Reimagining protein for a future under pressure
Opportunity in every pressure point
The forces that sustain life on Earth—soil, water, biodiversity, and a habitable climate—are under growing strain from the way we produce food. That pressure is already affecting the well-being of everyone who calls this planet home. As temperatures rise and ecosystems shift, each new disruption underscores just how much is at stake.
By reimagining how meat is made, we can relieve stress across the system, feeding a growing world while replenishing the resources we all share.
Rebalancing nature
Few human activities have reshaped our planet’s natural systems more than agriculture. As the leading driver of deforestation, agriculture is projected to claim more than 1.5 billion acres of habitable land along with vast freshwater by 2050, along with vast freshwater and feed resources.
Every new acre cleared for crops or grazing reduces the space available for wildlife, pollinators, and the forests that help stabilize our climate. As demand for meat rises, so too does the pressure on nature’s most vital systems.
This trajectory isn’t inevitable. Producing meat directly from plants, fermentation-derived ingredients, or cultivated cells can dramatically reduce land use, freeing up space for reforestation and ecosystem recovery.
How we are driving change
In 2024, GFI India served as a key advisor to India’s Department of Biotechnology as they launched their landmark BioE3 Policy, a national strategy to strengthen the bioeconomy and create green jobs. The policy, which names alternative proteins as a key focus area, will help bring more resilient indigenous crops like millets and pulses into the spotlight and strengthen local food systems. GFI India’s guidance highlighted how alternative proteins can reduce pressure on land and water while supporting biodiversity—helping nature thrive for generations to come.
Stabilizing our climate
When we talk about climate change, we tend to focus on what we can see—raging wildfires, rising seas, disappearing ice. But much of the problem lies beneath the surface, hidden in the way we produce food.
Our food system is both vulnerable to climate change and a major contributor to it. To meet this challenge, we need solutions that cut emissions at the source while making our food system more resilient to the climate disruptions we know are coming. That’s why GFI works to ensure that food—especially meat—is on the global climate agenda.
How we are driving change
At Climate Week NYC 2025, GFI and the World Resources Institute convened a Friends of Alternative Proteins roundtable with 30 leaders from the fields of climate, conservation, agriculture, and international development. They explored how a shift toward alternative proteins can create opportunities for farmers while cutting emissions at scale.
These discussions help position protein diversification not just as a dietary choice, but as a critical climate solution.
Shifting the reliance on animals for food
Every year, tens of billions of animals enter an industrial food system designed for maximum output, not well-being. They spend their short lives in spaces with little room for natural behaviors—environments necessitated by the rising global demand for meat.
When animals are tightly packed together, the spread of pathogens is inevitable, making routine antibiotic use a necessity. This overuse of antibiotics is fueling the rise of drug-resistant infections, tying animal welfare to one of the greatest public health risks of our time.
And whether we’re talking about deforestation, water scarcity, or antibiotic resistance, we’re ultimately discussing the same issue: the escalating cost of maintaining billions of animals in production.
How we are driving change
Through programs like GFI’s Research Grant Program, scientists around the world are advancing the science of alternative proteins, enabling products to compete with conventional meat on price, taste, and accessibility.
Dr. Christoph Schwarz received GFI funding to explore how chicken-of-the-woods mushrooms could transform into savory, protein-rich meat alternatives. These fungi naturally mimic the texture of chicken, offering a new way to enjoy familiar flavors without using animals.
Projects like Dr. Schwarz’s are part of a global shift toward food systems that are compassionate, sustainable, and secure—proof that alternative proteins can be better for everyone, including animals.
Safeguarding our food system
When avian influenza swept through U.S. chicken farms earlier this year, tens of millions of hens were lost, driving up prices and emptying shelves. It was a clear reminder of how a single outbreak can send shockwaves through our food system—affecting farmers, manufacturers, and families alike.
Alternative proteins offer a more secure and resilient way forward. Produced in controlled environments, plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived foods reduce disease risk, stabilize supply, and expand access to safe, affordable nutrition. But to unlock these benefits at scale, countries need clear and trusted regulatory pathways.
How we are driving change
To support safe scale-up worldwide, GFI Asia Pacific collaborated with Vireo Advisors, the Future Ready Food Safety Hub, and the Singapore Food Agency to launch the Safety-Assessed Media Ingredient (SAMI) list—the world’s first public reference for ingredients used to grow cultivated meat and seafood. This trusted “ingredients library” gives governments a clear, science-based checklist of safe materials, helping to speed approvals, strengthen public confidence, and ensure cultivated proteins can scale globally.
Demystifying what’s on our plates
What influences what’s on our plate? Every few months, a new diet trend promises to change everything—go full carnivore, cut all carbs, avoid every seed oil. But beneath the noise, people want something simple: food that’s satisfying, nourishing, and affordable.
How we are driving change
GFI Europe partnered with the Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN International) to publish a first-of-its-kind guide on plant-based foods and health. Available in multiple languages, the resource compiles hundreds of peer-reviewed studies to help consumers and policymakers separate fact from fiction.
The evidence speaks for itself: well-formulated plant-based foods can be rich in protein, fiber, and essential nutrients while reducing saturated fat and increasing dietary diversity. They also eliminate the need for antibiotics and significantly lower the risk of zoonotic disease. In other words, we can get the nourishment our bodies need from plant-based meat while easing pressure on our food system and the planet.
The key to putting more alternative proteins on our plates is continuing to learn, collaborate, and bring new ideas to market—and that’s exactly what GFI will continue to do.
It takes a village
When you step back and look at the whole picture, it becomes clear: the challenges facing our food system are deeply connected—and so are the solutions. Alternative proteins offer a way to support healthier communities, restore ecosystems, and feed more people with fewer resources.
We work to make that pathway accessible to all. Our research is open-access, our insights are freely shared, and our goal is clear: move the entire alternative protein field forward. Because progress in this space doesn’t come from any one company, country, or community acting alone. It will take scientists, policymakers, farmers, entrepreneurs, students, and donors—all bringing their expertise to the table and pushing in the same direction.
When we combine our efforts, we can reimagine what’s possible. We can create a food system that is better for people, the planet, and animals. That future is within reach, and we will build it together.
Reimagine the future of food
All of our work is possible thanks to our global community of donors. Help us create a more just food system for people, animals, and the planet by making a gift to GFI today.
The featured photograph was taken in Humboldt Redwoods State Park by GFI associate director of foundation relations David Nuñez. David joined GFI because he is passionate about protecting wild places and preserving the natural beauty of the planet we call home.
Author
Gabriela Diaz Sidron
Gabriela Diaz is responsible for growing the annual fund membership base, renewing and upgrading member support, and strengthening donor relationships. Areas of expertise: fundraising and strategy, CRM Management, stewardship.
