Shaunagh Duncan: We want to help drive a systemic shift - in the ways people eat, food is produced, and the planet is treated - where people can make small changes, like switching to plant-based foods, that improve their lives and help to ensure a healthy planet for future generations. How sustainable is the oat crop and the manufacture/shipping of the products globally? Tell us a little about Oatly’s sustainability strategy. By making it as easy as possible for consumers to give plant-based a try, this new product is the perfect stepping stone into the category. ©OatlyĪt Oatly, we recently launched the ‘Mini Barista’ – a smaller 500ml edition of our #1 best-selling product the Oat Drink Barista Edition. This momentum means it’s never been easier for consumers to find plant-based alternatives – on shelves, on public transport, and in restaurants – and make those shifts towards a more plant-based diet. The plant-based sector is rising to this challenge, with new innovations entering the market all the time. Shaunagh Duncan: To help consumers make the switch to plant-based, products need to be widely available and should not require any compromise on taste, performance or nutrition. What can brands like Oatly do to help consumers make the switch to plant-based more easily? Plant-based diets use significantly less land, some even estimate this to be 75% less, much less fresh water and uses crops that put nitrogen back into the soil – improving its quality.(7) This destroys habitats and biodiversity and means the land is not playing its vital role. This is due to the conversion of land into pastures and cropland to produce animal feed as well the toll on the environment that is taken by keeping the animals.Īnimal agriculture takes up 77% of all agricultural land on Earth despite supplying only 17% of humanity’s food supply (6).
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Meat and dairy production is the single largest driver of ecosystem damage. A serious issue that relates to meat and dairy production is the amount of land it uses. The impact of livestock farming systems on carbon sequestration, soil acidification, water quality, and broader ecosystem services are also significant. Marisa Heath: Whilst cutting down on meat and dairy does reduce emissions, it is not the only reason why plant-based alternatives are better for the environment. Measures like making it mandatory for all food and drink companies to publish products’ carbon footprint on packaging, for example, would help inform consumers and encourage this much needed switch. It is imperative that we revolutionise our food systems to help cut down on emissions. “It is imperative that we revolutionise our food systems to help cut down on emissions.” Demand is rapidly increasing and with the right guidance in place from the Government to match, a real shift in the food system is achievable.
In Europe alone, 40% of consumers are actively reducing their consumption of animal-based products (either identifying as flexitarian, pescetarian, vegetarian, or vegan)(2). With or without government support, consumer habits have long been shifting in this direction. Shaunagh Duncan: It is absolutely achievable for the UK to significantly reduce its consumption of animal products. The Climate Change Committee report has urged the Government to encourage consumers to eat less dairy and meat. This is the most pivotal time to make real change to our food systems for the sake of the environment, the economy and the people, yet the opportunity has not been grasped. The benefits could include the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the creation of more economic opportunities and of course improved food security and sustainability which are Government priorities. The Food Strategy should have created an opportunity to become an international leader in the shift towards plant-based. With just over a quarter of the UK population already describing themselves as flexitarian, it is inevitable that plant-based food will be a part of the future food landscape. Marisa Heath: The Food Strategy White Paper ignores the potential that plant-based foods offer to progress the Government’s climate and health objectives. CEO Marisa Heath ©Plant Based Food Alliance UK Eating a predominantly plant-based diet is not the whole answer, but encouraging this shift through the Government’s Food Strategy would have been an important step in the right direction. The Climate Change Committee recommends a 20% reduction in meat and dairy by 2030 and a 35% reduction in meat by 2050. Around the world, basic nutritional needs often go unmet.
Food production is responsible for a third of global GHG emissions – with more than half coming from animal production (1).
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