Protein Diversification for Food System Transformation

The global food system is shifting to address the dual challenges of climate change and public health. What role will protein diversification play in this transformation?

Globally, 77% of agricultural land is dedicated to livestock feed. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2050 we will need the resources of three planet Earths to sustain ourselves. Alternative proteins offer a strategic solution to reduce food system emissions while freeing up vital land for nutritious food production.

Before they take to the stage at Future Food-Tech London this October 2-3, industry leaders from across the agri-food value chain share insights on scaling protein diversification, strategies to accelerate commercialisation, and navigating the regulatory landscape.

 

The Role of Alternative Proteins and Wider Protein Diversification on Improving Climate and Human Health

Joanna Trewern, Director of Partnerships and Institutional Engagement, PROVEG INTERNATIONAL notes protein diversification as the key piece of the puzzle in food system transformation: “If we continue with business as usual, emissions from livestock and rice alone will drive us beyond our 1.5 degree target.”

Floor Buitelaar, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, BRIGHT GREEN PARTNERS furthers this point, blaming typical Western diets as a significant contributor to both global environmental challenges and dietary health issues: “The current trajectory of food consumption is unsustainable, necessitating a fundamental transformation in how we produce and consume food.

To address these challenges, the food industry must focus on reformulating existing products to enhance their sustainability and health benefits while also innovating new, appealing, and affordable options that align with these goals. Achieving this delicate balance requires a concerted effort from food organisations.”

When addressing supply chain volatility, Matias Muchnick, CEO & Founder, NOTCO cites diversified supply chains as pivotal for a more stable food system: “Diversifying protein sources strengthens our food supply chain by reducing dependency on single ingredients and mitigating the risks of monoculture. This not only enhances food security but also supports a more resilient and sustainable agricultural system.”

For Stephanie Jochems, Business Unit Director – Ingredients, MARLOW INGREDIENTS alternative proteins are superior and worthy of the transition, holding distinctive benefits over animal protein: “Mince made from mycoprotein, for instance, has a 96% lower carbon footprint than beef mince, and unlike meat, mycoprotein is high in fibre, low in saturated fat, and contains no cholesterol. It is also a good source of key vitamins and minerals, including zinc, riboflavin, manganese and folate.”

 

Strategies Accelerate Commercialisation and Increase Market Share of Alternative Protein Products

Nicolas Schweitzer, CEO, LA VIE believes we need to collectively get back to the fundamentals: “Consumers want alternatives that deliver in terms of taste, health, and price. We must eliminate tasteless products with crazy ingredient lists and poor nutritional value from the shelves. In parallel, one of the critical challenges for our category is to deliver on margins while matching animal prices.”

Focusing on the health conscious consumer, Joanna Trewern, PROVEG INTERNATIONAL details the key trends she sees for consumer adoption: “Health is top of mind for meat reducers across Europe according to our research, so it’s no surprise to see brands increasingly catering for health-conscious consumers. We’re seeing a lot of innovation in the blended space at the moment.”

For Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, Director of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein and the Microbial Food Hub, IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON current gaps in the route to commercialisation are: “1) the lack of a solid academic research structure to support the growing industry and 2) the need for focused educational programmes at all level to train the professionals in the field. Our Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein and Microbial Food Hub aims to contribute in those areas.”

In terms of scaling, Owen Ensor, CEO, MEATLY says technology needs to reach an industrial level: “We’ve managed to create a protein-free media that has massively reduced the cost of producing cultivated meat, from hundreds of pounds a litre of media to just £1. Now the focus turns towards bioreactor technology and equipment and ensuring that we see the same sort of nutritional values in our products with increased outputs so that no sacrifice is made to the quality of the product when the quantity is increased.”

Of course, the correct partnerships are crucial to scaling. Resource sharing, collaborating on innovation and in turn accelerating growth means access to new markets and increases the potential for widespread adoption.

Ben Price, Business Development Manager, RSSL: “Strategic partnerships and government funding can unlock new technologies, access to infrastructure for scale-up and other opportunities that accelerate commercialisation. Experienced and specialised regulatory advice coupled with technical rigour and analytical testing helps navigate the challenging regulatory landscape. We see a shift towards hybrid and even unique products that could increase market share.”

Stephanie Jochems, MARLOW INGREDIENTS argues this is essential in the food industry: “From working with retailers to optimise the in-store merchandising of food made from alternative proteins, to partnering with foodservice operators and making products made from a blend of meat and alt-protein. This is something Quorn is doing with mycoprotein-based products with the NHS, delivering products that taste great but have a lower carbon footprint and healthier nutritional profile.”

 

Strengthening Alternative Proteins in the Food Sector

For Nadine Geiser, Principal, WORLD FUND, price parity and taste are the key priorities to be addressed: “While there is growing awareness of the health and environmental benefits of alternative proteins, these attributes alone are not enough to drive mass adoption. Consumers are unlikely to switch from traditional proteins if alternative options are either too expensive or don’t meet their taste expectations.”

Floor Buitelaar, BRIGHT GREEN PARTNERS adds scaling and nutrition into the mix: “The truth is that all of these challenges—price parity, scale, nutrition, and consumer acceptance—are crucial and must be addressed simultaneously. For alternative proteins to be widely adopted and contribute to a more sustainable and healthy diet, they must be tasty, affordable, nutritious, and convenient. Achieving this requires scaling up production to make these options accessible to the mass market.”

Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON believes all the above challenges to be interconnected and must be addressed in a interdisciplinary manner: “Underlying technologies like engineering biology have the capacity to address several of these issues simultaneously.”

Matias Muchnick, NOTCO: “Reducing costs to match traditional proteins is essential for widespread adoption. While nutrition and consumer acceptance are important, they depend on addressing these challenges first. Scaling production will make alternative proteins more accessible and affordable, paving the way for better market acceptance and growth.”

Owen Ensor, MEATLY: “The science is there and is proven to work, and regulators in markets such as Israel, Singapore and the US have passed cultivated meat as safe for human consumption. The challenge now is to take that technology and science and bring it up to scale where the quantity of production outweighs the cost which still remains high compared to factory farming.”

 

The Current Regulatory Landscape for Novel Foods in Europe

Robert E. Jones, Vice President of Global Public Affairs, MOSA MEAT tells that all eyes are back on the EU: “The first (and soon to be second) cultivated food dossier has been submitted. After years of engagement with EFSA and the Commission, the industry is confident that we will see an efficient approval process, even in the face of vocal opponents that are spreading misinformation and unfounded fear.”

Ben Price, RSSL shares that although Europe is still considered a strict market for regulatory approval, “EFSA has made great progress over recent years to clarify a lot of the requirements and update guidance which included public consultation. We have seen successful submissions to EFSA for alternative proteins derived from insects, fungi and obtained from precision fermentation. However, EFSA has only just received the first application for a cultivated meat (filed by the French company Gourmey), while in US and Singapore analogous technologies have already been evaluated.”

MEATLY has recently received regulatory approval for its cultivated pet food in the UK, becoming the first European company to receive regulatory approval for cultivated meat. Owen Ensor is optimistic about the state of play: “We’re hopeful this is a positive step forward for the wider cultivated meat industry, as regulators in the UK and EU continue to review their novel food processes. In the meantime, we can show governments and organisations that there is a hunger and need for a kinder meat for consumers, which can unlock positive economic and environmental benefits too.

Matias Muchnick believes Europe’s strict regulatory landscape drives innovation, with companies like NOTCO introducing disruptive solutions: “While challenging, this process ensures only the safest products reach the market, fostering consumer trust. Countries like the Netherlands and Germany exemplify this balance, supporting food tech and sustainable innovations.”

 

Attitudes Towards Alternative Protein Investment

Nicolas Schweitzer, LA VIE holds a positive outlook on the new investment climate: “Despite some recent negative press, investors still value hypergrowth as long as it’s coupled with sound fundamentals. The only innovations that hold promises are the ones that are convincing consumers but also offer decent gross margins…”

Robert E. Jones, MOSA MEAT: “Investment in the space is stabilising and the mission driven investors who fully understand the challenge they were getting into pre-2022 have been doubling down on accelerating the industry. More importantly, the potentional of blending the best of the innovations to make superior products faster has really come into focus.”

Ben Price, RSSL shares that investors continue to view the alt protein space as a key growth area, just being more strategic in the companies they choose to support to risk manage their portfolio: “Companies that are ready to scale-up, are using more mature technologies and/or those utilising government funding or strategic partnerships are perceived as such. Alt-proteins that are fermentation-derived, for example, received more funding compared to cultivated meat. Investments are then used for infrastructure and scale-up.”

Nadine Geiser, WORLD FUND also names fermentation as a hot area for innovation: “Many investors have shifted their focus towards fermentation companies who pursue a strategy of entering the market with high-value, low-volume products. This is seen as a more viable and less risky approach compared to immediately targeting commodity markets.”

On the topic of cultivated meat, Owen Ensor, MEATLY says: “One of the key things investors are looking for in the second wave of cultivated meat companies is an ability to scale in a low-cost way. That means decoupling the industry away from pharmaceutical processes, and innovating new ways to produce cultivated meat at scale. It’s by showing this progress, and the ability to scale the industry in a fast, safe but low-cost way, that we can really unlock the benefits of our industry.”

 

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