animal-based meat products. Meanwhile, Lidl Netherlands is testing the integration of meat substitutes on the meat shelf to work toward its target of 60/40 by 2030.

“In countries where animal-source foods are overconsumed, food retailers can lead the way by rebalancing their product offerings. We want to work alongside retailers and companies to enable a transition to more sustainable and healthy diets.”

Environmental impact

The global food system is a major driver of both climate change and environmental degradation, responsible for around one-third of global emissions, states the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Animal agriculture plays a significant role in these emissions, producing large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, specifically carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

Jumbo recently stopped promotions on animal-based meat products while Lidl Netherlands is testing the integration of meat substitutes on the meat shelf.Studies state shifting diets could be a means to “drastically reduce global greenhouse gas emissions,” potentially cutting agricultural emissions by 61% in high-income countries by 2050.

Jeroen Willemsen, founder of the Dutch Green Protein Alliance, agrees: “In order to lower the environmental impact of our food consumption and to improve our dietary health, a switch to more plant-based protein in our diets is important. Food companies play a crucial role in this transition.”

“Setting goals and tracking progress has proven to be effective in the Dutch protein transition, where the Green Protein Alliance and ProVeg Netherlands are supporting retailers to implement effective interventions in different product categories. Let this be a shout-out to other food companies to do the same,” he concludes.