Unilever is targeting €1 billion in sales of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives within the next five to seven years as it sets a “bold” new ‘Future Foods’ ambition.
The growth will be driven by the roll-out of The Vegetarian Butcher as well as increasing vegan alternatives from brands including Hellmann’s, Magnum and Wall’s.
The ‘Future Foods’ ambition has two key objectives: to help people transition towards healthier diets and to help reduce the environmental impact of the global food chain.
Unilever, which makes Lipton, Ben & Jerry’s and Knorr, has also committed to:
Halve food waste in its direct global operations from factory to shelf by 2025 – five years earlier than previously committed, as part of the Champions 12.3 coalition target.
Double the number of products delivering positive nutrition globally by 2025 – defined as products containing impactful amounts of vegetables, fruits, proteins, or micronutrients like vitamins, zinc, iron and iodine.
Continue lowering calorie, salt and sugar levels across products
“As one of the world’s largest food companies, we have a critical role to play in helping to transform the global food system. 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. These are bold, stretching targets which demonstrate our commitment to being a force for good,” said Hanneke Faber, President of Unilever’s Foods & Refreshment Division.
“It is widely recognised that the current global food system is inequitable and inefficient. One billion people around the world are hungry while two billion are obese or overweight. One third of all food produced is thrown away. And animal agriculture is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions after fossil fuels and a leading cause of deforestation, water and air pollution and biodiversity loss.”
