ProVeg e.V.

About the organization

ProVeg International is a food organization committed to transforming the global food system. Its mission is to replace 50% of animal products worldwide with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040. ProVeg works with all relevant stakeholders to transition to a food system where everyone chooses enjoyable and healthy food that is good for all people, animals and our planet.

ProVeg works closely with the most important UN organizations for food and the environment. In 2018, ProVeg received the "Momentum for Change" award from the United Nations for its projects "Aktion Pflanzen-Power" and "KEEKS" (climate and energy-efficient cooking in schools). This award recognizes examples of innovative and transformative projects that tackle climate change. This is the first time that the prize for these lighthouse projects has gone to Germany. The organization also has Permanent Observer status at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as well as consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). ProVeg is also accredited to the UN World Assembly (UNEA).

With offices in 11 countries on 4 continents and more than 200 employees, ProVeg has a global impact.

The 5 reasons that motivate ProVeg to do its work are also mine:

• Pro environment: The negative effects of so-called livestock farming on the environment (climate, water and species protection, more efficient use of resources) are reduced.

• Pro justice: A more sufficient, healthier and more sustainable food supply can be guaranteed for all people worldwide.

• Pro animals: Enormous animal suffering (mainly due to factory farming and industrial fishing) is prevented.

• Pro health: Reduced consumption of animal products can prevent civilization diseases.

• Pro pleasure: A plant-based diet tastes very good and brings colorful variety to your plate!

The funds from the Stiftung Zukunft jetzt! are divided between three main areas of ProVeg's work: One part goes to the "Delicious Food for All" campaign, which works to establish plant-based diets more firmly in public education and health institutions. A second funding area is the Food Industry & Retail department, which promotes cooperation with companies. The third part of the funds flows into the ProVeg Incubator. In this way, the funds from the Stiftung Zukunft jetzt! are making a significant contribution to transforming the food system in a sustainable way and advancing the Plant-based diet on a large scale. Future topics such as cellular agriculture also play a central role in this. The production of cell-cultivated products, such as meat, fish or fat, has the potential to make a decisive contribution to solving the problems that ProVeg is committed to. In order to advance cellular agriculture, the ProVeg Incubator supports start-ups in this field and invests in innovations together with partners. As part of the CellAg Project (CAP), ProVeg has been raising awareness of cellular agriculture since 2019, connecting the various players from science and industry and researching and providing information on developments such as consumer acceptance.

"Delicious food for everyone" - plant-based nutritional change in public institutions

The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends offering meat in school meals no more than once a week. However, most school menus do not meet these standards: they contain too much meat and too few fresh vegetables, wholegrain products and pulses. This is another reason why only very few schoolchildren achieve the DGE's recommended intake of wholesome, plant-based products for their age group, while at the same time consuming significantly more meat than recommended. School meals therefore have a direct influence on children's health in the present and in the future: eating habits acquired in childhood are often maintained throughout life. At the same time, well-made, plant-based school meals can significantly reduce a school's environmental and climate footprint and save many animal lives. That's why ProVeg supports schools and caterers with workshops, online offers, action days and cooking training to implement the DGE standards by integrating more delicious and healthy plant-based dishes into school lunches.
With the support of the Stiftung Zukunft jetzt!, the program has been expanded both in terms of content and structure. In addition to the successful project work in schools and with adult multipliers, large parts of the programme were digitized during the period of social distancing in order to inspire children to eat healthily and sustainably, even from a distance. The website of the "Plant Power Campaign" school program was completely redesigned and the digital offering was expanded to include the Instagram channel of the same name. With a fresh design and full of interesting information about nutrition and the environment, both websites are now tailored precisely to the young target group and function as important communication tools for "Aktion Pflanzen-Power" in the context of nutrition education. The funding also makes it possible to increasingly establish plant-based catering in other public institutions, such as healthcare facilities and universities.

Food Evolution - expanding the range of plant-based products and dissemination work

As part of the "Food Evolution" program, ProVeg is working to expand the range of plant-based products. This is because appealing veggie alternatives make it easier for people to switch to a plant-based diet. The program is based on intensive market research into the development and potential of the plant-based market as well as consumer surveys. The results can be used to convincingly demonstrate to food manufacturers and retailers that it is worth investing in expanding the plant-based product range.
The support of the Stiftung Zukunft jetzt! enabled the strong further development of the program's groundwork and international networking. The content of the New Food Hub digital platform, which was launched at the beginning of 2022, was further expanded. The extensive collection of knowledge helps stakeholders and players in the food industry to increase sales of plant-based products. It provides them with the necessary know-how to further develop the plant-based market with their own innovations. Users have access to a wealth of market data, case studies, expert guides and webinars on topics such as optimizing the plant-based product range, improving product placement and effective customer communication. In addition, international consumer surveys were carried out with the help of Stiftung Zukunft jetzt! funding, in which, among other things, consumer attitudes towards plant-based and cultured hybrid meat and their willingness to pay for plant-based foods were examined. Both these research results and the content of the New Food Hub are attracting increasing attention through mentions in influential media.

ProVeg Incubator

To reduce the consumption of animal products by 50 percent by 2040, ProVeg launched the ProVeg Incubator in 2018. It is the first and now leading support program for start-ups with plant-based and cultivated alternatives to animal products. The aim is to reduce the demand for animal products by providing tasty, affordable and widely available alternatives. The Incubator is therefore looking for companies that are developing innovative and scalable plant-based or cultured meat, fish and dairy alternatives and ingredients.
Stiftung Zukunft jetzt! has been supporting the ProVeg Incubator since 2020, helping to shape the food market of tomorrow. To date, almost 100 start-ups have completed the funding program in the ProVeg Incubator. Their products are now available in more than 15,000 sales outlets worldwide. The number of applications, which now come from all over the world, grows with each funding round. For example, start-ups from Argentina, Chile, Mexico, the USA, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, China, Singapore, Thailand and South Africa took part in the tenth cohort. This is primarily thanks to the rapid digitalization of the programme and the continuous investment in the Incubator team's expertise. Both areas are the focus of support from the Stiftung Zukunft jetzt! Other formats that form a thematic interface with the Incubator also benefit from the funding. For example, the "New Food Invest" event series, which brings investors together with start-ups, and the "New Food Conference", which focuses on innovative technologies in the field of alternative proteins (e.g. fermentation and cellular agriculture). The events bring together international stakeholders from young and established companies along the entire value chain as well as non-governmental organizations and investors. ProVeg is also working with partners on its own fund that will invest in the animal-free diet of the future - the New Food Fund.