ProPAWS Conference 2026 – The Future of Pet Food
.svg)
Shifting
Pet guardians say they are open to alternatives. The market has not caught up. Why?
That gap, between what pet owners say they would consider healthy alternative protein ingredients (over 40%) and what's actually in the food bowl (<1% plant-based market share), is the starting point for the 2nd edition of the ProPAWS Conference, on Thursday 12th of November.
We are bringing together 50+ vets, researchers, and industry professionals from across Europe to look honestly at what is known, what isn't yet, and what a healthy, sustainable bowl could look like for pets and for the planet.
Program
● Esther Hagen-Plantinga: Novel protein ingredients and its potential
Esther is a veterinarian and one of Europe's leading specialists in companion animal nutrition
● Eva Meijer: What we can learn from animals
Eva is an artist, philosopher and author (Bird Cottage, Animal Languages)
● Rebecca Brociek: Nutritional Analysis of Available Plant-based Pet Food Rebecca is a veterinarian and research scientist at Tate & Lyle
● Billy Nicholles: How we can measure & tackle pet food’s 'Climate Pawprint' - Billy is a researcher at Bryant Research and consultant for Omni, a British plant-based dog food company
● Fleur Cuijnen, Markt Effect: Consumer Behavior and Attitudes towards Alternative Proteins a Market analysis
Learn which customer groups are interested in novel formulas and how to reach them.
● Panel discussion: Alternative Proteins in Animal Care Practicewith Xanthe van Rooij, paraveterinarian specialized in pet nutrition, working at Joyce Hofman Dierenklinieken in Amsterdam; Eline Teygeler, certified animal behavior therapist with Tinley Gedragstherapie voor Dieren, member of ISAE (International Society for Applied Ethology) and affiliated with SPPD (Platform for Animal Behaviour Experts) and Job van der Lek (DVM), pet nutrition expert and licensed veterinarian with Caring Vets.
Why join?
Most of the industry agrees something is shifting. Far fewer agree on what to do about it, or whether alternative proteins hold up nutritionally, commercially, and in practice. That is exactly the kind of open, sometimes uncomfortable conversation this day is built for. A working session for the sector, veterinary health professionals, and scientists.
What to expect?
- A full day of talks from veterinarians, scientists, and industry leaders across two stages, grounded in nutrition science, consumer behavior, and real-world practice
- Sessions on feeding advice in practice, nutritional analysis, and what consumer research in the Netherlands shows
- Insights in the latest industry developments and protein technologies
- Panel discussions that don't dodge the hard questions and share opportunities and obstacles from experiences
- Time to network, over coffee, delicious food, and drinks, with frontrunners and changemakers
Who is it for?
Veterinary health professionals, scientists, industry professionals, students, and anyone with a stake in what goes in the bowl, whatever your current view on alternative proteins. Participants are expected to be curious, share their own experience, and stay open to learning, wherever they are starting from.
Tickets
- Early bird: €150 (excl. vat), limited availability until September 30th
- Regular: €200 (excl. vat)
- Student: €50 (incl. vat)
Impact Club members visit the ProPAWS Conference for free and have access to the exclusive dinner with speakers and other members afterwards. Not an Impact Club member yet? Reach out to hello@propaws.org
