This concerns approximately 45 products from the store brand Vemondo and about 100 variants, according to Lebensmittelzeitung.
On average, the retailer reduces vegan prices by 23 percent to reach the level of animal-based products. Lidl aims to nearly double the share of products made from plant-based proteins by 2030. The current ratio between plant-based and animal protein sources stands at 11 to 89 percent.
For dairy products, the ratio is 6 to 94 percent. By 2030, 20 percent of the total assortment and 10 percent of the dairy assortment should come from plant-based sources. The vegan assortment in Lidl's German stores now includes more than 100 private label products and 650 seasonal items.
With this initiative, the discounter aims not only to appeal to vegans and vegetarians but also to customers who identify as flexitarians and want to reduce their meat consumption. For this reason, the respective Vemondo products are now placed on shelves alongside their animal-based counterparts in all German Lidl stores, rather than in a separate section.
The chairman of the Albert Schweitzer Foundation, Mahi Klosterhalfen, welcomed Lidl's move. Christine Singer of the Bavarian Farmers' Association (BBV) criticized Lidl, saying it deliberately tries to steer consumer behavior by bypassing the market. This would indirectly cast animal-based foods in a negative light.
To emphasize the sustainability aspect of their food products, Lidl stopped transporting fresh vegetables by plane last year, including shipments to stores in the Netherlands.