From GFI

2023 State of Global Policy Report

Alternative proteins saw another year of impressive commitments and groundbreaking developments from governments and regulatory agencies in 2023 as public entities across the globe stepped up their investments in developing the sector. Altogether, GFI estimates that newly announced global public funding for alternative proteins amounted to $523 million last year, for an all-time investment total of $1.67 billion. Despite this progress, the sector needs an estimated $10.1 billion annually to unlock alternative proteins' full climate and economic benefits. Dig into the full report to learn more and watch our webinar for further insight into the key findings.

An ocean of opportunity for alt proteins

Where others see weeds, we see a sustainable source of protein full of untapped potential. Check out our latest Substack post that explores the recent food innovations using seaweed, algae, and other aquatic plants and learn why these ingredients are poised to play a major role in the future of food.

U.S. foodservice market insights for plant-based foods

In this new report, our corporate engagement team explores foodservice market data for plant-based proteins, milk, and cheese in the United States. The report includes an analysis of category sales, comparisons to the conventional meat market, emerging segments, pricing, consumer insights, and future opportunities. In July, GFI will host a webinar about this report featuring a panel of experts to answer your most pressing foodservice questions. Have questions for our panel? Submit them here.

Our new alternative protein science & technology newsletter: The Grazer

We recently launched a newsletter tailored for the scientific research community! Every other month, The Grazer delivers updates on alternative protein research, funding, resources, and events. Subscribe now.

Upcoming events & opportunities

Workshop: Leveraging artificial intelligence to advance alternative protein technologies

Join us for a generative workshop on leveraging artificial intelligence to advance alternative protein technologies! Inspired by the Bezos Earth Fund's recently launched $100 million AI for Climate and Nature Challenge, GFI is bringing together alternative protein innovators for a collaborative event exploring how AI can unlock new opportunities and advance the alt protein sector. Save your spot.

IFT Fireside Chat

Join GFI founder and president Bruce Friedrich at IFT First in Chicago where he will lead a fireside chat on July 15 titled "Alternative Meat: Reflecting on the First 10 Years and Anticipating Many More." IFT First is a global event that brings together thousands of researchers, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs from across the food value chain to discuss scientific solutions in presentations and panels focused on transformative innovation. Register.

ACF (American Culinary Federation) National Convention

Attend the ACF National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona to gain resources that will keep you on the cutting edge of the culinary industry. Marika Azoff , GFI's retail and food service lead, will facilitate a panel discussion titled "Beyond the Burger: The Next Generation of Alternative Protein Innovation," looking at how alternative proteins can support chefs’ culinary pursuits and their business while feeding a growing population deliciously, nutritiously, and sustainably. Sign up.

Fish & CHIPS: Collaborative Huddle for Ideation & Problem Solving

Dive into the future of cultivated seafood at Fish & CHIPS, an event series that provides cultivated seafood scientists and innovators an opportunity to get together in small groups and talk through the challenges they're facing. If you're working on cultivated seafood and would like to connect with others in the field, please join us for one of two sessions on July 30th. Register for Session 1 and Session 2 here.

Cultivated meat production by circular cell culture of microalgae and animal cells

Catch The Good Food Institute APAC 's second “Science of Alt Protein: APAC edition” seminar of 2024—this time featuring Tatsuya Shimizu, MD, Ph.D., FISHR, FSBE, a medical doctor turned tissue engineer with a strong background in cell sheet technology from the Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science at Tokyo Women's Medical University. Register here (please note the time zone difference). 

Find more upcoming conferences, pitch competitions, workshops, and opportunities for good food innovators on our events calendar.

Alt protein headlines

The future of seafood won’t come from the ocean

Global demand for seafood—expected to rise by roughly 80 percent by 2050— is pushing ocean ecosystems to their breaking point. In India, some coastal communities are experiencing this impact firsthand, writes GFI India's Jaanvi Parekh . Alternative seafood—made from plants, cells, and via fermentation—can help satisfy growing global demand while creating resilient jobs and livelihoods that minimize the climate and biodiversity impacts of seafood consumption. Dive in. 

Bezos Earth Fund grant creates sustainable protein research hub at NC State

The Bezos Earth Fund awarded North Carolina State University $30 million over the next five years to create a dedicated center for alternative protein science and innovation. This level of investment signals a significant step forward in sustainable protein science and addresses the critical need to diversify the global protein supply chain via meat made from plants, fermentation, and cell cultivation. The center will also attract more biomanufacturing firms to North Carolina, driving economic vibrancy and workforce development in local communities. Read more.

World’s #1 Spanish omelet maker Grupo Palacios to formulate with The EVERY Co’s hen-less egg

Alternative protein startup The EVERY Co. has teamed up with Spain’s largest omelet producer to incorporate EVERY Egg’s animal-free liquid egg product—produced via precision fermentation—into their flagship ready-to-eat Spanish omelets and the research and development of new products. Full story.

Pureture develops technology to produce clean-label vegan casein in 30 percent time

U.S. startup Pureture says it has cut production times and improved the functional properties of their yeast-derived casein protein—a key component in dairy products. According to the company, their animal-free casein produces up to 94 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional dairy casein thanks to the efficiency of their patent-pending continuous fermentation process. Full story.

Brevel targets plant-based food with new commercial plant for microalgae protein supply

Microalgae protein company Brevel has opened their first commercial facility with the capacity to produce hundreds of tons of microalgae protein powder to serve the global alternative protein space. This is great progress for the emerging precision fermentation industry, which has the potential to bring new products to market with enhanced sensory and nutritional profiles at a fraction of the environmental footprint of their conventional animal-based counterparts. Read more. 

Global Spotlight

GFI India supports the launch of two alternative protein innovation centers

Two unique alternative protein centers of excellence were inaugurated in Bangalore, India, to stimulate research, address scientific gaps, and accelerate the go-to-market process and scale-up for the sector. Launched in collaboration with The Good Food Institute India , the Alternative Proteins Innovation Center (APIC) will provide research and manufacturing services for alternative protein ingredients and finished plant-based products. It is India’s first facility to offer comprehensive services in the alternative protein industry, encompassing everything from lab-scale to pilot-scale development. 

GFI India also collaborated with a premier science park and incubator, IKP Knowledge Park, to launch their Centre for Smart Protein and Sustainable Material Innovation, designed to nurture early-stage ideas by empowering Indian alternative protein startups with state-of-the-art equipment and expert mentorship. This groundbreaking initiative is the outcome of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two organizations to address the need for specialized incubation in alternative protein. A joint effort to understand entrepreneurial challenges and compile recommendations to encourage public and private players to incubate companies in this sector also culminated in a joint report: Incubation Support for a Thriving Smart Protein Ecosystem.

Community Spotlight

"The impact of GFI and of this project was tremendous in our ecosystem. It was tremendous for our research group because it kicked off a new line of research. […] It’s not only the output in terms of money, funding, and people—it is the engagement of a strong community that loves what it is doing and can actually bring a better future for the field of alternative proteins." - Dr. Frederico Ferreira, University of Lisboa

Dr. Ferreira recently joined a GFI Europe webinar to discuss the impact the 2024 GFI Research Grant Program had on the Algae2Fish research project at the University of Lisbon where his team is exploring how to use algae to develop new techniques for cultivating fish fillets from seabass cells.

Check out more of Dr. Ferreira’s fascinating research into developing the world’s first cultivated octopus.

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You can view all job opportunities at GFI here. For more information on the application process, we encourage you to attend one of our bi-weekly hiring information sessions.

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The Good Food Institute is a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. Alongside scientists, businesses, and policymakers, GFI’s teams focus on making plant-based and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible. Powered by philanthropy, GFI is an international network of organizations advancing alternative proteins as an essential solution needed to meet the world’s climate, global health, food security, and biodiversity goals. Click here to support our work.