UK supermarket Co-op has dropped the prices of vegan meat alternatives to match the cost of animal products in sustainability drive.
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Sick of paying more for vegan meat alternatives? The Co-op has got your back.
As part of a new sustainability drive to reach carbon-neutral by 2025, the Co-op is dropping the prices of its plant-based sausages, burgers and mince to price-match their animal-based counterparts.
This price drop will see its Gro range vegan sausages fall from £3 to £1.45, while burgers will now cost just £1.35 rather than £3 – over 50% off.
By removing the added cost, Co-op is hoping to tempt customers into choosing more eco-friendly options such as vegan meat alternatives.
This is because, for a lot of people, vegan alternatives aren’t as accessible or budget-friendly as animal products. Therefore, dropping the prices to match animal-based meats will enable more people to try plant-based products.
The Co-op has said that the quality and ingredients of these products will not change with the price drop, instead, it has invested £1.7 million into the range to reduce the price.
Carbon-neutral at Co-op
In addition to encouraging more eco-friendly food choices, the Co-op is also launching a Ten-Point Climate Plan to achieve carbon neutrality.
This involves making its 200-strong home delivery fleet fully electric, ending the use of fossil fuels, and cutting down on packaging.
Moreover, the retailer has called on the government to make it mandatory for businesses to report their greenhouse gas emissions to the state and will be reporting voluntarily until this is passed.
‘Addressing the urgent need to tackle the climate crisis’
Co-op Food chief executive Jo Whitfield said: “We are facing a monumental climate change crisis entirely of our own making. We must recognise that we are in part responsible and that we have to do more and quicker.
“Today, we are sharing the action we are taking, unveiling a comprehensive plan rooted in science. Emissions from our operations and our own-brand products are where we have the greatest responsibility and can make the biggest difference.
“Now when our members buy Co-op branded products and services we give local causes a helping hand and we’ll be addressing the urgent need to tackle the climate crisis. Funding schemes worldwide to tackle carbon emissions and supporting reforestation in the UK.”
We love the ambitious targets set by Co-op and we hope that other major supermarkets follow their lead to end the price gap between animal products and plant-based alternatives.
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