Carrefour launches an international coalition to accelerate sales of plant-based alternatives
- NEWS
- 20 sept. 2023
- 3 min de lecture
by Eloïse Maillot.
Carrefour launches an international coalition to accelerate sales of plant-based alternatives with 7 industrial partners.
In 2018, the Carrefour Group, with a network of more than 14,000 stores in 43 countries, launched Act for Food. With a turnover of 90.8 billion euros in 2022, this world leader in food commerce is a key player in
To accelerate and unite as many partners as possible around this objective, Carrefour is launching a coalition with 7 major industrialists who are joining it from its creation:
Danone
Unilever
Beautiful
Andros
Bonduelle
Nutrition & Health
Savencia
Everyone is committed to achieving €3 billion in turnover on plant-based alternatives by 2026, through a set of common actions.
A Coalition for Environmentally Friendly and Accessible Food
In a context where concern for the environment is intensifying, a coalition of major players in the food industry is forming to meet the growing demand from consumers looking for food that is both more accessible and more respectful of the environment.
The rise of flexitarianism and vegetarianism is undeniable. Between 2015 and 2023, the number of households with at least one person defining themselves as flexitarian doubled, from 25% to 45%. Likewise, the share of households with at least one vegetarian person has also doubled, now reaching 3.0%. This trend reflects a profound change in the eating habits of consumers, who are increasingly turning to plant-based proteins.
In addition to the search for new flavors and the adoption of a healthier diet, plant-based alternatives also present themselves as a response to growing inflation. Plant proteins, such as lentils or peas, offer an economical alternative to more expensive animal proteins.
Beyond the economic aspect, the incorporation of plant proteins into the diet presents a considerable environmental advantage. Food represents nearly a quarter of France's greenhouse gas emissions(1), and diversifying your diet with plant proteins is an effective way to reduce these emissions.
A major initiative in this direction comes from Carrefour, which has committed to reducing its indirect CO2 emissions by 29% by 2030as part of its Carrefour 2026 strategic plan. The increase in sales of plant-based products will play a significant role in achieving this ambitious goal.
A coalition bringing together major industrialists and open to all
This unique coalition brings together Carrefour, its distributor brand, and seven other industrial partners. These actors operate in a wide range of complementary product categories, ranging from plant-based drinks to legumes, including ready meals, plant-based desserts, and even imitation meat products. They have already proven themselves by working together during major events such as “The Best of Plants” in 2022, organized under the aegis of Carrefour, or even during the international plant start-up competition in June of the same year.
To guarantee the progress of this initiative, the coalition will set up a steering committee composed of representatives of the eight founding actors. This committee will meet regularly to evaluate the results obtained and define the collective commercial operations to be implemented.
Among the major objectives of the coalition, we include the launch of new plant product references, the search for innovations to improve tastes and flavors, the organization of significant promotional events , offering recipes to customers to make cooking these new products easier, as well as sharing good practices promoting the development of plant-based alternatives.
This coalition, by bringing together leading players around a common objective, paves the way for food that is more respectful of the environment, accessible to all, and capable of meeting the growing expectations of consumers looking for new flavors and a more sustainable lifestyle.
It remains to be seen whether the products offered will be balanced, of quality and will not represent anultimate vegan version like the green counterpart of industrialized meat junk food, a growing criticism made of vegetarian food which risks go more and more hand in hand with its development on the market and competition from large groups, and whether prices will in fact be, for consumers, more affordable.
To be continued.
Eloïse Maillot
(1)Ministry of ecological transition and territorial cohesion, “The breakdown of the carbon footprint of France's national demand by consumption items: transport, food, housing, equipment and services », Working paper, 2022.