What is innovative about your initiative?

Malta Meat Free Week: The key aspect of the challenge is that it brings together multiple stakeholders. On one part we have the leading supermarkets and distributors who have offers and also through their venues help us to promote the challenge. We have restaurants participating with specials for the week. Then to help promote the challenge we call for the support of local influencers, local animal and environmental NGOs, media, social media, and in the past years we have also been using billboards.

Ghand il-Vegan: For season 3 of our TV show, we have given the program a new twist. Each program features a new vegetable (according to the time of year). We prepare two recipes; a main dish and a soup. Additionally, we have a nutritionist who explains the benefits and we also fit in an interview with a different vegan each episode. All this in a 24 minute program.

How were you able to finance your work?

Financing for our initiatives comes from various sources. The Malta Meat Free week challenge is supported by grants and also sponsors, whilst the TV show produced by us is financed by the national broadcaster. Other smaller initiatives are usually sponsor based.

What hurdles and obstacles did you encounter along your way and how did you deal with them?

The biggest hurdle, especially since we are the smallest country in the EU, is a financial one, also in relation to economies of scale (of the local vegan market). Finding the necessary financing to support our ideas and projects has always been the biggest obstacle. Thus our philosophy has always been to first make it happen, even if on a smaller scale. After that to make it bigger and better every time.

Are there any tools or other forms of support that have played a role for you?

Developing a relationship with supermarkets and with local distributors has helped us, especially in the first years. Having said this, this relationship has been pivotal in the success of Malta Meat Free Week.

Where do you see yourself/your organisation in a few years? How do you rate your future prospects?

We hope to see the challenge take a more international dimension. Furthermore, we would like to work on more regional based TV productions.

What are your demands for politicians?

To start funding the development of plant based foods and meat alternatives (at least at the same level as the support given to the meat and dairy industry).