A coalition of 63 organisations is calling on the European Commission to ringfence funding specifically for plant-based food research.

A letter from the group, which is led by the European Alliance for Plant-based Foods and global event organiser, Bridge2Food, has been sent to the commission.

The coalition suggests that the €95.5 billion Horizon Europe research programme could be used to improve the taste, sustainability, affordability and health benefits of plant-based foods.

It claimed that directly supporting the sector can help the EU meet its target of climate neutrality by 2050.

The coalition is asking the commission to create, under the Horizon Europe Work Programme for 2023-2024, the following:

As part of the Horizon 2020 programme, some sector-specific projects were supported, such as the €9 million Smart Protein Project to develop alternative protein ingredients and products.

“We have seen a huge demand for plant-based foods among European consumers as they embrace healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyles,” Siska Pottie, secretary general for the European Alliance for Plant-based Foods, said.

“Horizon Europe is a vitally important mechanism to accelerate the shift towards more plant-based diets and deliver on the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy and its Beating Cancer Plan, both of which encourage the shift to plant-based diets,” Pottie said.

In the letter, the coalition also states that the Russian invasion of Ukraine and resulting supply chain insecurity makes the need for dedicated funding for the sector even more pressing.

"At a time when these resources are facing price and availability pressures, encouraging the transition to more plant-based diets through dedicated Horizon Europe funding channels will ensure that more of the grain we grow will be used directly for human consumption,” the coalition said.