A new online poll by BVLH of 1,026 Germans run by a German federal association of German retailers analysed customers’ opinions about the plant-based alternatives offered and concluded that 21% believe the range of plant-based alternatives to animal products available in grocery stores is too small and that a higher number of options would lead to 29% of respondents buying more vegan products.
Other results of the poll are: 45% of 18- to 29-year-olds believe grocery stores have too few vegan products, as do 25% of 30- to 44-year-olds. Also, 21% with a net income below €2,500, 17% between €2,500 and €4,000, and 26% above €4,000 consider the number of vegan options to be limited. Regarding the promotion of the products, 51% of the respondents feel retailers should promote locally grown plant-based food to encourage consumer adoption.
Among people aged 18-29, 65% would buy more vegan food if it was locally made, compared to 54% for those between 30-44, and 52% for 45- to 59-year-olds. For people 60 and over, the number drops to 42%.
As far as politics is concerned, the study shows the prevalence of left-leaning people among vegans. The Green Party have the highest number of vegans (2%), vegetarians (14%), and flexitarians (53%), from those supporting the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) 2% are vegans, 6% are vegetarians, and 42% are flexitarians, while members of the pro-tech, pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) have no vegans in the survey, only 1% vegetarians and 43% flexitarians. The more right-leaning supporters of the Christian Democratic Union and its sister party Christian Social Union count more vegans (1%) and vegetarians (6%) than the FDP.
Some German MPs are proposing a change in the nation’s tax laws to reduce the current 19% VAT on plant-based milk and reach price parity with dairy (which is taxed at 7%). If passed, this will increase even more the interest in vegan alternatives.
