The UMass Amherst Alt Protein Project

About

The UMass Alt Protein Project recognizes the immense potential of alternative proteins in forging a more ethical, sustainable food system. Thus, our organization is committed to advancing alternative proteins at UMass Amherst on multiple fronts. 

First and foremost, we aim to generate awareness and enthusiasm surrounding alternative proteins, adding to an already growing interest in plant-based protein sources and meat alternatives on campus. This may be achieved by collaborating with meaningful entities like UMass Dining, one of the top dining halls in the US, on events and tastings to bring together a community of undergraduates, graduate students, and professors with diverse educational, cultural, and dietary backgrounds. 

On a professional level, we aspire to advocate for the development of entrepreneurial opportunities, courses, research initiatives, and majors in this field. Significant research efforts surrounding alternative proteins already exist on campus, especially within our Food Science department. However, we believe more interdisciplinary work may be done among the hundreds of programs UMass Amherst offers, spanning from agriculture and food sciences to public policy, health, and engineering. Furthermore, as a university situated in the state of Massachusetts, we believe there is a lot of potential for advocacy work and helping to pioneer Massachusetts as an alternative proteins thought leader in the United States.