The plant-based sector: an Italian perspective

Abstract

Recently, the animal meat industry has been widely attacked because of three main concerns; the animal welfare concern, the sustainability aspect, and, lastly, the health concern. Consumers are always more willing to switch to plant-based alternatives which are mainly divided into dairy and meat alternatives. This study highlights how categories and created and, in particular, how the plant-based industry was born. In Italy, the food and beverage sector is strongly related to tradition and to fresh products. Despite the average Italian consumer might be less willing to try new products, the plant-based sector is experiencing a dramatic growth also in Italy. The aim of the research is to analyze the Italian plant-based meat market, how customers are responding to these new products, and what are the main challenges to overcome. Direct experiences of Italian and multinational companies working in the sector have been collected through interviews on the following macro topics: main challenges, main opportunities of growth, target consumers and principal players of the value chain. The responses show that there is still lots of space in the market to compete, the main challenge is convincing the consumer to try something new, price and technology are key aspects to successfully compete, and that to become a big player it is necessary to consolidate the brand also beyond national borders. The responses of the interviewed companies could serve as a stimulus for companies in the food and beverage industry that are wishing to innovate and enter the plant-based industry, or for small companies, such as startups, that are willing to consolidate their position in the market.