Doctors For Nutrition (DFN) has joined Vegan Australia and the Vegan Society of Aotearoa New Zealand in supporting a letter to Woolworths calling for the retailer to maintain or increase its plant-based product range.

The registered charity, founded in 2018 with the mission to inspire the adoption of whole food plant-based nutrition, is concerned by reports that vegan product lines are being reduced in response to short-term sales fluctuations.

DFN says reducing the visibility and availability of plant-based foods makes it harder for consumers to choose healthier options and slows the shift towards more sustainable eating patterns. Rather than scaling back, supermarkets should help normalise plant-based choices and make them easier for shoppers to access every day, says the charity.

“Doctors For Nutrition is proud to stand alongside our fellow signatories in supporting this letter to Woolworths,” said Rebecca Stonor, CEO of Doctors For Nutrition.

“We want to see more people supported to move away from animal-based foods and transition towards plant-rich diets, which can play an important role in preventing disease and improving public health.”

Retailers shape food choices

DFN says supermarkets do more than meet demand: they shape it through product placement, visibility and availability.

“Our organisation argues that keeping plant-based foods integrated across mainstream categories makes healthier choices easier for customers and supports more normalised everyday purchasing patterns,” a spokesperson said.

DFN’s support for the letter reflects its mission to reduce preventable disease by improving access to healthier alternatives to animal products. The organisation says Woolworths has an opportunity to support both consumer choice and better long-term health outcomes by keeping plant-based foods prominent and easy to find.

The letter asks Woolworths to maintain and expand viable plant-based product lines, ensure equal visibility and integrated placement across relevant categories, and publicly commit to increasing the proportion and prominence of animal-free foods as part of its sustainability and corporate responsibility strategy.

Doctors For Nutrition advocates for the integration of whole food plant-based nutrition into mainstream healthcare to prevent, alleviate and even reverse chronic diseases, aiming to create a world free from preventable disease where everyone can thrive and live to their full potential.