Following the success of Denmark’s National Plant-based Action Plan, a delegation from the country has been invited to Parliament to ascertain whether the UK could follow a similar path
The UK Parliament is set to welcome a delegation from Denmark to learn from the latter’s version of a sustainable food and farming policy, according to the Vegetarian Society, which is hosting the event.
Speakers will include Labour’s minister for farming and food security, Daniel Zeichner, and Rasmus Prehn, member of the Danish Parliament.
As Food and Farming Minister, Prehn was behind Denmark’s new approach to food and farming policy, dubbed the National Plant-based Action Plan.
“The multi-year, €115mn programme puts forward a roadmap to significantly increase the proportion of plant foods in the national diet, with a view to cutting the country’s carbon emissions, improving health outcomes for ordinary Danes, and creating economic opportunities for the country’s food production sectors in a globally growing industry,” the Vegetarian Society stated.
A key lesson for Labour will be how the Danish government managed to gain cross-party approval for the plan and how they negotiated with farming representatives.
“The plan is now going from strength to strength with negotiations on possibly doubling the amount, while €5 million was added as recently as last week,” the Vegetarian Society said. “At the core of the initiative is a set of new revised national healthy eating guidelines recommended by nutrition scientists, which place a greater emphasis on plant protein and fruit and vegetable consumption and encourage the public to eat not only more sustainably, but more healthily.”
Sponsored by Neil Coyle MP, the event will see policymakers and experts in the sector unite to discuss the plan, its impact and whether the UK might be able to follow a comparable approach.
Rune-Christoffer Dragsdahl, CEO of the Vegetarian Society of Denmark (Dansk Vegetarisk Forening), commented: “What was crucial in paving the way for Denmark’s initiatives was the collaborative approach. I am looking forward to sharing our story on how conventional farmers, organic farmers, plant-based businesses and green NGO’s, including the vegetarian movement, all found common ground on this agenda.”
“We are thrilled to host this reception to celebrate the achievements of the Danish Farm-to-Fork National Plant-Based Action Plan,” said Jen Elford, head of policy at the Vegetarian Society. “This event will not only showcase the positive impact of the plan but also foster collaboration among key stakeholders. We believe that by bringing together experts from different fields, we can collectively work towards a more sustainable and healthier future.”
