Three groups across Aotearoa and Australia are asking the supermarket giant to boost its plant-based offerings.
STAPLES DISAPPEARING: Kiwis are missing their plant-based supermarket staples. Pictured are products that Woolworths NZ once sold, but have now disappeared from the shelves.
The Vegan Society of Aotearoa, Vegan Australia, and Doctors for Nutrition are asking Woolworths Group to stop discontinuing and reducing vegan product lines.
Together, the three groups represent a combined community of more than 130,000 people across Australia and Aotearoa. The joint letter, which requests a conversation as the first step, has been sent to the Woolworths leadership team.
The partnership stems from a shared concern for animal rights and the environmental and health benefits of transitioning away from an animal-based food system.
Woolworths, as a $56 billion company, is in a powerful position to shape consumer habits. However, the groups claim that consumers have been noticing a reduction, discontinuation, and marginalisation of vegan products, particularly in the alternative proteins category. The three organisations report that some Woolworths stores are consolidating vegan shelves into smaller, less visible, and empty spaces.
Amanda Sorrenson, National Coordinator at The Vegan Society, says plant-based products are a staple for many households, and that people are “outraged”.
“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.”
In the letter, the three groups ask Woolworths to:
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Maintain and expand viable vegan product lines.
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Ensure equal visibility and integrated placement of vegan products across relevant categories.
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Publicly commit to increasing the proportion and prominence of animal-free foods as part of your sustainability and corporate responsibility strategy.
These asks simply hold Woolworths accountable to their own commitments, as stated in their Sustainability Plan 2025.
In their Plan, Woolworths states:
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“By 2030, in line with climate science, we aim to reduce our Scope 3 emissions by 19% compared to a 2015 baseline.”
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And; “In New Zealand, half of our emissions come from agriculture, and we share our customers' concerns about the environmental impacts of protein. Through our partnerships, we will work to improve this, and expand our range of plant proteins so that our customers have a choice.”
However, publicly reported data indicates that Woolworths’ Scope 3 emissions — defined as all other indirect emissions generated across its value chain, including purchased goods and services — have increased over time. From 2022, these emissions have risen by 17 percent.
Woolworths’ failures sit within a broader national context, where Aotearoa ranks among the lowest in the OECD for investment in plant-based food innovation and development.
To better align with their stated sustainability commitments, Woolworths could:
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Reduce reliance on animal-based proteins, which are a significant contributor to Scope 3 emissions.
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Expand the availability and accessibility of plant-based protein options, in line with its commitment to offering customers greater choice.
Taking these steps would support progress toward emissions reduction targets while responding to growing consumer demand for more sustainable food options
7 May 2026
Woolworths has just responded to our story. "Your recently published story about the Vegan Society's open letter to Woolworths states that we have not responded to the letter. We did so earlier today. We acknowledge the frustration felt by our vegan customers at not being able to purchase some of the products they want to in our stores. We are taking the Vegan Society’s letter seriously and considering its comments at the highest levels of Woolworths Group.
"While growth in the plant-based food category has slowed in recent times Woolworths remains committed to offering a wide variety of fresh and frozen plant-based items to our customers. Several suppliers have left the market in the last three years, limiting the options we could offer. However, we have some positive news. We’ve been working with suppliers to bring in some new vegetarian and vegan-friendly products and we’re excited to share that these will be in our stores across the country later this year."
Below are links to Australian coverage of this story.
Nine.com
Aussies demand Woolworths bring back plant-based staples.
MediaNet News Hub
Doctors for Nutrition joins call for more plant-based food at Woolworths.
Melbourne Insider
Doctors for Nutrition urges Woolworths on plant-based foods.
