The Co-operative Group is reportedly cutting the price of its plant-based sausages and burgers for pushing back against the unfair costs of vegan food. As per sources familiar with the matter, customers trying to give up or reduce meat often complain that alt-meat has exorbitant prices as compared to real meat.
Considering this, the Co-op is making an investment of seven figures in its vegan array Gro. The prices of some products, comprising sausages and burgers, have been more than halved for bringing them into line with the meat-based equivalent that is sold in the group’s 2,600 stores.
In spite of concerns regarding the high prices that are charged, the sales of plant-based food products broke through the barrier of £1 billion in 2020, with number of shoppers of alt-milk and meat-free substitutes being 13 million. And regardless of the hardship of lockdown, almost 600,000 people across the globe attempted Veganuary, which is up from a value of 400,000 in the year 2020.
According to Co-op Food Chief Executive, Jo Whitfield, the consumption of plant-based food should not cost more money. Whitfield further stated that this is a market wide standard that plant-based options are usually priced higher as compared to their dairy and meat counterparts. This divergence is unfair to those that are following vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian diets.
As per a recent survey, vegan products are 14% more expensive as compared to their non-vegan equivalent for every serving. However, this differed remarkably with some vegan products that cost almost three times the price.
As per reports, the Co-op has promised for the provision of annual updates on its progress towards reaching net zero. The group has also linked Whitfield’s pay to targets of carbon reduction. Other steps that are being taken comprise switching the company’s 200-strong home delivery fleet to EVs. To add on, the company is setting up an innovation fund for backing initiatives associated with carbon reduction research and development.
Source credit: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/may/05/co-op-slashes-the-price-of-plant-based-food-in-quest-for-net-zero-emissions
