Sowing Seeds of Change: PBFA Members Lobby on Capitol Hill for Policies to Support Plant-Based Foods

Written by: Annie Taranshansky

This month, PBFA members and staff gathered in Washington D.C. to lobby for the plant-based foods industry on Capitol Hill. This was the largest and most concerted advocacy effort known yet for our industry. Led by PBFA Board President Nicole Sopko, PBFA CEO Rachel Dreskin, and PBFA Senior Director of Policy Marjorie Mulhall, this trade association effort included representatives from nearly 20 of PBFA’s 200 member companies — including Danone, Impossible Foods, Oatly, TiNDLE, and Upton’s Naturals. PBFA was also joined by representatives from the HBCU College of Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine. Participants joined us from all around the country for this momentous Hill event, demonstrating how committed our members are to strengthening the impact and influence of the plant-based foods industry.

Advocating for a Fair Legislative and Regulatory Landscape for Plant-Based Foods

We were lucky to be joined by a dedicated, impassioned, and diverse group of industry leaders, who effectively communicated our policy priorities to the offices and staff of nearly 40 congressional offices as well as staff for the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.

“The plant-based foods industry is a growing economic force all across the country, creating thousands of U.S. jobs and providing new opportunities for American farmers to grow crops like oats, beans, and mushrooms to fuel the plant-based market,” shared PBFA CEO Rachel Dreskin.

Our asks were straight-foward, yet crucial to providing a just and scalable framework from which our industry can succeed and support sustainable food system transformation: 1) Oppose harmful labeling legislation that stands to stifle innovation and limit the ability of consumers to make informed choices that align with their interests, 2) Urge President Biden to increase plant-based options in federal facilities on behalf of the Senate, following a congressional letter signed by 55 House offices, 3) Cosponsor the PLANT Act in an effort to ensure that farmers and companies producing plant-based foods are eligible for USDA programs and assistance.

“With consumer demand for plant-based foods pushing U.S. retail sales to $8 billion, it is clear that there is significant, sustained interest in these products,” said PBFA Senior Director of Policy Marjorie Mulhall. “Strengthening our industry’s advocacy and influence is key to ensuring scalable production and prioritization of plant-based foods as demand grows.”

In addition to our Hill meetings, PBFA also hosted members and Hill staffers for an evening reception and convened key agency speakers to share their top priorities and objectives with our Lobby Day participants and to answer questions from the group.

Why Plant-Forward Policy is Crucial to the Growth of Our Industry

PBFA’s policy work includes defending plant-based companies’ right to use common sense labeling terms, ensuring federal dietary guidelines accurately represent the many benefits of plant-based eating, and meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to educate them about the health, sustainability, and economic benefits that plant-based foods have to offer. Ultimately, our policy team works to advance our industry—and empowers our members to amplify their voices, stay up-to-date and informed on key legislative and regulatory issues, and take powerful joint action on behalf of our community.

Our work is not over, and this organization-wide advocacy effort constitutes an important step to growing our industry’s profile on Capitol Hill and with other key decision-makers. PBFA’s policy team looks forward to organizing similar, future events in Washington D.C. and beyond.