A plant-based diet consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices. At the same time, it excludes all animal products, including red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. In recent years there has been an enormous increase in the production and sales of plant-based and vegan foods worldwide, and further growth is expected. In fact, the
is expected to reach 77.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2025. This move away from animal-based foods toward a more plant-based diet seems to be happening everywhere, faster in some regions and slower in others. In the Nordic countries, both the
Why are plant-based products so popular among Nordic consumers?
In a survey, respondents from
Denmark,
Norway, and
Sweden who bought vegetarian food at least sporadically were asked what is most important to them when purchasing plant-based products. Taste was found to be the most critical factor, as it was mentioned most often by respondents in all three countries. In contrast, the sustainability of plant-based food products was given less priority by Nordic consumers. A survey conducted in Sweden investigated
the potential obstacles that consumers face in buying sustainable foods. The frequently mentioned barriers were high prices, lack of information about the environmental and social impact of food, and unclear labeling.
Giant of the industry: Oatly
The Swedish company Oatly AB is one of the global leaders in the milk alternatives market. The company sells plant-based oat milk and products like oat cream, sour cream, and even oat ice cream, and has grown from a relatively unknown Swedish oat milk brand to a globally recognized giant of the industry. Outside of Scandinavia, Oatly was among the top five leading oat milk brands ranked by brand awareness in
the United States,
the United Kingdom, and
Germany in 2022. In the previous year, the company
generated revenues of 1.4 billion Swedish kronor in Europe (excluding the Nordics), 655 million Swedish kronor in the Nordic countries, and 811 million Swedish kronor in the rest of the world.
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