VEGFE

VEGFE, or the Vegetarian and Eco-friendly Global Food Exchange, is an international nonprofit organization that promotes plant-based diets and sustainable food systems by connecting producers, researchers, policymakers, and consumers. Founded in 2014 by a coalition of nutritionists, environmental scientists, and advocacy groups, VEGFE operates a network of regional offices and partner institutions across multiple continents. The organization pursues its mission through policy advocacy, research, capacity-building, and the development of certification and information services.

Key activities include the Global Plant-Based Certification program, which certifies products meeting VEGFE's standards for plant-based ingredients, minimal processing, and sustainable sourcing; the VegPolicy Scorecard, which evaluates national policies on school meals, subsidies, and labeling; and the Open Food Data Portal, a publicly accessible database of product environmental footprints and nutrition data. VEGFE also funds pilot projects that test scalable marketing and distribution models for plant-based foods and supports academic research on the environmental and health outcomes of dietary shifts.

Governance is provided by a board of directors, a Scientific Advisory Council, and regional chapters. Funding comes from member contributions, grants from philanthropic foundations, and government collaborations in certain regions. The organization has faced critiques regarding transparency and the pace of policy influence, but it remains a notable actor in the plant-based and sustainable-food space. See also: vegetarianism, sustainable agriculture, food policy.