Words by Smiley Team
Arguably, going vegan can cost up to hundreds of pounds a year more than buying environmentally harmful products such as cheap meat. Opening up veganism to less wealthy shoppers, the Co-operative has slashed the prices of its GRO range of meat alternatives.
From 5th May, the UK’s fifth biggest food retailer will invest over £1.7 million in reducing the price of 29 products, saving vegans over a hundred pounds a year in an unprecedented move for the industry. As a result, its vegan products will sink in price to match the cost of their meat equivalents.
Among the items to drop in price, vegan sausages will cost £1.45 down from £3, burgers will switch from £3 to £1.35 and meat free mince will drop from £3 to £1.75, offering shoppers cheap vegan food.
“It’s an industry-wide standard that plant-based alternatives are usually priced higher than their meat and dairy counterparts,” said Co-op Food CEO, Jo Whitfield. “At Co-op, we believe it shouldn’t cost you more money to eat plant-based food and that this disparity is unfair to those following vegetarian, vegan and flexitarian diets.”
She added: “It’s Co-op’s ambition to make our plant-based range, GRO, even more accessible to our members and customers, helping them make decisions that collectively will have an impact on the world we all share.”
Chief Executive of the Vegetarian Society, Lynne Elliot, welcomed the news, saying, “We support any move that makes plant-based food more accessible with fewer barriers to purchase. Eating a plant-based diet is one of the best things you can do to help reduce your carbon footprint and it’s delicious.”
This move comes after the Co-op adopted a 10-point climate change action plan, a blueprint for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040.
The plan sets out how the supermarket will go carbon neutral across its production processes, operations and products within the next five years. It also involves funding carbon reduction research and further promoting plant-based food. To remain transparent about how it will achieve its goals, the Co-op will publish annual progress reports.
Jo said: “Emissions from our operations and our own-brand products are where we have the greatest responsibility and can make the biggest difference. This move is a step in the right direction and we encourage other retailers and brands to consider making the change too.”
As a co-operative, the supermarket is owned and run by individual members, making it entirely accountable to the people it serves.
Help empower people to adopt a more sustainable diet by donating to the Vegetarian Society here.
