Vegan Pet-Food Market Projected to Reach $2 Billion by 2032
The global vegan pet-food market could double from about $1 billion to $2 billion by 2032, according to Data Bridge Market Research. Manufacturers and retailers are expanding availability despite veterinary concerns about protein quality, digestibility and essential nutrients.
A niche market grows at a double-digit rate
Global sales of vegan food for dogs and cats currently amount to about $1 billion and could reach $2 billion by 2032, according to Data Bridge Market Research figures reported by ItaliaOggi. The segment remains a niche within the wider pet-food industry, but its double-digit growth is encouraging manufacturers and retailers to broaden their ranges of plant-based kibble and other products.
Commercial availability is already expanding beyond specialist online channels. In Italy, Amì Pet Food has produced 100% plant-based food for dogs and cats since 2002. Vegan pet products are also sold by Arca Planet and some large grocery retailers. These outlets give the category access to mainstream pet owners even though acceptance remains limited.
Veterinarians question nutritional adequacy
Deborah Fratucello, a veterinarian affiliated with Fnovi, told ItaliaOggi that she opposed the product category, particularly when owners adopt it as a trend. She said dogs and cats are carnivores and argued that non-animal protein sources have lower biological value and are more difficult for them to digest. Environmental and ethical considerations may influence owners, but animals depend on people to determine their diets.
Some published evidence reinforces those concerns. A study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that several commercial vegetarian diets contained protein and essential amino-acid concentrations below recommended minimums. The issue is particularly sensitive for cats, which are obligate carnivores and cannot synthesize taurine independently. A clinical case documented by the University of Toulouse identified multiple deficiencies in two cats fed a vegan diet.
Conflicting research shapes commercial risk
Research does not point in only one direction. Studies by British veterinarian Andrew Knight have associated nutritionally adequate vegan diets with health indicators in dogs that were comparable with, or better than, those linked to conventional diets. However, ItaliaOggi noted that much of this evidence is observational and based on owner questionnaires rather than randomized controlled clinical trials supported by systematic blood testing.
The commercial opportunity must therefore be viewed against both the size of the conventional market and weak consumer acceptance. Italy’s overall pet-food sector is worth €4.2 billion, according to the Assalco-Zoomark 2026 report cited by ItaliaOggi. Fediaf data put the European market above €29 billion, serving 306 million companion animals in 140 million households, or 49% of households. Yet a survey of 8,800 respondents published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science found that only 7.5% of dog owners and 3% of cat owners considered a vegan diet appropriate for the species. For producers and retailers, growth toward $2 billion depends on converting ethical demand into products that can demonstrate complete nutrition, especially for cats. Clear formulation standards and stronger clinical evidence will be central to whether the category moves beyond its current niche.
