COP29: United Nations Climate Change Conference
About alternative proteins
Alternative proteins are agricultural innovations that, with proper levels of government and private support, will help ensure planetary and public health. Learn more about what they are, why they matter, and how they can transform the future of food. You can also dig deep into the climate and biodiversity benefits of alternative proteins below.
Alternative proteins are a global climate solution
Today, agriculture accounts for a third of all global emissions. Animal agriculture alone – including the crops and pastures to feed those animals—accounts for up to 20 percent of all emissions. A solution? Change how meat is made. Learn more about the climate benefits of alternative proteins here.
Alternative proteins are a biodiversity solution
The stakes for biodiversity around the world are high. One-third of all plant and animal life alive today is at risk of extinction by 2070. Shifting toward alternative proteins is key to reversing deforestation and biodiversity loss while still meeting the growing global demand for meat. Learn more about the biodiversity benefits of alternative proteins here.
The Good Food Institute at COP29
The Good Food Institute is a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. As an international network of organizations, we advance alternative proteins to help meet climate, global health, food security, and biodiversity goals. Learn how GFI is creating a world where alternative proteins are no longer alternative.
A critical moment in global transformative climate action
To meet growing global demand for meat, we need more ways to produce protein—and bold leaders to drive protein innovation.
Check out some of the ways GFI and its partners are engaging at COP29 to elevate alternative proteins as a solution to pressing challenges:
- GFI Founder and President Bruce Friedrich will be speaking on a panel hosted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Learn more about the event, “Alternative Proteins for Climate, Hunger, and Global Health”, here.
- Bruce Friedrich will also be speaking on a panel hosted by Climate Action, “Agri-Food Innovation: Pioneering Solutions for Climate Action.” Learn more about the event here.
- GFI Brazil is co-hosting a panel with FAO and CGIAR, “Harvesting change: Sustainable food systems for climate and biodiversity solutions.” Learn more here.
- GFI Israel Associate Director of Policy Adi Ben Tov will moderate a panel and workshop at the Action On Food Pavilion led by EIT Food, Proveg International, and the Future Economy Forum. Learn more about “Unlocking National Potential through Alternative Protein Strategies” here, under the roundtable zone tab.
Note: Many COP29 events will be live-streamed. Check the host organization’s webpage for details.
Event location
GFI delegation
Bruce Friedrich
PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, GFI
Gus Guadagnini
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, GFI BRAZIL
Mariana Bernal
POLICY ANALYST, GFI BRAZIL
Alysson Soares
HEAD OF POLICY, GFI BRAZIL
Samuel Goh
POLICY MANAGER, GFI APAC
Adi Ben Tov
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF POLICY, GFI ISRAEL
Clare Bland
SENIOR GLOBAL DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY, GFI
How to meet your NDC goals
Integrate alternative protein innovation into your national climate plans. Learn how your country is already supporting alternative proteins by downloading The State of Global Policy on Alternative Proteins.
Developing an alternative protein national strategy
This three-step guide and framework is designed for stakeholders working on food and agricultural strategy at the national level. Explore country-specific strengths, goals, and needs to develop a strategic plan for activating and executing a national alternative protein vision.
Upcoming events
View all events
Bruce Friedrich at Politics & Prose
Meat: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity’s Favorite Food—and Our Future – with Nicolás Rivero.
Meat: The Next Agricultural Revolution
Bruce Friedrich kicks off Canada’s premier alternative protein symposium in Toronto.
2026 Midwest Climate Summit Campuses as Climate Engines: Cutting Carbon and Building Resilience
Join us for a lively workshop on the levers campuses can pull right now—from food procurement to school design to climate-ready facilities.
Bruce Friedrich at Johns Hopkins University: Meat — a homecoming conversation
Event description Co-hosted with the Center for a Livable Future (based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), this event is a chance to connect the dots between…
The Future of Innovation, Sustainability, and the Law Symposium
GFI’s Madeline Cohen joins Northwestern Pritzker Law’s 2026 Animal Law Symposium for a timely conversation on the legal and policy questions shaping the future of food innovation.
Alternative Protein Symposium: Bridging Science and Society
Join Bruce Friedrich and our Alt Protein Project leaders from NC State, Duke University, and Virginia Tech at the Alternative Protein Symposium: Bridging Science and Society.
Building Your Alt Protein Career: Gastronomic science
Join us to learn how gastronomic science can be translated into high-impact food solutions.
Animal-Free Meat: The Next Agricultural Revolution
Come learn how science, policy, and industry can work together to satisfy the world’s soaring demand for meat, no animals required.
