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
New Delhi, May 26, 2022 – Support for the plant-based foods industry in India was at the forefront of a momentous week leading up to the inaugural Plant-Based Foods Summit, organized by India’s Plant-Based Foods Industry Association, which took place in New Delhi. The Plant-Based Foods Summit culminated with the presentation of a pivotal position paper called 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 honor.
This pivotal position paper was sponsored and developed in partnership with the Plant-Based Foods Association (PBFA), a U.S.-based trade organization led by CEO Rachel Dreskin. She also gave a presentation during the event. The paper provides insights and an overview of the global plant-based foods market and potential opportunities to enable India to lead the way to global food security and nutrition. This PBFIA flagship publication aims to raise awareness among Indian policymakers about the need to support India’s young and expanding plant-based foods sector.
Prahlad Singh Patel strongly supports the potential for India’s plant-based foods industry to expand. During his remarks to summit attendees, he stated: ”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.”
With the support of Prahlad Singh Patel and the international community, PBFIA hopes for the creation of a joint task force between the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to achieve key goals that will ensure India can capitalize 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.”
Key measures from the task force will be to strengthen attention on local manufacturing and the export of value-added products; assistance for Startups 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 PBFA CEO 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.” As progress to expand the plant-based food sector in India grows, representatives from the PBFA and IPBFWG look forward to working alongside PBFIA and providing strategic support to bring about a sustainable future where plant-based foods are accessible to all.
