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November, 2026…
While the global plant-based food market is projected to reach 491 billion dollars by 2034, the market in Türkiye is expected to nearly double in size, with the country’s rich botanical diversity paving the way for the introduction of new products to the sector.
ISTANBUL…
As the plant-based food market continues to grow worldwide, with its global value forecast to hit 491 billion dollars by 2034, the market in Türkiye is also expected to nearly double, with the country’s botanical diversity set to drive the introduction of new products.
Ebru Akdağ, Chairwoman of the Plant-Based Foods Association (BİTKİDEN) and a food engineer, told an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter that the global transformation of food systems has fueled rising demand for plant-based products. She noted that Türkiye, with its extensive botanical diversity, production capacity and strategic geographical location, has the potential to become a major production and export hub in this sector.
Explaining that the term “plant-based foods” encompasses a broad range of products, Akdağ noted that this category includes legumes, functional foods derived from plant sources and plant-based protein products developed as alternatives to meat and dairy.
Akdağ emphasized that plant-based foods should not be viewed merely as competitors to animal-based products; rather, she suggested that this sector has the potential to develop alongside the animal-based food industry. Akdağ explained that the practice of incorporating more plant-based foods into one’s diet without completely eliminating animal proteins is known as a “flexitarian diet,” noting that health, taste, and environmental concerns are among the primary factors driving consumers toward plant-based products.
Akdağ, Chairwoman of the Board of the Plant-Based Foods Association, continued:
“The global market in this sector experienced a period of very rapid growth. Between 2015 and 2025, a 10-year span, sales of meat alternatives tripled. Today, on a global scale, we are looking at a market volume of 238 billion dollars.
The projected figure for 2026 is 256 billion dollars and by 2034, the global volume is expected to reach 491 billion dollars. This refers to plant-based products in a broad sense, encompassing all types of plant-based alternatives, but if we look specifically at meat and dairy alternatives, the global market currently has a volume of 29 billion dollars.”
