ProVeg Nederland

{{Short description|Dutch foundation promoting plant-based food}}

{{Infobox organization

| logo = ProVeg International logo.webp

| logo_caption = Logo of the ProVeg International umbrella;
ProVeg Nederland does not have its own logo.

| type = Non-governmental organisation

| vat_id = KVK 53813596

| leader_title = Strategic Director

| leader_name = Pablo Moleman

| leader_title2 = Operations Director

| leader_name2 = Joey Cramer

| key_people =

| footnotes =

| name = ProVeg Nederland

| founded_date = {{start date and age|19 October 2011|df=yes}}

| founder = Veerle Vrindts, Pablo Moleman, Alex Romijn et al.

| affiliations = ProVeg International
ProVeg Deutschland

| location = Utrecht

| origins = Stichting Viva Las Vega's

| area_served = Netherlands

| status = Stichting

| purpose = Advancing a plant-based food system

| focus = Nutrition, health, ecology and animal ethics

| method = Information, support, campaigns

| homepage = [https://proveg.com/nl proveg.com/nl]

}}

ProVeg Nederland ({{IPAc-en|'|p|ɹ|ə|ʊ|v|ɛ|d|ʒ}}{{Citation|title=National Dietary Guidelines need to change|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrHfYmxG63U|language=en|access-date=2021-11-04}}), known as Viva Las Vega's (VLV) from 2011 to 2017,{{Cite web |url=https://www.vivalasvegas.nl/viva-las-vegas-wordt-proveg-nederland/ |title=Viva Las Vega's wordt ProVeg Nederland |publisher=ProVeg Nederland |date=7 November 2017 |access-date=5 January 2018}} is a Dutch foundation that aims to accelerate the transition towards a plant-based food system. The foundation's stated goal is to make it easier for consumers to eat plant-based more often and also to help companies address the growing demand in plant-based products.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vivalasvegas.nl/over-viva-las-vegas/ |title=Over Viva Las Vega's |publisher=ProVeg Nederland |access-date=5 January 2018}} ProVeg Nederland is a member of the international ProVeg International.

History

ProVeg Nederland started as an initiative in 2011 under the name Viva Las Vega's, when a group of students (including cofounders Veerle Vrindts, Pablo Moleman and Alex Romijn) organised a vegan festival, the Viva Las Vega's Festival, at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.Ad Valvas, 10 March 2011, photo without title, page 2. A foundation was formally established and the group started to develop other activities.

In 2017, Viva Las Vega's decided to commence cooperation with the new umbrella organisation ProVeg International, which has offices around the world. For better recognisability, the foundation therefore rebranded itself to ProVeg Nederland from 1 January 2018.

Activities

= Effective altruism =

The foundation operates according to the principles of effective altruism, meaning that its campaigns are based on research and real impact. The foundation performs its own research and cooperates with other organisations around the Netherlands to increase the effectiveness of vegan campaigning and explore new effective methods.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vivalasvegas.nl/dutch-raw-food-lifestyle-festival-2016/ |title=Dutch Raw Food & Lifestyle Festival 2016! |publisher=ProVeg Nederland |date=3 June 2016 |access-date=6 January 2018}}

= Festivals and fairs =

File:Vegxperience Stadstuinenfestival Almere 2017.jpg

The Viva Las Vega's Food Festival was relocated in 2012 to the De Hallen in downtown Amsterdam and became an annually recurring event.{{Cite web |url=http://www.amsterdamfm.nl/de-hallen-worden-vegetarisch-tijdens-viva-las-vegas/ |title=De Hallen worden vegetarisch tijdens Viva Las Vega's! |work=AmsterdamFM |date=21 July 2016 |access-date=5 January 2018}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.parool.nl/stadsgids/10-x-dit-moet-je-doen-dit-weekend~a4343057/ |title=10 x dit moet je doen dit weekend. 6. Vier het vegetarisme |author=Esther Villerius |work=Het Parool |date=21 July 2016 |access-date=5 January 2018}} There were also one time events held in Nijmegen and Rotterdam. Since 2016, ProVeg Nederland has been hosting the annual Dutch festival of VeggieWorld in Utrecht, replacing the earlier VLV Food Festivals. The first edition attracted over 7,600 visitors, making it the largest vegan fair in the Netherlands.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bnr.nl/radio/bnr-zakendoen-met/10009628/4-maart-media-monks-veggie-world-en-startup-pitches |title=Media Monks, Veggie World en startup pitches |author=Martje Schoemaker |work=Zakendoen met... |publisher=BNR Nieuwsradio |date=4 March 2016 |access-date=5 January 2018}}{{rp|at=52:30}} The 2020 VeggieWorld edition attracted 9,000 visitors.{{Cite web |url=https://www.foodclicks.nl/nieuws/bruisend-vegan-beurs-veggieworld-trekt-veel-aanhangers/ |title=Bruisend vegan beurs VeggieWorld trekt veel aanhangers |author=Steffen van Beek |work=Food Clicks |date=2 March 2020 |access-date=14 June 2020}} With the travelling exhibition Vegxperience, ProVeg Nederland also participates in other fairs and events. In December 2015, ProVeg organised the first vegan Christmas market in the Netherlands in Rotterdam-Noord{{Cite news |url=https://www.rijnmond.nl/nieuws/136386/Eerste-vega-kerstmarkt-strijkt-neer-in-Rotterdam |title=Eerste vega-kerstmarkt strijkt neer in Rotterdam |work=RTV Rijnmond |date=18 December 2015 |access-date=5 January 2018}} under the name "Viva Las Vega's Food Festival, Christmas Edition",{{Cite web |url=http://www.evenementkalender.nl/Rotterdam/Restaurant-Gare-Du-Nord/2015-12-18/-Viva-Las-Vegas-Food-Festival-Christmas-Edition-25604 |title=Viva Las Vega´s Food Festival - Christmas Edition |work=Evenementenkalender |date=2015 |access-date=5 January 2018}} succeeded by the "VeggieWorld WinterFair" in Expo Haarlemmermeer in December 2017.{{Cite news |url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/reizen/op-bezoek-bij-de-eerste-veganistische-kerstmarkt-van-nederland~a4544613/ |title=Op bezoek bij de eerste veganistische kerstmarkt van Nederland |author=Mac van Dinther |work=de Volkskrant |date=11 December 2017 |access-date=5 January 2018}}

= VeggieChallenge =

During the first festival in 2011, the VeggieChallenge was launched, a challenge to eat less meat for 30 days. Since its inception, over 20,000 people have taken part.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vivalasvegas.nl/veggiechallenge/ |title=VeggieChallenge |publisher=ProVeg Nederland |access-date=5 January 2018}} In 2013, the foundation and the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Veganisme (NVV) jointly initiated the VeganChallenge, whereby participants try to reduce their consumption of all animal products over the course of a month. The VeganChallenge was organised twice a year; the October 2015 edition had 2,700 participants. Every day people taking part received tips and recipes to cook and eat plant-based meals.{{Cite news |url=http://nos.nl/op3/artikel/2090859-gaat-het-nieuwe-vlees-het-oude-vlees-verslaan.html |title=Gaat het nieuwe vlees het oude vlees verslaan? |work=NOS op 3 |publisher=Nederlandse Omroep Stichting |date=5 March 2016 |access-date=5 January 2018}} Since June 2014, the NVV has continued the VeganChallenge on its own, while VLV and later ProVeg focused on growing the VeggieChallenge. In early 2019, ProVeg Nederland launched a crowdfunding campaign that garnered 15,000 euros develop a free app that allowed people to take up the VeggieChallenge, individually and internationally in any month, using their phones.{{Cite news |url=https://breda.nieuws.nl/nieuws/239393/nieuwe-gratis-app-helpt-vleesminderaars/ |title=Nieuwe gratis app helpt vleesminderaars |work=Breda Nieuws |date=1 October 2019 |access-date=16 June 2020 |language=nl}} Before the app's launch on World Vegan Day (1 November 2019), 100,000 people had participated in the VeggieChallenge over the course of 8 years; after the launch by all branches of ProVeg International, its website claimed over 250,000 people had internationally taken part in it as of June 2020.{{Cite web |url=https://proveg.com/nl/veggie-challenge/ |title=VeggieChallenge - Eet 30 dagen minder vlees - ProVeg Nederland |work=ProVeg International website |publisher=ProVeg Nederland |access-date=16 June 2020 |language=nl}} The spike in participants was mostly attributed to a sudden interest in avoiding meat after 1.2 million people watched popular satirical news television programme Zondag met Lubach on 24 November 2019, which featured an exposé about mistreatment of animals in slaughterhouses that shocked many spectators.{{Cite news |url=https://www.ad.nl/koken-en-eten/lubach-hekelt-misstanden-slachterijen-kijkers-geraakt-leed-niet-meer-goed-te-praten~affd9fa7/ |title=Lubach hekelt misstanden slachterijen, kijkers geraakt: 'Leed niet meer goed te praten' |author=Ellen den Hollander |work=Algemeen Dagblad |date=25 November 2019 |access-date=16 June 2020 |language=nl}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.ad.nl/koken-en-eten/na-item-lubach-over-mishandeling-dieren-melden-meer-mensen-zich-aan-voor-vleesloze-maand~ac88a4061/ |title=Na item Lubach over mishandeling dieren melden meer mensen zich aan voor vleesloze maand |author=Ellen den Hollander |work=Algemeen Dagblad |date=27 November 2019 |access-date=16 June 2020 |language=nl}} Veerle Vrindts stated that the challenge normally attracted about 2,000 people a month, which increased by 342% in the first three days after the show.

= Public campaigns =

File:De Vegarevolutie.png

In 2014, the foundation published a handbook for beginning vegans, titled {{Lang|nl|De Vegarevolutie. De onmisbare gids voor veganistisch eten}} ('The Veggie Revolution. The Unmissable Guide to Vegan Food'). The book was written by Lisa Steltenpool,{{Cite news |url=https://www.demorgen.be/plus/viva-las-vegans-b-1489798202684/ |title=Viva Las Vegans. 3 vegans getuigen: het is makkelijker dan je denkt |author=Lene Kemps |work=De Morgen |date=18 March 2017 |access-date=5 January 2018}} a dietitian and then-president of the foundation, together with Veerle Vrindts and Pablo Moleman.{{Cite web |url=http://webwinkel.uitgeverijprometheus.nl/book/lisa-steltenpool |title=De vegarevolutie |publisher=Prometheus publishing |date=5 April 2014 |access-date=5 January 2018}}

After the European agricultural commission adopted a proposal to prohibit meat and dairy names for plant-based alternatives (such as 'vegetarian sausage' and 'soy schnitzel', as these were allegedly 'confusing') in April 2019, ProVeg launched a petition to prevent this intended 'veggie burger ban'. According to Moleman, consumers want to know what they buy, and references to products they are already familiar with give customers 'relevant information about taste, texture and application that they can expect from a plant-based product'. Within three days, the petition received over 16,000 signatures.{{Cite news |url=https://www.ad.nl/koken-en-eten/actie-tegen-ban-op-namen-vleesvervangers-slavink-net-zo-misleidend-als-kipstuckjes~aa0cfca3/ |title=Actie tegen ban op namen vleesvervangers: 'Slavink net zo misleidend als kipstuckjes' |author=Sanne Schelfaut |work=Algemeen Dagblad |date=16 May 2019 |access-date=16 June 2020}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/eu-ban-veggie-burgers-campaign-disks-name-change-european-parliament-a8912116.html |title=Campaigners rally against EU 'veggie burger' name ban |author=Jon Stone |work=The Independent |date=13 May 2019 |access-date=16 June 2020 |language=en}} In December 2019, Medical Care Minister Bruno Bruins, as part of the 'Food Labelling Action Plan', decided that these 'meat names' would remain permissible as long as it is clear to consumers that it is a vegetarian product; this meant that the meat industry was not given a monopoly on words such as 'burger, schnitzel and smoked sausage'.{{Cite news |url=https://www.trouw.nl/duurzaamheid-natuur/de-vegetarische-burger-mag-in-nederland-gewoon-burger-heten~bfec6a45/ |title=De vegetarische burger mag in Nederland gewoon burger heten |author=Merel Knoth |work=Trouw |date=22 December 2019 |access-date=16 June 2020}}

= Influencing the market =

The foundation stimulates the development of a vegan market through an investment fund for startups,{{Cite web |url=https://www.vivalasvegas.nl/vegan-startup/ |title=Vegan startup |publisher=ProVeg Nederland |access-date=5 January 2018}} in November 2018 replaced by the international ProVeg Incubator.{{Cite web |url=https://proveg.com/incubator/ |title=ProVeg Incubator |publisher=ProVeg International |access-date=16 June 2020}} Furthermore, it cooperates with companies and advises food retailers on how to expand their plant-based options.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vivalasvegas.nl/zakelijk |title=Zakelijk |publisher=ProVeg Nederland |access-date=5 January 2018}}

Together with the Platform Eiwitinnovatie ('Protein Innovation Platform'), the foundation contributes to enlarging the number of vegan options and the replacement of animal ingredients. For example, ProVeg cooperates with meat analogue manufacturers to replace the use of chicken egg protein, and helped manufacturer GoodBite launch several new vegan meat substitutes.{{Cite news |url=https://www.vmt.nl/Nieuws/Bedrijven_lanceren_eerste_veganistische_kaasschnitzel-170428111233 |title=Bedrijven lanceren eerste veganistische kaasschnitzel |author=Jael Lambers |work=VMT |date=28 April 2017 |access-date=5 January 2018}} A large number of snackbars, including the Smullers chain, introduced vegan mayonnaise in response to the "Met Zonder Ei" campaign.{{Cite news |url=http://www.missethoreca.nl/fastfood/nieuws/2016/12/nu-ook-veganistische-mayonaise-voor-treinreizigers-101255524 |title=Nu ook veganistische mayonaise voor treinreizigers |author=Dennis van Asselt |work=Snackkoerier |date=28 December 2016 |access-date=5 January 2018}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.metronieuws.nl/lifestyle/food/2016/12/manneken-pis-komt-met-vegan-mayonaise |title=Manneken Pis komt met vegan mayonaise |author=Floor Gijsbertse |work=Metro |date=1 December 2016 |access-date=5 January 2018}} Moreover, the foundation also introduced vegan cheesecake at several CoffeeCompany branches.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vivalasvegas.nl/coffeecompany-breidt-vegan-assortiment-uit/ |title=Coffee Company breidt vegan assortiment uit |work=ProVeg Nederland |date=28 November 2017 |access-date=5 January 2018}}