Plant-Based Food Companies Form Trade Association

Earlier this month, 23 food companies launched the Plant-Based Foods Association, the first trade group to represent the fast-growing, plant-based foods sector, a $3.5 billion industry that supports consumer health and the environment. The association will engage in education, promotion, and advance policies.

“Every other sector of the food industry – from sugar to organics - is represented in the policy arena,” said Michele Simon, executive director of the association. “The time has come for the plant-based food industry to also have a collective voice.”

The association plans to educate retailers, foodservice professionals, and consumers about the benefits of plant-based eating. Numerous health organizations, such as the American Heart Association, and international institutions, such as the United Nations, recognize the need to shift towards a plant-based diet, for both health and environmental benefits. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for a Livable Future recommends cutting back on meat not just for health and the environment, but also due to concerns for animal welfare, risks to workers, and antibiotic resistance. Consumers are increasingly heeding these recommendations.

According to newly-released data from SPINS, the a retail sales data company for the natural and specialty products industry, the total market for this sector, (excluding data from Whole Foods Market) tops nearly $3.5 billion in sales. The category includes plant-based versions of meat, tofu, milk, yogurt, cheese and cream, and has grown more than 8.7% over the last two years. By comparison, general food and beverage sector growth has been just 3.7% over the same period.

In Washington D.C., the association is working with Elizabeth Kucinich, an advocate for healthy and sustainable food. Recently, Kucinich offered remarks to the USDA on how the Dietary Guidelines for Americans should encourage shifting toward a plant-based diet to improve public health and help protect the environment. “Combined with the rising demands of conscious consumers, the Plant-Based Foods Association can help shift public policy towards a better, more sustainable food system,” she said.

Founding board members are, Daiya Foods, Follow Your Heart, Miyoko’s Kitchen, The Tofurky Company, and Upton’s Natural. In addition to the association’s five founding board members, 18 food companies have joined as charter members of the Plant Based Foods Association: Axiom Foods, Beanfields Snacks, Califia Farms, Freja’s Foods, Heidi Ho, Louisville Vegan Jerky Co., Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss, Malk Organic, Match Meats, Melt Organic, New Barn, New Wave Foods, Next Level Burger, Nutpods, Real Food Daily, Sweet Earth Natural Foods, Treeline Cheese, Tofuna Fysh, For more information, visit http://www.plantbasedfoods.org.