Research priorities for plant-based and fermentation ingredients
This joint report from GFI and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research identifies funding priorities for plant-based and fermentation-enabled protein ingredient optimization including research opportunities, infrastructure needs, and collaborations necessary to accelerate innovation.
Ingredient optimization funding priorities
As global demand for protein continues to rise, protein innovation is essential
As global demand for protein continues to rise, advancing ingredient innovation can help diversify protein sources, create a safer and more resilient food system, meet nutritional needs, contribute to farmland health, and drive economic growth in communities around the world.
To drive such innovation, GFI and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), a non-profit established by the U.S. Congress to build public-private partnerships for agricultural research, have joined forces to identify research funding priorities for plant-based and fermentation-enabled protein ingredient optimization. Informed by a global call-for-research-ideas survey and in-person workshop co-convened by FFAR and GFI, a set of research priorities emerged. This joint report is an open-access summary of those priorities intended to accelerate protein innovation around the world.
Key research areas identified
- Ingredient sourcing
- Protein enrichment innovation
- Multifunctional ingredients
- Strategic research catalysts that can improve efficiency, reproducibility, and impact across the value chain
Report takeaway
Critical research investment is needed to accelerate breakthroughs in the field and ensure that we meet consumer needs, lower costs, and reduce environmental impacts. Addressing these challenges will enable larger-scale production and commercialization, create new economic opportunities and benefits for farmers and others on the frontlines of food production, and contribute to a safer, more secure, and resilient food system.
