Plant-Based Dog Food is on the Rise—And That’s Good News for the Planet

A surge in plant-based dog food across Europe offers major environmental benefits.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, July 22, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new study by scientists from biotechnology company ClonBio and Iowa State University has revealed a surge in plant-based dog food across Europe. Analyzing 4,563 dog food products, the researchers found that plant-based options have grown dramatically, with new product launches rising from just nine in 2020 to 57 in 2024. While animal-based products were still more dominant, their growth recently slowed. “Hybrid” diets—those blending both plant- and animal-based ingredients—have seen the fastest increase, with new product launches more than double those of meat-based diets by 2024.

According to the authors, this shift points to rising consumer interest in vegan, ethical, and environmentally sustainable pet food. They also noted that the deceleration in meat-based product launches “may indicate a shift in consumer priorities, with factors such as sustainability and ethics increasingly influencing purchasing decisions.”

This trend comes with a major environmental upside. A recent study by Professor Andrew Knight of Murdoch University’s veterinary school in Australia highlighted the impact vegan pet diets could have. Knight found that transitioning the world’s 471 million pet dogs to nutritionally complete vegan diets could yield extraordinary benefits:
- Save greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.5 times those emitted by the entire UK.
- Free up enough food energy to feed an additional 450 million people—the population of the EU.

“In nations with high pet ownership,” Knight explained, “at least one fifth of all farmed land animals are killed to feed pets, not people. Hence, any societal shift towards more sustainable diets needs to include our pets.”

The market is already responding. Global valuations of the vegan pet food industry jumped from USD 10 billion in 2020 to about USD 27 billion in 2024. Forecasts project it will more than double again by 2034, reaching USD 57 billion—an annual growth rate of 7.8%, nearly six times faster than that of conventional pet food.

For budget-conscious pet owners, the news is also positive. The study found that dry plant-based dog foods were, on average, less expensive than meat-based or hybrid varieties—though the price difference was not statistically significant. That’s good news for the environment too: dry diets were shown in a large Brazilian study in 2022 to produce only one-eighth the greenhouse gas emissions of wet diets. Brazil is second only to the U.S. in terms of its dog population.

Nutritional quality and pet health remain key concerns for many owners. Encouragingly, the new study found that dry plant-based dog foods matched their meat-based and hybrid counterparts in key nutrients like protein and fat, and were higher in fiber. “Almost all studies to date have shown equivalent or superior health outcomes when vegan pet diets are used,” said Prof. Knight. As of July 2025, 11 studies had assessed health outcomes in dogs and three in cats. Knight emphasized, however, that no matter the ingredients, pet diets must be manufactured responsibly to ensure complete and balanced nutrition. Advice for pet owners is available via the Sustainable Pet Food Foundation.

A KNIGHT
Sustainable Pet Food Foundation
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