The protein transition in the Netherlands, Europe, and globally is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water use, land use, and deforestation. Local plant protein production can enhance climate resilience, reduce reliance on imports, and support biodiversity.  

Accelerating the protein transition poses a complex systemic problem. It requires coordinated interventions by governments, companies, consumers and citizen initiatives. Research has shown the pivotal role of supply chains and economic instruments but has also established the need to look beyond the market to have a real impact on the protein transition. Without additional interventions, focusing on prices and markets can be detrimental to consumers (after all, food is a primary necessity of life), producers, and the environment.

Acceleration requires a complex web of supply chain changes and must consider market distortions, the role of social movements, joint management of agriculture, environment and resources, health benefits and concerns, consumer acceptance and resistance, regulatory challenges and fairness. This complexity underlines the need for comprehensive solutions that address all these aspects rather than quick fixes that focus only on individual aspects. 

In this project, SEVEN explores the viability of economic instruments like pricing to accelerate the protein transition. It will do so in a transdisciplinary approach, involving disciplines such as economics, social psychology, business administration, political science, law, and humanities, combined with knowledge from the natural and health sciences on possible innovations of plant-based diets.  

We will work with key stakeholders, including (local) government and policy makers, farmers and producers, retailers, consumers, investors, and advocacy groups. In participatory formats, they will be involved in identifying possible solutions and barriers and testing what type of interventions may work.

The project aims to produce concrete results that show stakeholders which combinations of interventions can help accelerate the transition to more plant-based nutrition, and how adjustments in supply chains, markets, behaviour and management of agriculture, environment and resources can contribute to this.