A Plant-Based Plan for the UK?

On Wednesday 13th November at the Houses of Parliament, the Vegetarian Society hosted a reception to present how Denmark plans to achieve a groundbreaking transition to a healthy and sustainable food system.

Denmark has one of the highest per capita consumption rates of animal products in the world and faces challenges in public health similar to the UK with obesity rates rising.

An invited audience of nearly 100 guests, including members of parliament and representatives from the food and farming sector, heard how Denmark’s unique collaborative approach paves the way for a paradigm-shifting increase in low carbon organic farming and plant-based consumption. The programme which has attracted 115m euros of government funding over eight years supports a range of initiatives to decarbonise the food system and improve public health.

Parliamentary Reception

(all photographs credit: Hugh Warwick)

Richard McIlwain, Chief Executive at the Vegetarian Society (left), meeting
Rune-Christoffer Dragsdahl, CEO of the Danish Vegetarian Society, and Rasmus Prehn DMP, former Danish food minister.

Lively conversation at the reception.

Rune-Christoffer Dragsdahl, CEO of the Danish Vegetarian Society, and Rasmus Prehn DMP, former Danish food minister during their presentation. Navendu Mishra, MP for Stockport, opened the event.

Daniel Zeichner MP, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, speaking at the reception. Navendu Mishra, MP for Stockport, opened the event.

Vegetarian Society team members Jen Elford, Deirdra Barr and Richard McIlwain

Speakers were Rune-Christoffer Dragsdahl, CEO of the Danish Vegetarian Society, Rasmus Prehn DMP, former Danish food minister and Daniel Zeichner MP, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Minister spoke briefly about the food system and the need to provide healthy and sustainable choices in line with the Eatwell Guide, but that government’s role was not to tell people what to eat. The audience was made up of MPs, members of the House of Lords and representatives from across the food and farming sector.

Guests described the event as “truly inspirational” and “a massive credit to the Vegetarian Society”.

Kieran Edwards of Dods Political Intelligence, an agency who help the Vegetarian Society raise the importance of having national plant-based plan to parliament, said:

“It was a pleasure hearing from Danish government officials on the power of inclusive action in driving meaningful change in a nation’s diet. A big thank you to the Vegetarian Society for organising this unique event.”

In October last year, Denmark published the world’s first National Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods. The multi-year programme puts forth a roadmap to radically increase the proportion of plant-based foods in the national diet, with a view to cutting the country’s carbon emissions, improving health outcomes for ordinary Danes, and creating economic opportunities for the country’s food production sectors in a globally-growing sustainable plant-based industry.

Denmark is one of the world’s major meat exporters, with the Danish Crown Group alone being the world’s largest pork exporter and Europe’s largest pork producer. It’s a hugely important industry.

Needless to say, the National Action Plan has had to overcome significant challenges to ensure that Denmark’s agricultural producers could come on board and have a stake in the plan.

Under the new National Plant-based Plan, fresh, healthy, and low-carbon food produced in Denmark is supplied directly to public kitchens, while new infrastructure and funding from government is in place to increase plant food consumption and drive plant-product innovation.

At the core of the initiative is a set of new revised national healthy eating guidelines designed by public health officials which place a greater emphasis on plant protein and fruit and vegetable consumption and encourage the public to eat not only more sustainably, but more healthily.

In addition, this exemplary piece of integrated sustainable food policy aims to improve how all stakeholders, from farmers and growers to public health professionals, from scientists and agricultural processors to food companies and caterers, work together to increase the demand and supply of healthy plant foods.

As part of this ground-breaking Danish policy, a new action plan is published every year focussing on the most pressing priorities. An overarching multi-year strategy is in place along with a government fund known as the Plant-Based Food Grant which underpins the transition to a healthier, more sustainable food system.

Jen Elford, Head of Policy and External Affairs at the Vegetarian Society, said: “It was clearly an inspiring afternoon for everyone who attended, and the Vegetarian Society will play a leading role going forward holding the space open for dialogue on our sustainable food future.”

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