Unilever unveils mission to make plant-based eating ‘the new normal’

In an announcement​​ Wednesday, the global CPG giant said:  “It’s not up to us to decide for people what they want to eat, but it is up to us to make healthier and plant-based options accessible to all.”​

New research has shown that changing to a plant-based diet could reduce our individual carbon footprint by as much as 35{c33c21346ff5e26ab8e0ae3d29ae4367143f0d27c235e34c392ea37decdb8bed}, claimed Unilever, but consumers won’t switch unless plant-based options are the “easy, obvious choice.”​

“We know that a diverse, plant-based diet is better for our health and the health of the planet. But if we want people to make the switch, we need plant-based options to be more accessible, affordable and appetizing. They need to be the easy, obvious choice.”​

Moving forward, Unilever’s customers will see a wider range of vegan and vegetarian options from its brands, said the company.

“It’s an approach that is not just good for the planet, it’s good for business too. Two years after acquiring The Vegetarian Butcher, we have expanded this leading plant-based meat brand into 30 countries. Hellmann’s vegan mayonnaise is now available in 33 countries and Ben & Jerry’s now has seven non-dairy alternatives. And Magnum’s first vegan ice cream was recognized with PETA’s best vegan ice cream award in 2019.​

“We live in a world where 2 billion people are overweight, while 1 billion go hungry. Where more than 20{c33c21346ff5e26ab8e0ae3d29ae4367143f0d27c235e34c392ea37decdb8bed} of all greenhouse gases are produced by the food industry, and yet a third of that food is thrown away.”​