On 11 June 2025, AAFT co-organised a landmark event at the European Parliament to spotlight what should be obvious by now: Europe needs a real strategy for plant-based food.
Organised alongside with BEUC, Euroveg, IFOAM Organics Europe, and key allies across the food and health movement, the event brought together over 130 participants – including farmers, food businesses, civil society organisations, and high-level policymakers, including the European Commission.
Plant-based food systems are essential to building a future-fit, competitive, and sustainable Europe, and the EU needs a serious plan to make it happen. At the centre of the discussion: the newly launched Blueprint for an EU Action Plan on Plant-Based Foods, which AAFT proudly co-signed. This roadmap offers concrete, grounded in facts, proposals to strengthen the plant-based value chain – from supporting farmers and scaling innovation, to improving affordability, access, and demand.
European Commissioner Christophe Hansen joined the call for action, acknowledging that plant-based foods are essential to creating a healthier, more self-sufficient and climate-resilient food system.
AAFT advocates for a transition that is not just climate-compatible, but also fair for farmers and aligned with animal welfare goals. The event confirmed growing political alignment around this idea, but also made it clear that ambition must now become action.
The EU has a unique opportunity to lead globally in plant-based innovation, nutrition and climate-smart farming. We already have the ideas, the support and the market trends on our side. What is needed now is political follow-through.
And we’ll be here to keep the pressure on.