Food system changes do not happen fast. It’s an evolving process where also the smaller steps matter. In Hungary, there has been a positive development, and things are progressing.
“We have for many years worked relentlessly with authorities to develop our food system to be more in line with healthier diets, and in, for instance, Budapest, we have seen progress, where the city today has a higher focus on plant-based diets,” says István Miskolczi, Managing Director at NÉGYOSZ, The Hungarian Association of Plant-Based Food Producers and Distributors.
NÉGYOSZ has also worked on a national level, both with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health. And after the election in April this year, the many years of work are beginning to pay off.
“We now know that the new government is planning to reduce VAT on fruits and vegetables from 27% to 5%. And they are even considering expanding this reduction to also include legumes in the future,” says István Miskolczi.
The dialogue between civil society and the Ministry of Agriculture has evolved since April, and NÉGYOSZ is in structured conversations with the ministry, where they are tasked to summarize the challenges in the plant-based sector – and to identify potential solutions.
“We believe that what Hungary needs to drive development and progress in our food system is a Sustainable Food Strategy. We have been looking much to Denmark and the Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods for inspiration, and we hope to get something similar in Hungary. And bringing the Danish case to Hungary as was done in November 2025, really helps our efforts on this matter” says István Miskolczi.
New Climate Law
The new Hungarian Government is also working on a new climate law. The law was to be presented in June 2026, but has been postponed until November, with parliamentary adoption expected in December.
“For NÉGYOSZ, it’s been key that the new climate law also included some wording on food systems, and we have been working closely with a large group of civil society groups on this. And so far, it looks like we have been successful, but we still have to wait until final adoption before we can celebrate,” says István Miskolczi.