The Polish food system is undergoing a gradual transformation aligned with broader EU trends. With the growing importance of plant proteins and foodtech, Poland is increasingly seen as a key production and processing base.
Beeld: Unsplash
According to a report published by the Polish Plant-Based Food Producers Association in 2024, the retail value of the plant-based food market in Poland exceeded EUR 251 million. Including sales through the HoReCa channel and e-commerce, the total market value is estimated at around EUR 341 million. Within the retail market, plant-based dairy alternatives represent the largest category (EUR 153 million), followed by tofu/hummus/vegetable spreads (EUR 63 million) and meat /fish substitutes (EUR 39 million). This shift reflects wider European goals of food security and protein autonomy.
The plant-based food category in Poland is expanding and is increasingly embedded in mainstream consumption patterns. NielsenIQ data show that growth is not limited to vegans or vegetarians, but is largely driven by consumers who partially reduce meat intake, as well as those choosing plant-based products due to lactose intolerance, health considerations, or interest in new flavours.
Plant-based beverages are the most visible segment, with strong presence not only in retail but also in cafés and restaurants, indicating their integration into everyday consumption rather than niche substitution. At the same time, meat remains a dominant part of the diet, with plant-based products functioning more as additions or occasional alternatives rather than full replacements.
The market remains part of a broader European trend, in which plant-based food is increasingly analyzed not only in terms of consumption, but also in relation to food security, the resilience of agricultural systems, and the European Union’s strategic protein autonomy.
Plant-based food in schools
In Poland, a new regulation on the nutrition of children and adolescents in schools and preschools prepared by the Ministry of Health will come into force on 1 September 2026. According to the final version of the regulation, educational institutions will be required to offer at least one complete plant-based meal per week. Meals are expected to be based primarily on legumes such as lentils, beans, and chickpeas, and align with the principles of “planetary diet”, which combines health and environmental aspects.
The changes also include an obligation to provide plant-based alternatives for those who do not consume animal products. The new regulations are expected to cover more than 6.8 million students and nearly 36,000 educational institutions across Poland.
Beeld: Pexels
Regenerative agriculture and the return of legumes
The development of the plant-based food sector has broader implications for the food system and agricultural supply chains. As highlighted in the AgroNews article, growing demand for plant-based products is linked to wider European goals of food security and protein autonomy.
This shift encourages the development of domestic value chains and supports diversification within the food industry, particularly in relation to plant-based production and processing. As the category expands, it contributes to the ongoing transformation of the food sector and its adaptation to changing consumer preferences and policy priorities related to protein supply.
Legumes play a dual role in the European Union’s food policy, both economic and environmental. From the perspective of EU food security, they are a vital element of the strategy to reduce dependence on imported plant protein, particularly soy used in animal feed and food processing. Expanding domestic production of legumes is therefore one of the tools for strengthening the EU’s so-called protein autonomy.
Simultaneously, from an environmental and agronomic perspective, legumes play a key role in regenerative agriculture systems. Thanks to their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, they help reduce the use of mineral fertilizers, improve soil fertility, and increase resistance to soil degradation.
Poland as a production hub
Poland is playing an increasingly important role as a production base, processing location and logistics hub for international food companies.
Parallel investments in automation and modernization of production facilities by large international companies are expanding. Poland is also becoming part of the European research ecosystem focused on alternative proteins and foodtech, supported by the National Centre for Research and Development Narodowe Centrum Badań i Rozwoju (NCBR).
Recent funding includes:
- Cultivated meat (e.g., LabFarm, a project developing cellular agriculture technology, funded under NCBR and EU programs),
- Hybrid and plant-based proteins (e.g., Tarczyński S.A., peas and seaweed protein project),
- Processing innovations (e.g., NUTRITECH, program for alternative protein sources).
Poland is increasingly playing the role of an implementation and production-oriented country, as well as a growing industrial and research base for the alternative protein sector in Europe.
Future
It looks like things are moving in Poland when it comes to the domain of alternative proteins. Both in production, processing, trade and science, And that there is potential for more. The Embassy of the Netherlands in Poland is supporting developments in all sectors that work on a balanced and sustainable protein diet.
Beeld: Proveg
Changing consumer market
Just a few years ago, plant-based food in Poland was mainly associated with niche diets or big cities. Today, plant-based products are increasingly part of everyday shopping, not only for vegetarians and vegans, but also for consumers reducing meat consumption for health, economic, or environmental reasons.
There is growing evidence that plant-based food is no longer seen as a temporary trend. Instead, it is becoming part of a broader food system transformation, encompassing public health, agriculture, technology, and resource security.
More information
The Netherlands Agricultural Network team at the Dutch Embassy stands ready to help any Dutch company interested in doing business with Poland.
For more information about this topic, please contact: war-lvvn@minbuza.nl.