Vegetarians should celebrate because they have found an ally in D.C., a lobbyist for plant-based food business who is known for being a longtime food industry critic and researcher, Michele Simon.
The meat industry relies heavily on their battle of lobbyists and finance them by the trade groups like North American Meat Institute, the National Pork Producers Coalition, the National Chicken Council and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
A special interest's lobbying activity of the trade groups for the meat industry may go up or down over time, depending on how much attention the federal government is giving their issues. Particularly active clients often retain multiple lobbying firms, each with a team of lobbyists, to press their case for them. Note that the Total Lobbying Expenditures for Parent National Pork Producers Council is $1,080,000. That's a lot of bucks!
Plant or vegetable businesses do not have a mouthpiece like these huge meat producers that always get what they want. Then came Simon.
Simon launched the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), with the aim to "ensure a fair and competitive marketplace for businesses selling plant-based foods intended to replace animal products such as meats, dairy, and eggs." Another ally is the brand-new trade group already has a part-time lobbyist, the longtime vegan- and organic-food advocate Elizabeth Kucinich, wife of former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio).
Simon who is a vegan herself organized the PBFA to protect and support the alt-protein companies that are also becoming players in the food industry and their challenges in labeling their products. Simon is afraid that the Big Meat trade groups are shaping public policy that meat is good or that there is the blatant promotion of harmful foods and this is very dangerous to American consumers who rely on advertisement and marketing. That is why the PBFA will conduct services and develop a stand for companies that offer animal-free meat, dairy, and egg alternatives.
Well, this is good news for America!
