Action Plan

In 2023 the Danish Government – as the first country in the world – published an “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 challenges ranging from health to environment.

Financing the transition

In 2021, the Danish government initiated 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. According to the law governing the Grant, 50% of the funds are earmarked to organic plant-based initiatives. In November 2024 a large majority in the Danish Parliament agreed to increase the funding to 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.

New dietary guidelines

New dietary guidelines were introduced in Denmark in 2021. Recommendations are to eat more vegetables and 100 grams of legumes per day and reduce the intake of meat to no more than 350 grams a week. The Dietary Guidelines were inspired by the EAT-lancet report.

Additional subsidy to grow foods for human consumption

In 2021 a new plant-based subsidy for farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union (EU) was agreed 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.