According to data gathered by GlobalData, April to July of this year saw a surge in active recruiting in the plant-based industry.
GlobalData’s Job Analytics database showed 596 “active” job listings related to plant-based diets between April 14 and July 13, a 32 percent increase from the previous 90 days. The data was reported in the company’s publication Just Food.
Health and wellness jobs were also on the rise for this period, with 4,460 active job listings – a 4 percent increase for that sector.
The change could indicate a return in energy for the industry, in light of recent reports of plant-based food sales dropping this year, and vegan meat companies such as Nowadays and the Canada-based Very Good Food Company struggling to maintain funding.
Despite the dip, SPINS data suggests that year-to-year sales of plant-based meat are remaining steady at about $1.3 billion, with plant-based meatballs up nearly 20 percent and vegan sausages up by more than 40. A study of 2022 retail sales by the Plant Based Foods Association and Good Food Institute in April also found that 40 percent of U.S. households now use plant-based milk, and 17 percent purchase plant-based meat, with over half of buyers becoming repeat purchasers in both categories. Vegan creamer, butter, eggs, baked goods and several other categories have also grown by double-digit percentages.
PBFA also stated in the study that 67 percent of U.S. consumers believe plant-based foods are healthier than animal-based ones, and nearly half of the population plans on switching out animal products for vegan products in the near future. In total, plant-based alternatives to animal products now make up about $8 billion in sales in the U.S.
“The plant-based foods industry’s momentum and resilience–built on robust consumer demand– is evident across 2022 retail and e-commerce sales, and foodservice performance,” said Julie Emmet, PBFA Vice President of Marketplace Development. “[C]onsumer interest is strong, now it’s a matter of continuing to increase access and awareness for existing and future innovative plant-based options and furthering the exciting potential of this industry.”
(Photo by Ted Eytan | CC BY-SA 4.0)
