Swedish oat milk giant Oatly has published a new cross-industry report, calling on food manufacturers to take ‘greater leadership’ and lead with optimism in encouraging consumers to make sustainable food choices.

The company interviewed 29 food industry leaders and conducted a survey of over 12,000 consumers as part of its annual impact review in 2026, aiming to understand how collective action can help remove barriers to sustainable consumer behaviour and support people in transitioning toward more plant-rich diets.

The study revealed that most consumers want to make more sustainable choices, but will not do so at the expense of taste or cost.

Based on the findings, Oatly’s key recommendations outlined in the report are:

Leading with optimism as a strategy for success

Food system experts reported high levels of optimism about the potential for meaningful change on future food sustainability, but this was not reflected among the general public. One-third of consumers surveyed said they worry about the future of the food system more than others.

Oatly calls on the food industry to drive transformation through leading with ‘inspiration over fear’ and committing to sustained effort despite policy stalls.

Focus on taste

Food choices are still primarily driven by emotion and taste, despite consumers’ concerns about sustainability. The report found that the general public considers food manufacturers as ‘the most responsible’ for ensuring consumers make more healthy and sustainable choices.

Investing in taste and texture improvements of plant-based foods, and making great-tasting foods that align with Planetary Health Diets while not positioned as ‘alternatives’ or back-up options, are noted by Oatly as a priority for producers.

Tackle 'misinformation epidemic'

Oatly’s report identified a ‘significant trust deficit’ among consumers, with the company referring to a ‘misinformation epidemic’ across the food industry. Its survey found that 72% of consumers believe food system decisions from manufacturers and policymakers are only ‘sometimes’ or ‘rarely’ based on science, suggesting a need for collaborative effort on educational initiatives and for food companies to ‘become the trusted signals amid the noise’.

It calls for clear rules and accountability mechanisms for misleading nutrition and sustainability claims on digital platforms, similar to how greenwashing has been regulated on products in the EU through the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive. It also calls on policymakers to ground decisions in independent, science-based evidence that is insulated from short-term political pressure or vested interests.

Making plant-rich options default

The company suggests that making plant-rich options the default could lead to ‘a silent transition’ toward uptake of more plant-forward diets, with 38% of consumers saying that the best way to ensure sustainable choices are made is by making people proactively required to opt out of them.

For example, procurement and meal programmes can be used to make plant-rich and nutritionally balanced meals aligned with the Planetary Health diet the default in schools and hospitals, Oatly points out, while foodservice providers could use placement, menu design and defaults to ‘make the healthier choice the easier one’.

Address cost

Over half of consumers surveyed (53%) named affordability and access as the biggest barriers to choosing more sustainable food options. Oatly said that a ‘more equitable food environment for plant-rich diets,’ from subsidies to taxation, is required to ‘level the playing field and shift norms.’

Oatly asks finance ministries and tax authorities to align VAT on plant-based drinks with the reduced rate applied to dairy, and redirect subsidy and school scheme support so that ‘lower-impact foods are not structurally disadvantaged’. The company also calls for reform of ‘outdated promotion schemes’ and labelling restrictions, support for farmers, producers and public institutions and shared risk through multi-year contracts and transparent pricing from retailers and companies.

Caroline Reid, senior sustainability director at Oatly, said: “In a year marked by some of the clearest reminders yet of the impacts of climate change, it can be tempting to focus on what isn't working. But despair doesn't drive change. At a time when food systems account for over a third of global emissions (UN Food & Agriculture Organization), inaction simply isn't an option.”

She added: “Our research highlights the potential for industry, policymakers, media and others to work together to create a food environment where the sustainable choice becomes the easy choice. The challenge is urgent, but the progress already being made gives us every reason to believe further change is possible.”