The protein transition is not moving fast enough, according to several civil society organisations. Time for policy, they think. And Minister Adema agrees with them. He wants to raise the prices of animal proteins, make alternatives cheaper, promote sustainable consumption patterns and reduce the consumption of animal proteins. The government also wants to impose rules on retail, catering, and caterers, among others. Subsidies will be ready for companies that follow the guidelines and laggards can be excluded.
This is the advice according to the research report ''The new Half to Half' by NewForesight commissioned by Animal Coalition, ProVeg, Transition Coalition Food, World Animal Protection Netherlands, Pigs in Distress and Compassion in World Farming . Piet Adema, minister of agriculture, nature and food quality supports the report's plans and is working to develop them into a policy. He writes this in a letter on 25 August 2023 to Foundation Support Animal Coalition, which had sent the report to the minister.
The research report includes advice on how to shape policy for the protein transition with 50% consumption animal and 50% consumption vegetable. They see an important role for the government here. Policy measures such as raising animal protein prices and making alternatives cheaper can promote sustainable consumption patterns and reduce animal protein consumption. According to the researchers, it is up to the government to set standards on this towards retail, catering, and caterers. Thus, the food environment can be brought in line with the set target ratio of 50% plant - 50% animal proteins. Researchers: "To adjust consumers' food patterns, consideration could be given to making it mandatory for supermarkets to sell a certain percentage of products made from plant proteins."
Latest figures show that consumption of red and processed meat is falling in the Netherlands. However, more needs to be done to reach the set target ratio of 50% vegetable and 50% animal proteins by 2030. The latest RIVM Food Consumption Survey from 2023 shows that the current ratio is 42% vegetable and 58% animal proteins. The same poll shows a decrease in consumption of red and processed meat. However, more needs to be done to achieve the target ratio set by the government of an animal and plant protein ratio of 50/50 by 2030. But this will require cooperation between stakeholders such as supermarkets, the government, financial institutions and consumers and many others say the researchers.
Grants are an important tool to reward frontrunners. It provides scope to accelerate innovations, invest in building new business models and establish related relationships and value chains. In addition, it will attract others who also become interested in participating in the transition. Current subsidy streams focus too much on animal proteins, and too little on plant proteins.
Reducing animal protein consumption in the Netherlands has no major effect on the production of animal products in the Netherlands. The Netherlands was the EU's largest meat exporter in 2020. In 2021, meat exports generated €9.3 billion for the Dutch economy. A drop in consumption therefore does not automatically mean a drop in production - this complicates the solution options. Moreover, 75% of what we consume comes from abroad.
A study from the Voedingscentrum (2021) indicates that the main reasons for eating less or no meat are the environment (37% of the study population) and animal welfare (34% of the study population), among many others. Among the less educated who say they are considering eating less meat, animal welfare is the main driver. For the highly educated, environment/climate is the main argument.
In today's market dynamics, animal protein production is economically attractive. Production methods are efficient due to years of innovation and demand is high. Subsidies are an important instrument to reward frontrunners. It provides room to accelerate innovations, invest in building new business models. In addition, it will attract others who become interested in participating in the transition. The researchers argue that current subsidy streams focus too much on animal proteins, and too little on plant proteins.
