Beyond animal farming: EU-funded think tank launches protein diversification policy guidance

27 Oct 2023 --- EIT Food, supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, has released policy recommendations for protein diversification, emphasizing the need for a systems-thinking approach to establish a healthier and more sustainable food system less reliant on animal agriculture.

The “Accelerating Protein Diversification for Europe” policy brief was revealed yesterday (October 26) at the Future of Food Conference in Brussels, Belgium, by the EIT Food Protein Diversification Think Tank, which combines the expertise of academics, companies and NGOs to foster inclusive innovation in protein diversification.

The brief also follows last week’s European Parliamentary vote to bolster plant protein production in a development that could lead to the EU becoming less dependent on protein imports while helping to tackle climate change. 

According to the brief, protein production and consumption are at the core of several pressing issues with Europe’s food system, including nutrition and public health, agricultural emissions and food security.

Empowering alt-protein
Innovative policymaking is one of the keys to unlocking protein diversification, enabling Europe to transition to more sustainable protein sources, including plant-based, cultivated, precision fermented, algae-based and insect-based alternative protein sources.The EU must take a systems-thinking approach to sustainable food production and transition away from animal agriculture, advises EIT Food.

“To secure sustainable and nutritious diets for the future, we need to reevaluate and change our production and consumption of protein sources, moving from a strong dependence on resource-intensive animal-based proteins,” Kari Tronsmo, president of the EIT Food Protein Diversification Think Tank, tells Food Ingredients First.

Alternative sources of protein include plant-based (protein crops and ingredients), cell-cultured (cultivated meat, mycoprotein, fungal and yeast biomass), precision fermented (animal or plant protein), algae-based and insect-based alternative sources for conventional animal-based proteins like meat, dairy, eggs and seafood.

“At present, there is no reason to exclude any of these protein sources as they all hold potential for scalability, and we welcome further research in these fields,” adds Tronsmo.

“In addition to the technical challenges, more work is required to enable the public to access information about these emerging technologies — transparency is key to consumer adoption.”

This week, Innova Market Insights flagged “Plant-based: The rise of applied offerings” as a top trend for 2024, noting that ready meals serve up increasing numbers of popular dishes in alternative vegan or vegetarian versions, such as lentil lasagne.EIT Food suggests that cell-cultured meat, precision fermentation, algae-based protein and other alt-protein solutions hold scalability potential for Europe.

General barriers to progress
The EIT Food Protein Diversification Think Tank identifies several barriers specific to each protein source, which are described in the policy brief. Regarding the overarching obstacles affecting all protein sources, Deniz Koca, VP of the EIT Food Protein Diversification Think Tank, pinpoints two challenges.

“Firstly, attracting enough investment. In particular, for de-risking the transition for farmers, developing the infrastructure to produce new products at scale and supporting R&D throughout the value chain,” he tells us.

“Secondly, overcoming the food system’s complexity and understanding its interdependencies requires a systems-thinking approach and broad cross-sectoral collaboration across the entire food value chain.”

The think tank will continue to engage stakeholders in a structured discussion to examine the existing gaps, barriers and opportunities and co-create evidence-based roadmaps, including recommended actions and policies for protein diversification to drive food system transformation.

Policy recommendations
After a year of in-depth reflection, consultations, stakeholder discussions and expert interviews, the policy brief recommends to EU decision-makers that protein diversification should be a cornerstone of future food strategies.

An overview of the recommendations:

• Systems thinking: Success in diversifying protein is impacted by many factors and must be seen as part of a complex and dynamic food system. Systems solutions will require collaboration across the entire food value chain to achieve widespread adoption and inter/trans-disciplinary research.
• Enabling policy environments: EU-level future policies, starting with the EU Protein Strategy, must foster the evolution of alternative protein sources.
• Regulation: To achieve the full economic, environmental and societal benefits of protein diversification and establish itself as a global leader, the EU must assess how its various regulatory frameworks are either hindering or enabling innovation.
• Farming: Farmers remain essential in providing the key ingredients for alternative proteins. Beyond being part of dialogues and transition planning, farmers should be awarded substantial support by governments in research, development and de-risking investments.
• Research, development and innovation (RDI): Protein diversification must be sufficiently funded by governments, as public financing can drive long-term RDI into societal topics such as environmental sustainability and can mitigate risks for private investors.
• Going to market: The broader food environments within which these alternatives exist must be considered, including availability, affordability and cultural preferences, and necessitates a wide range of policy measures from information to competitive pricing.
• Education and training: The food industry and sector require a larger workforce, and to continuously attract and retain talent, comprehensive education, capacity building and training programs are needed, covering a wide range of disciplines and sectors.

Marja-Liisa Meurice, director at EIT Food North and East, comments: “Embracing protein diversification fosters innovation, has the potential to create substantial economic opportunities and position EU member states at the forefront of a rapidly evolving sector. The adoption of a comprehensive strategy for protein diversification is not solely an option, but a necessity.”

“Putting these recommendations into action requires meaningful collaboration among governments, industry stakeholders, academia and civil society. Only through shared commitments can we address the main challenges of our time, transcend traditional limitations, and foster a sense of global responsibility.”

Meanwhile, the EIT Food Consumer Observatory presented new research yesterday at the Future of Food Conference, revealing that the majority of Europeans would welcome an international eco-label on food products to help them make more sustainable purchasing decisions.

By Joshua Poole