‘The Dawn of Plant-Based Age’ Conference at Aahar 2023 closes on a hopeful note

March 18th, 2023

‘The Dawn of Plant-Based Age’ Conference, held at Aahar 2023, in New Delhi was a grand success as the plant-based industry came together under one roof. The delegates discussed the industry’s potential and roadmap for growth among the presence of government bodies.

The conference, held on March 14, was organised by The Plant Based Foods Industry Association (PBFIA) with support from Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO).

The chief guest at the event was the Honourable Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar. During his speech, he highlighted the significance of consuming plant-based foods and pledged that the Ministry of Agriculture will take this into account in their future plans.

One of the major highlights of the event was the release of the report ‘Plant Based Foods – Challenges and Opportunities’ by PBFIA, in collaboration with Ernst & Young. Engrossing panel discussions took place at the event besides keynote addresses from speakers such as Sanjay Sethi, Executive Director of Plant Based Foods Industry Association and Dr Sudhanshu, Secretary of APEDA. 

Vegan First’s events producer Simran Sood represented the company as a speaker at this prestigious event. She shared her insights on making plant-based foods mainstream amongst our next generations who're woke and concerned about the planet and thus, want to make conscious choices. 

Some key pointers discussed by Simran Sood at the conference were:

• Businesses should look at making delicious and healthy plant-based foods at affordable prices for the youth to give them a try.
• We need to promote the social impact of veganism through campaigns and movements, and get the right influential people involved.
• We must position plant-based foods as cool, and not just cruelty-free.
• B2B partnerships can create good awareness among companies at a nascent stage.
• Increased partnerships with grocery stores and restaurants can make vegan food more easily available and easier for people to incorporate plant-based foods into their diets.
• We also need to invite non-vegans to try vegan food and help them understand that it’s equally delicious and nutritious.

A delicious and 100% vegan lunch was organised by the PBFIA. The buffet comprised an array of dishes created from the products of brands such as Vezlay, SoGood, Seaspire, Grabenord, Tangelo Ice creams and Zoipreet. The delegates, which comprised both vegans and non-vegans, were left impressed with the delectable food.

As plant-based foods are healthy and ethical, it is increasing the flexitarian population in the country. The responsibility is upon us to invest in the future and leave behind a legacy of change-makers, food revolutionaries, and planet healers. Don’t you agree?