Next week European supermarket giants, civil society, academics, & policymakers gather in Berlin for ‘What’s in Store: Retail & The Future of Protein’ summit. 🛒 Explore ‘disgusting food’ & enjoy a retail safari. 🥦🍔 Getting FOMO? Apply now

Madre Brava is hiring our first Global Digital Communications Manager. We’re looking for a mission-driven storyteller who knows food, climate and sustainability, and how to make digital comms cut through. If that’s you, apply here: madre-brava.breezy.hr #hiring #climatejobs

The future is blended! 🍔🥕 Blended products combine animal protein w/ plant-based protein (eg. lentils and mushrooms) to improve nutrition while reducing climate impact of the food. Our CEO attended the Future of Protein Production in Chicago to discuss the next wave of protein production looks like!

👏🏽 Plant-based is surging in the UK! Tesco reports +25% sales of plant-based mince, yet the Superlist 2026 shows none of the three major UK retailers (ASDA, Sainsbury's and Tesco) have set a specific target to up the share of plant-based proteins in sales while reducing sales of animal proteins.

Lidl Netherlands is leading again! The supermarket announced its aim for 46% of food sales to meet the “Wheel of Five” by 2030, aligning with Dutch national dietary guidelines. This comes right after Lidl Netherlands was ranked first in the Superlist Environment Europe. Read more: shorturl.at/WNLFA

It’s World Pulses Day! 🫘 Our report Meat’s affordability crisis shows the UK price gap between meat and pulses is widening: meat costs are rising, pulses stay stable. With living costs soaring, pulses are a healthy, affordable protein we should eat more of!

As Madre Brava grows across Europe, we’re grateful for an outstanding Board whose expertise in food systems, business, policy & social change guides our work. With their support, we’re excited for what we’ll build together in 2026 🌱

Madre Brava is excited to welcome Zinnia Chacón as our new Spain Director! 🎉 Her appointment launches our work in Spain. A lawyer-economist and seasoned campaigner (ex-Oxfam), Zinnia will build partnerships to scale plant-based abundance for people and planet.

Madre Brava welcomes Moritz Möller as our new Germany Director! Former Planethic/Veganz CMO & board member, IPO comms lead & award-winning storyteller, Moritz will work with our Germany Associate Director Florian to help German supermarkets expand plant-based choice for healthier people & planet 🌱

Across Europe, great work is helping them deliver healthier, more sustainable food. Madre Brava has joined ProVeg International, World Resources Institute & World Wild Fund for Nature to unite retailers and NGOs under one shared “North Star” of transforming retail food systems.

🌿 In Brussels, negotiators are debating banning terms like ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ for plant-based foods in the EU. But 600+ organisations, Sir Paul McCartney, and more than 300K citizens argue there's #noconfusion over veggie burgers. Add your voice:

🇳🇱 The Netherlands just updated its dietary guidelines to include planetary health, joining 36 countries. New advice: shift to 60:40 plant:animal proteins, eat more legumes, less red & processed meat. A big step toward diets that are better for people and the planet. 🌱🌍

🇹🇭 Big news for Thailand’s food future! NXPO, a Thai government agency, is publicly backing a shift to a more plant-rich food system - the first public sector in the country to do so, citing health of people & biodiversity as reasons for this shift. Read: www.nationthailand.com/sustaination...

🚨 Meat's affordability crisis 🚨 New data, analysed by Madre Brava, show meat prices in the UK rising faster than plant proteins. Our briefing, out today, found: 📉 Fresh meat sales dropped in 2025. 🫘 Beans & pulses stayed relatively affordable. 💷 Tofu is cheaper than most meats

Meat & dairy drive more GHG emissions than planes, trains & cars combined, yet food system change is still overlooked. In an article for Alliance mag, Madre Brava CEO Vicky Bond outlines why fixing our food is urgent and how funders can help. Read here - www.alliancemagazine.org/magazine/iss...

On 10 Dec, EU institutions will debate the proposed “burger ban” - restricting words like "burger" or "sausage" on plant-based foods. 80% of surveyed consumers aren’t confused, which begs the question: is this about clarity or control? Sign the petition & say #noconfusion 👉🏽

Do you know your country’s dietary guidelines and do you follow them? Finland updated theirs in 2024 to prioritise health and sustainability, and it’s working. Tofu sales jumped 17%, veggies & beans are up, and meat (esp. cold cuts) is down. What can other countries learn from this?

Great meetings happen over plant-based local meals! 🌱 Our CPO Nico Muzi & Thailand Director Wich spent the week in Bangkok discussing how to boost plant-rich diets and drive protein diversification with partners like WWF Thailand. Excited for Thailand’s leadership in the protein transition!

Plant-based "Healthy Thai Diet" outperformed "Conventional Thai Diet", with participants losing body weight, lowered blood pressure & diabetics reduced medications by 30%. Read more at: he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/ra... and www.thelancet.com/commissions-...

🇩🇪🌱 German farmers could become world leaders in plant-based protein! In his TopAgrar op-ed, Madre Brava’s Florian Wall argues Germany can lead in plant-based, biotech & high-welfare proteins - if the sector aligns and supermarkets back farmers’ transition. Read: www.topagrar.com/management-u...

Our Germany Campaigns Consultant Florian Wall published an opinion piece in TopAgrar, Germany's leading farming outlet! He argues German farmers can become global leaders in plant-based protein production with the right support. Read how 👉🏽

🚀 A historic shift in German supermarkets! According to latest study by ProVeg, a plant-based basket is now 5% cheaper than an animal-based one: down from +16% last year. Lidl leads with 18% savings, followed by ALDI Nord (13%), ALDI Süd (11%) & PENNY (7%). Full study - proveg.org/de/proveg-pr...

Our UK Director Sara Ayech joined the Blue Earth Summit, a 3-days event bringing together sustainability leaders to rethink food, oceans & energy. 🌍 Top takeaways: 🥗 Food innovation is climate action ⚖️ Balance ambition with affordability 🌱 Walk the talk with plant-based choices

🤖 German retailer Rewe pilots AI solution to assess its protein split! Partnering with KPMG, this solution allows them to map its animal vs. plant protein sales in just 10 weeks, a task that could’ve taken a year. 🌱

🚀 Exciting times for Madre Brava in the UK! Our team met in London to welcome our new UK Director, Sara Ayech. We're gearing up to boost plant proteins in supermarkets. Sara will explore how they can hit climate targets cost-effectively. Stay tuned! #Sustainability #PlantProtein

🛒 Supermarkets: The invisible architects of our diets! They use strategic tactics to control what we buy: eye-level placement boosts sales, product loss leaders draw you in, strategic variety prevents choice paralysis. (read more in thread)

Joe Wicks' new documentary on protein bars has reignited the Ultra Processed Foods debate. Food expert Prof Tim Spector noted that Wick is oversimplifying the complex science and called for less fear and more practical help. Not all UPFs are created equal!

At Madre Brava, we’re proud to be part of global conversations on making food healthier, more sustainable & affordable 🌍🥕 In Sept, our team participated in key events in 🇵🇱🇹🇭🇺🇸 to push for a better food system. But as our CEO Vicky Bond says: we need MORE dialogue about food given its impact!

🌱 At our panel on plant-based proteins during Bangkok Climate Week, we revealed that Thailand's meat & seafood substitutes market is set to grow 43% in 5 years. A big opportunity for major meat producers in the country to ramp up investment in this growing market!

We're thrilled to welcome Sara Ayech as our UK Director at Madre Brava! With almost 20 years in climate and social justice, she’ll drive the shift to more plant-based foods in UK supermarkets. Join us in welcoming her and explore our UK ambitions! #foodsystems #climatechange

🥗🫀On #WorldHeartDay, 20 organisations representing civil society, health associations and medical professionals say it loud: Europe cannot cut cardiovascular disease without tackling unhealthy diets. Read our letter 👉✉️ foodpolicycoalition.eu/wp-content/u... ____________

Would you drink a chicken breast smoothie? 🐔🥤Our Thailand Director Wich spotted these in Bangkok - proof of how deep our fear of protein deficiency runs. Read the full article here - www.madrebrava.org/latest/do-thai-people-really-need-to-drink-chicken-breast-smoothies

🗽 Madre Brava's CEO Vicky Bond will be at New York Climate Week this week! Vicky will be attending the following sessions: Tilt Food Day, School for Moral Ambition's 'Appetite for Change', and Food is Medicine: Eating for Health. Who else will be there? Let’s connect!

The protein transition via the supermarket shelves - Madre Brava open.substack.com/pub/futureof... @madrebrava.bsky.social @gfieurope.org @oxfutureoffood.bsky.social

Last week, Madre Brava's Senior German Associate Florian Wall attended CARE Conference, where he spoke about how a unified, cooperative international approach by plant-based advocates can effectively advance both sustainable food initiatives and animal welfare. 🐄 🌱

📢 9 in 10 healthcare pros across 5 European countries say we eat too much meat. New research shows concern over meat's health impact and support for food system reform. 📊 Read the full story for more insights - www.madrebrava.org/latest/euro-doctors-alarmed-over-meat-consumption---survey

🥬 How can plant-based + animal welfare campaigns join forces for greater impact? Madre Brava’s Florian Ludwig Wall joins a panel at #CARE2025 to explore this & more on Sept 12, 12:30–1:30pm. 🎟️ Tickets still available: eventory.cc/event/care-c... DM if you're going! 👋

What is the protein transition and why are supermarkets such an important part of achieving it? 💡 Our CEO, Vicky Bond, talks to Alex Crisp about why the protein shift is inevitable, and how Madre Brava works with supermarkets to lead the transition.

As a fully remote team, we love when colleagues get the chance to meet up in person! Recently, our CPO Nico Muzi and German Senior Associate Florian Wall met in Brussels. In between work meetings and discussions, they also made it a point to have a BBQ at home. Work-life balance, the remote way! 🔥

Another strong signal that Lidl is the one to watch 👀 Lidl GB just launched its 'Live Well' logo—the UK’s first health marker aligned with the Planetary Health Diet 🌍🥦 We applaud this bold move and call on @Tesco to follow suit for healthier, more sustainable food choices!

🚀 Thailand is ready to lead the protein transition! MB recently joined an inspiring event in Bangkok, where NGOs gathered to share valuable insights about their work in food, environment, health & animal welfare in Thailand. Thailand's future as a leader in the protein transition is bright!

🥦 Madre Brava has joined the Eating Better Alliance! Madre Brava's vision is a world with sustainable, healthy, affordable food for everyone. For us, this means more plants and fewer animal products. We're delighted to join the Alliance as we work towards the protein transition! shorturl.at/SyLdJ

🍲 Did you know Thai food is plant-rich by nature? Last week, our Thailand Director joined the Plant-rich Food Forum in Bangkok, where farmers, health experts, CSOs & gov leaders explored Thailand’s shift toward more plant proteins. Watch to see what food was served at the event!

🥦🌏 Want to celebrate #WorldNatureConservationDay? Start with your plate! Thailand, the world's largest exporter of poultry, is losing forests fast due to animal agriculture - fueling floods, landslides & deadly air pollution.

💥 BIG news: The German Agriculture Minister publicly supports a protein transition in the Germany! A new report calls for a fair food system in Germany - incl. VAT parity for plant-based foods, something that Madre Brava has been advocating for. Read the report here - www.bmleh.de/SharedDocs/D...

🇩🇪 The protein transition in happening in Germany! Livestock numbers drop: a decline of 25.6% and 18.3% in pig and cattle respectively in the past decade, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

🔥 Amid the summer heatwave, our Head of Research Sarah Ison attended the Global Climate and Health Summit in London. Sarah represented Madre Brava's mission to drive a bold shift to more plants in food, something which is good for our health, and that of the planet.

How can we help people make more sustainable food choices? A study reviewed 13 out of 93 techniques from the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy to find out what works best to encourage more sustainable food choices. Scroll to see results! Full study here👉🏽 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

A just protein transition must include farmers! 🌱 Our Thailand Director spoke at "Protein Balance for a Sustainable World" about empowering farmers trapped in industrial meat supply chains. We need voices of food producers in food system change. Know farmers who've gone independent? Share with us!

The tax system is holding back Germany's plant-based revolution, and it is time to change that! Dairy gets 7% VAT vs 19% for plant-based—a 12% gap that keeps sustainable choices expensive. Sign the petition by Rewe and Oatly to level the playing field and make change accessible 🥛 shorturl.at/jW1U9