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Support for Plant-Based Foods gains momentum

“It is fitting that this report is being launched at India’s very first plant-based foods summit where we have taken the first step in bringing this report to life by creating a network of organizations, food handlers, startups, scientists, and policymakers.

— PBFIA Executive Director Sanjay Sethi

The inaugural Plant-Based Foods Summit, organized by India’s Plant Based Foods Industry Association recently in New Delhi saw support for the plant-based foods industry in India.

The Plant-Based Foods Summit ended with the presentation of a pivotal position paper, ‘The Dawn of a Plant-Based Age – India to lead the way to world food security and nutrition’ to Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the Plant-Based Foods Summit’s guest of honour.

This position paper was sponsored and developed in partnership with the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), a US-based trade organization led by CEO Rachel Dreskin who also gave a presentation during the event. The paper provided insights and an overview of the global plant-based foods market and potential opportunities that would enable India to lead the way to global food security and nutrition. This PBFIA flagship publication aimed to raise awareness among Indian policymakers about the need for supporting India’s young and expanding plant-based foods sector.

Prahlad Singh Patel supported the potential for India’s plant-based foods industry to expand. In his remarks to the summit attendees, he said: “By minimizing compliance, we can quickly develop this industry. I am urging the need to develop the scientific parameters and supply chains that will allow us to showcase the Indian cuisine culture that has represented us for centuries.”

PBFIA hopes to create a joint task force between the Ministry of  Food Processing Industries, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to achieve key goals that would ensure India capitalising on the exponential potential of the plant-based foods sector.

PBFIA Executive Director Sanjay Sethi said, “It is fitting that this report is being launched at India’s very first plant-based foods summit where we have taken the first step in bringing this report to life by creating a network of organizations, food handlers, startups, scientists, and policymakers. Moving forward, we will campaign for policy reforms to eliminate trade restrictions and unfair practices that restrict the industry’s growth.”

“I am hopeful for what the collaboration between PBFA and PBFIA and our partners across the globe will yield and how that will bring us closer to the kind of food system and future that we all envision.”

Rachel Dreskin, PBFA CEO

Key measures from the task force include strengthening attention on local manufacturing and the export of value-added products; initiatives to support regenerative agriculture to promote a sustainable food system and ease production via low-cost, efficient farming techniques; assistance for start-ups to help them make use of government support and facilitate connections with investors; establish attainable quality standards; ascertain efforts to establish cold chain facilities and processing units.

“Through the International Plant Based Foods Working Group, PBFA, PBFIA, and five other international trade organizations are coming together with the purpose of aligning on high-level strategy to address gaps and opportunities to advance the plant-based food sector globally,” said Rachel Dreskin. “I am hopeful for what the collaboration between PBFA and PBFIA and our partners across the globe will yield and how that will bring us closer to the kind of food system and future that we all envision.”

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Roma Ghosh
Roma Ghosh
Roma Ghosh has recently retired as Associate Professor for Media Studies from an international university. She was with the Times of India as a correspondent for many years. Her passion is cooking and she has been doing recipes and photo shoots for Women's Era for the last 15-odd years.

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