The Danish Approach
Denmark is the country with largest animal production per capita in the world. Yet, the country has succesfully adopted groundbreaking policies paving the way for more plant-based foods and diets to be part of the national food system. This was done by finding common ground between politicians, farmers, businesses and NGOs on the constructive focus of promoting more plant-based foods - not less animal-based foods.
The Plant Food Summit is integrating this very focus in all of its programme in the hopes to share valuable experiences for stakeholders across the European continent to be inspired from.
Learn more about the process and outcomes of the Danish approach below.
A National Action Plan
In 2023 the Danish Government – as the first country in the world – published a Danish Action Plan for Plant-based Foods. The plan was presented by Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Jacob Jensen from
The Liberal Party of Denmark. Jacob Jensen is a farmer himself, and The Liberal Party of Denmark has
deep roots within farming communities.
In the preface to the action plan, the minister states that “Plant-based foods are the future” and that increasing the production and consumption of plant-based foods will help solve a whole list of societal challenges ranging from health to environment.
New Dietary Guidelines
New official dietary guidelines were introduced in Denmark in 2021. For the first time ever the guidelines do not only guide Danes on how to eat healthier, but also on how to eat with a lower climate footprint.
One of the central recommendations is to eat plant-rich, varied and not too much. Legumes, nuts and seeds are mentioned as good sources for protein. It is recommended to eat 100g of legumes per day.
The dietary guidelines were inspired by the EAT-lancet report.
In 2021, the Danish government established the Plant-Based Food Grant. An initiative that financially supports consumption and production of plant-based foods through a variety of projects throughout the value chain, from the farm to the consumer. In November 2024 a large majority in the Danish Parliament agreed to increase the funding for the Plant-Based Food Grant with 60 million EUR, an increase that makes the total allocation to the fund over 170 million EUR until 2030.
Focused Financial Support
Furthermore, a plant-based subsidy for farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union (EU) was in 2021 agreed upon in the Danish Parliament. Danish farmers can now apply for an additional subsidy if they grow foods for human consumption. If they can’t sell their produce for human consumption, they are allowed to feed it to animals. Therefore, to make this subsidy a success, consumption of plant-based foods will have to increase.
Interested in finding common ground amongst stakeholders
in your own country?
In the months and years after Plant Food Summit 2025, we offer to send delegations of Danish stakeholders visiting your home country in order to build capacity and stimulate solution-oriented collaboration
as part of the project Danish Plant-Based Diplomacy.
Danish Plant-Based Diplomacy supports national dialogues on plant-based food and its role in a more sustainable food system across the EU, using peer-to-peer inspiration to engage influential stakeholders. By fostering cross-value-chain communication and focusing on pragmatic, locally adapted solutions, the initiative aims to build common ground. Its sole focus on ‘more plants’ to the benefit of farmers, public health and food security ensures constructive collaboration.
Learn more about and engage with Danish Plant-Based Diplomacy here.