The Open Omnivore Revolution: Interview with Indy Kaur of Plant Futures Collective

Indy Kaur, founder and CEO of Plant Futures Collective, tells us why ‘open omnivores’ – meat-eaters open to eating plant-based alternatives – will lead the future food revolution.

What segment of consumers will drive the vegan category forward?

Indy Kaur, founder and CEO of UK consultancy Plant Futures Collective, is betting on meat-eaters. That is, meat-eaters who are happy to try plant-based meats, a group she calls “open omnivores”. Kaur believes they are the future of flexitarianism and represent the largest addressable market for plant-based meat.

Open omnivores are stuck, and need more information – and there lies the opportunity for brands and their marketing strategies. Speaking of which, Kaur is working with industry figures to develop a checkoff programme that involves brands raising a collective fund that goes towards promotional campaigns for the entire industry.

We spoke to Kaur about open omnivores and the potential they bring to the plant-based market, whether Meat Free Mondays really work, and what a future food checkoff programme could entail.

This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.

Green Queen: How would you describe Plant Futures Collective and its work?

Indy Kaur: Plant Futures Collective is dedicated to addressing the critical challenges faced by businesses in the plant-based and alternative protein sectors. We prioritise the challenges that have the most impact on businesses and identify opportunities to get behind.

Currently, these challenges are too complex for any single brand or retailer to solve alone. 

During my time working with Tesco – the UK’s largest retailer – there was only so much in our control. Ultimately, we face a consumer demand issue and it’s hard to create ‘demand’ in retail. A systems change approach is necessary; that is, all actors move together, in the same direction, at the same pace. There are no quick fixes of ‘silver bullets’, only one North Star we all must align on.

GQ: You mentioned you used the Smart Protein survey data to differentiate between the two types of omnivores. Can you give us more insight into what you found?

IK: Omnivores, those who primarily eat meat, make up the largest dietary group, around 70%. However, we’ve found that this isn’t a single, uniform group; it can be split. In 2021, we discovered that 55% of meat eaters are ‘closed omnivores’. These individuals are simply not interested in changing their eating habits, and they’re content with the status quo.

The real opportunity, however, lies with open omnivores – meat eaters who are open to trying plant-based foods, especially plant-based meat, and are actively seeking to reduce their meat consumption. What’s particularly exciting is that if someone is interested in reducing meat consumption, they are also more likely to reduce their dairy consumption, and vice versa.

This insight suggests that the plant-based meat and plant-based dairy categories complement each other, which is great news for both sectors. For the success of the entire category, it’s crucial that both are successful.

GQ: How would you define the ‘open omnivore’ consumers and their importance to the plant-based sector?

IK: Open omnivores are my favourite group because we have the ability to help them. This group can also be seen as the future of flexitarians.

Our 2021 research revealed a segment that is nearly twice the size of today’s flexitarians, making up around 30% of the population. It’s a huge opportunity and an incredibly important group. In the UK alone, this could bring in up to 16 million new people, based on the current adult population.

GQ: How is an open omnivore different from a flexitarian? Would you say the former is a precursor to the latter?

IK: It’s fascinating. The easiest way to understand it is this: flexitarians tend to believe more that consuming too much meat can be harmful to health and/or the environment. Whereas, closed omnivores believe more that “lots of meat” is nutritionally necessary and that a meal is not complete without meat.

Open omnivores are caught somewhere in between. They believe that meat is necessary but also recognise that too much meat can be harmful to health and/or the planet. They’re unsure which direction to take, and are essentially just a bit stuck and needing more information – though we’re still uncertain about exactly what they need (we’ll learn more about this in March after an insights study).

GQ: Do you believe these consumers exist in the EU as well as across the world?

IK: Absolutely! In 2024, I spent time in the EU, the US, and Australia presenting insights to businesses, and it’s incredible to see the consistency between these markets. At the core of it all is the fact that meat and dairy have been deeply embedded in cultures and social norms for generations.

As people across various regions become more aware of the health and environmental impacts of high meat and dairy consumption, we will see a greater shift and necessity towards plant-rich diets and foods. 

GQ: Your insights suggest Meat Free Mondays can have commercial cut-through. Why do you believe campaigns like these work? How do they encourage consumers to gradually eat more plant-based food?

IK: In February 2024, businesses told us they wanted to get behind Meat Free Monday. We partnered with research agency Harris X and went on to uncover some fascinating insights, those taking part in Meat Free Monday are forming healthier eating habits throughout the week, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, trying new plant-based foods, and opting for more meat-free meals when eating out.  

We also found those who are aware of Meat Free Monday, 50% take part regularly meaning if we can reach the 72% of the UK population who aren’t yet aware, we could potentially bring in over 20 million new people into the category.

GQ: Can you tell us more about the UK-centric Meat Free Monday experiment you’re planning this year?

IK: Over 30 businesses in the UK’s meat alternative sector are involved, including all major plant-based meat brands and many startups. A world first?!

We’re collaborating closely with Meat Free Monday, M&C Saatchi on the creative, Studio Biggie supporting, and System 1 on research to identify the most effective message to engage consumers. The launch is set for Spring 2025, with growing interest from international markets.

GQ: Could you walk us through the thinking behind the checkoff programme you’re working on and why it’s needed?

IK: In the UK, we don’t have a direct equivalent to the US’s ‘checkoff’ programmes, but we follow a similar model through the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB). Both systems operate as centralised marketing and research funds, funded by levies in the UK. The plant-based sector, however, doesn’t yet have this kind of infrastructure, which would be incredibly valuable.

Campaigns like the US’s famous ‘Got Milk?’ and the UK’s recent ‘We Eat Balanced’ are good examples of how centralised funds can be used effectively to support entire sectors and protect their reputations. These systems work, and the plant-based sector could benefit greatly from a similar approach. [Vegan Food Group and Veganuary co-founder] Matthew Glover has been a key enabler here, and I am excited to support and see how we can make this happen.

GQ: How would it work in terms of collaboration with companies? Who is involved? 

IK: Collaboration is key, and for a checkoff programme to succeed, all partners must buy into the systems change approach -–moving together in the same direction and at the same pace. Partners also need to commit to the experiment: testing, learning, iterating, and investing modestly to ensure active engagement and the resources needed to get started.

In 2024, we ran four workshops in the UK, covering proteins, dairy alternatives, and whole-food and veg-led categories. Over 100 businesses and organisations, with more than 200 participants, were involved. The feedback has been broadly consistent and clear: there is a strong call for a category-wide campaign to drive trial and overall category penetration.

Our work with Meat Free Monday is a good example, and we’ll soon expand to include dairy alternatives and whole-food and veg-led categories.

GQ: How is the programme funded? What are your plans for the first campaign?

IK: The funding for this initial phase is set up as a pilot to get things off the ground, and it has been working well thanks to everyone’s contributions, along with a generous grant donation as seed funding and support from industry partners who share our vision.

We’ve already built the proof of concept. When an opportunity is presented, businesses will come together and take action, and large-scale, multi-stakeholder campaigns are possible. 

Now, we need support to invest in a centralised marketing and research fund, a checkoff programme. This is a call to action. Businesses are operating on incredibly tight budgets, making it unrealistic to raise all the necessary funding in this way.

However, I have no doubt many will contribute and take an active role. We will need to seek funding from other sources, and I’m excited to support Matthew Glover in this effort.