Vegan influencer Gustav Johansson launches plant-based lobby group: ‘We have big problems'

Europe’s plant-based sector faces major challenges – and entrepreneur Gustav “Jävligt Gott” Johansson is stepping in to shake things up.

Johansson, who runs the country’s most popular vegan food blog Jävligt Gott, has decided to start a new organisation to represent and support plant-based companies in Sweden. Following a call-out earlier this autumn, around 80 companies have already expressed interest.

“The Swedish plant-based sector has problems. Big problems. And it’s time to do something about it,” Johansson wrote in a recent LinkedIn post.

There is already an industry organisation, Växtbaserat Sverige, or ‘Plant-based Sweden’ in English, but Johansson believes it is not enough. “In recent years, they have lost many members and mostly focused on formal consultations. What they do is good, but it’s not enough,” he says.

‘We’ve lost the narrative’

For Johansson, the biggest challenge for the sector is perception. “We’ve lost the narrative. Plant-based products have gone from being seen as healthy and sustainable to being perceived as over-processed rubbish – and no one is challenging that. Many companies are now producing low-processed products that, to be honest, are even worse.”

The bulk of research of food choices points to three things that drive consumer purchasing decisions – price, taste, and availability.

“Low-processed products often differ too much from what people eat today. A pulse-based mince, for example, doesn’t mimic traditional mince in taste or texture as well as a more meat-like soy alternative, making it less appealing to the mass market.”

Johansson believes this creates a catch-22. “Trying to meet the ideal of minimally processed products can result in items fewer people want to buy. We need a narrative where both low-processed and more refined products can exist side by side.”

A new veggie voice

The new initiative, Johansson explains, aims to be “a voice to help shape how we think about plant-based products.” It will focus on transparency and storytelling, countering the meat industry’s narrative that plant-based is “over-processed and bad.”

Funding will come from membership fees, supporters, and potentially grants. “Swedish Meat received €17m from the EU to promote pork to 17-to-24-year-olds. There’s no reason we can’t seek similar support for plant-based innovation,” he says.

In the meantime, Johansson stresses that the sector must continue innovating. “Swedish companies need to persist and have support, and consumers need to try the products. A better public conversation is essential.”