As UPSIDE Foods opens the world’s most advanced cultivated meat production facility, GFI urges increased investment from public and private sectors to speed up production and bring this better way of making meat to the masses.
The Smart Protein Summit is your chance to hear from thought leaders, industry titans, pioneering scientists, and avant-garde entrepreneurs - from India and beyond. Designed to facilitate action, learning, and networking, your world-changing smart protein plans could come to life through the Smart Protein Summit 2021.
In a special Time Magazine double issue on climate change, Bruce explains the need for government support for alternative proteins, the value of getting the big meat companies involved, and the place for regenerative agriculture.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has become the world’s first president to taste cultivated meat, as the country officially embraces alternative proteins as part of its National Climate Strategy ahead of COP26.
Interest in plant-based products is growing, but many consumers still express skepticism about plant protein foods, or simply lack familiarity with the category. Category marketing campaigns to promote plant-based and alt protein products, independent of specific brands, can engender familiarity and showcase recent innovations. Campaigns can emphasize flavor, convenience, familiarity, nutrition, and other positive attributes. Category marketing can help expand existing markets, increase demand, and promote alternative proteins for new markets and use cases.
Many alternative protein companies are interested in exporting their products or ingredients, and this is matched by interest from businesses in many countries eager to import exciting products. But import/export is a complex endeavor with many legal, logistical, and administrative challenges. There are many opportunities for brokers, directories, legal firms, and service providers to facilitate global trade in alternative proteins, including consulting services on regulatory compliance, facilitating introductions to in-country distribution partners, and aggregating listings of government support programs and trade contacts.
Enabling easy animal ingredient substitutions in a wide range of food products.
There is a need for a supplier of low-cost growth factors produced without the use of animals to support the proliferation phase of cultivated meat production. The cost of growth factor production will need to be brought down significantly as cultivated meat production is scaled up.
There is currently a lack of resources for high school students interested in alternative proteins. Students interested in entering this field would benefit from the creation of summer courses that provide motivated high school students with the theoretical background, hands on experience, and a network of peers to help foster their interest in alternative proteins. The aim of initiating such a program is to encourage students to pursue self-directed learning in this area, thus stimulating growth in the alternative protein community.
Alternative protein companies would benefit from the availability of off-the-shelf or customizable bioreactors for cultivated meat and fermentation-derived products. This need could be filled by increased investment in and support of existing companies (see "Related Efforts"), creation of new companies, or strategic pivots by companies currently producing bioreactor technology for other applications.
