Three Australasian advocacy organizations have written to Woolworths Group calling on the $56 billion supermarket to stop cutting back plant-based product lines, warning that current practices contradict the retailer’s own sustainability commitments.
The Vegan Society of Aotearoa New Zealand, Vegan Australia, and Doctors for Nutrition sent a joint letter to the Woolworths leadership team, requesting a meeting as an initial step. The organizations collectively represent more than 130,000 people across Australia and New Zealand.
Shrinking shelves and rising frustration
The letter describes a pattern of plant-based products (particularly in the alternative proteins category) being discontinued, reduced in range, or moved to smaller and less visible shelf space in some Woolworths stores. The organizations argue that this conflicts with Woolworths’ stated 2025 Sustainability Plan, which includes a commitment to expand the range of plant proteins in New Zealand and reduce Scope 3 emissions by 19% by 2030 against a 2015 baseline.
Publicly reported data cited in the letter suggests Woolworths’ Scope 3 emissions have moved in the opposite direction, rising by 17% since 2022.
Amanda Sorrenson, National Coordinator at the Vegan Society of Aotearoa, said the letter was a direct response to community complaints. “This collaboration came about as a direct response to the voices of our joint communities across Australasia, who have been noticing and complaining for months about the gradual and constant decline in their staple foods.
“Our communities are outraged and want solutions to this frustrating situation. Vegans only represent the tip of the iceberg — joining our concerns are other communities, representing around 30% of Woolworths customers, who also seek plant-based products as part of their weekly shop.”
Three concrete demands
The organizations are asking Woolworths to maintain and expand viable vegan product lines, ensure equal visibility and integrated placement of plant-based products across mainstream categories rather than in isolated specialty sections, and publicly commit to increasing the proportion of animal-free foods as part of its corporate sustainability strategy.
“Reducing the range or visibility of vegan products risks reinforcing the dominance of animal-derived products”
The letter references nudge theory and points to examples from Germany and the Netherlands, where major supermarket chains have integrated plant-based products into mainstream categories rather than treating them as niche. The groups argue that shelf placement and product visibility directly influence purchasing behavior, and that isolating plant-based options effectively limits their commercial performance.
Woolworths has not responded to the letter.
“Reducing the range or visibility of vegan products risks reinforcing the dominance of animal-derived products at a time when global expectations are shifting toward more just and sustainable food systems,” the letter states.
