Brooklyn and Bronx Bodega Owners, Leading Brands Team Up for Three-Month Trial
NEW YORK (Nov. 5, 2020) — A collective of several leading food advocates is bringing iconic plant-based brands to three bodegas in New York City in an initiative called, Plantega. The goal of the initiative is to introduce some of the tastiest flavors in the hottest food trend, while also helping brands and small business owners better understand how they can tackle the sector’s most present growth challenge: accessibility.
Beyond Meat®, Eat Just, Good Catch, Miyoko’s, No Evil Foods, Follow Your Heart, Lupii, Pan’s Mushroom Jerky, nutpods, Hälsa Foods, and Tofurky products are now available in three Plantega coolers within the three bodegas participating in the three-month trial – two in Brooklyn, and one in the Bronx. More than 30 plant-based products are being offered, including everyday staples like coffee creamer, eggs, cheese, burgers, deli slices, and jerky. Two of the Plantega locations are also making the products available as standard deli menu grill items, like a classic breakfast sausage, egg and cheese sandwich made with Beyond Meat and Eat Just.
Plantega was created by a collaboration of mission-led food advocates including New York’s own Erick Castro, a former plant-based restaurant owner and curator of @HowToBeInVeganInTheHood; Brooklyn-based Nil Zacharias, author, and podcaster at Eat For The Planet; Artist D.J. Cavem, entrepreneur and eco-hip hop pioneer; and Vegan graphic design shop Parfait Studio. The Food Fighter Collective was established by EFFECT Partners in response to both the ongoing pandemic and justice uprising in an effort to help advance the fight for a healthier and more just food system.
“Bringing these plant-based products to my hometown and surrounding neighborhoods is a tremendous opportunity at just the right time. These bodegas are our lifeline, the gateway to food for so many, from nurses on the run to late-night needs,” said Erick Castro, a leader on the Plantega team. “We are here to learn, but also to show how delicious, healthy and affordable eating plant-based really is.”
Plantega Store Locations
The Plantega coolers are now installed and products are available for purchase at:
● “My Deli” at 1201 Castle Hill; Bronx, New York 10462
● Don Polo Meat Market at 3143 Fulton St; Brooklyn, New York 11208
● Gourmet Deli at 114 Wyckoff Ave; Brooklyn, NY 11237
The products are being featured together in unique installations inside the bodegas to make it easier for customers to find plant-based food options. The Plantega installations also use technology like QR Codes and SMS texting to help people find recipes and information about the benefits of reducing meat and dairy. From now through January, the Plantega project is running various promotions to encourage product trials and help sustain a plant-based lifestyle on a budget.
“Everyone, regardless of their zip code, should have the opportunity to enjoy food that is good for their bodies and good for the planet. Growing up in the South, eating meals that were convenient and cheap but bad for my health is what motivated me to start a company that could help bring meaningful change to the food system. Our team works hard every day to make JUST Egg as affordable and accessible as possible to families from Brooklyn to Beijing and we’re thrilled to be part of the groundbreaking Plantega initiative” said Josh Tetrick, co-founder, and CEO of Eat Just.
Tearing Down the Barriers of Taste and Accessibility
According to ongoing tracking from the Plant Based Foods Association this year’s sales of plant-based foods have outpaced animal-based products both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. An abundance of research continues to demonstrate an unmet need for the products, especially among communities of color. According to April 2020 research from Yale titled Climate Change and the American Diet, even though more than half of consumers express interest in trying plant-based foods, 53% don’t know what to buy and 71% of lower-income households perceive them to be more expensive than animal-based food choices. Plantega was designed as a response to these challenges by making it easy, affordable, and fun to try plant-based foods.
“Good food is the medicine we all need right now,” said Andrew Arrieta, a Plantega director from EFFECT Partners who grew up not far from one of the participating bodegas. “Throughout the course of this summer, our team of food fighters challenged ourselves to help find better, healthier solutions that could benefit the most people. Like so many of our friends in the plant-based movement, we’ve been staring at this same data about taste and access for too long – we finally decided it was time to get some friends together and go do something about it.”
To learn more about Plantega visit www.eatplantega.com or follow @eatplatnega on Instagram and Facebook. Join our community and conversation by using #eatplantega or #grabsomegoodstuff.
About EFFECT Partners
EFFECT Partners is a Minneapolis-based social change incubator that brings culture and business together to solve social and environmental challenges. Founded originally as a non-profit called Concerts for the Environment in 1990, EFFECT has served as strategic advisors to some of the world’s biggest bands and brands including U2, Dave Matthews Band, Live Nation, Apple and Clif Bar. In 2017, it created and spun off r.Cup to tackle the plague of single-use plastic cups at live events, a social impact business recognized by Fast Company as one of the top 100 most innovative brands in 2020. EFFECT has for three years worked with athletes and musicians to help accelerate growth in the plant-based movement by helping build organizations such as Switch4Good and Vegan Strong.
About Eat For The Planet
Eat For The Planet is an impact-driven media platform and consulting firm focused on helping brands and organizations effectively rise up to the challenge of transforming our food system. Its founder, Nil Zacharias, is a leading expert in the growing plant-based food industry. He is an entrepreneur, consultant, author, and sought-after international speaker who has spent over a decade focused on the intersection of food, health and sustainability. Nil currently serves as a strategic advisor to the Plant Based Foods Association, Plant Based World Conference and Expo, Infinite Foods, and other brands and organizations.
