The Good Food Institute Europe’s Post

📣 Our new State of Global Policy Report is out! We are pleased to share that the #alternativeproteins sector enjoyed game-changing developments and commitments from governments and regulators in 2023, as the public sector across geographies stepped up to the alternative proteins funding plate! 🌍 Altogether, GFI estimates that newly announced global public funding for alternative proteins in 2023 amounted to $523 million, while the all-time investment totals to $1.67 billion. As the report indicates - governments play a critical role in unlocking the full climate and economic benefits of alternative protein in the years to come. 📈 Within Israel specifically, the public sector is a leader in driving regulatory frameworks for alternative proteins, notably with regulator’s approval of Remilk's fermentation-based dairy protein and the world’s first regulatory approval of a cultivated beef product by Aleph Farms. 🏆 Unique to this year’s policy report is a “Policy Menu,” delineating the various policy mechanisms that countries can implement to support alternative proteins. From research grants to loans to tax rates, there is a vast toolkit that policymakers can employ to drive this critical sector forward to create a more #sustainable global food system. Download and dive into the report here: https://lnkd.in/dqQ3ab-E Stay tuned for our upcoming webinar recording highlighting the key takeaways from the report. #publicpolicy #regulation #climatechange #foodtech #foodsystems #sustainableprotein #fermentation #cultivatedbeef

Yesterday, the Australian Embassy and Austrade Europe, UK and Israel | Australian Trade and Investment Commission hosted an Alternative Protein Dinner at the Residence, bringing together key Dutch players from the sector such as The Vegetarian Butcher, Protix, ME-AT, Rabobank, Upfield, and The Good Food Institute. Following a video message from Professor Michelle Colgrave, Deputy Director Impact in CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Austrade highlighted key areas of opportunity in Australia and participants shared insights about the Dutch alternative protein industry. The conversation revolved around potential synergies with Australia, challenges and opportunities faced by the sector and highlighted Australia's strategic focus on, and comparative advantage as a base for, alternative protein companies. Alternative proteins are forecast to capture 10 per cent of global meat consumption in the next decade. This is a $5 billion plant-based and alternative proteins opportunity for Australia.

The results are in! We developed a scorecard that shows Australia ranked bottom of the table for government support of alternative proteins against 10 other countries. Australia falls dramatically short across the 10 key parameters considered crucial for the industry's growth, scoring just 1.5 compared to Canada and Singapore’s score of 7.5.   While countries like Canada, Singapore, Israel and the US forge ahead with strong national strategies, funding, and regulatory frameworks, Australia is evidently missing the mark. Without committing to actions critical to the success of the alternative proteins industry and pending the approval of cultivated meat or precision fermentation dairy products, Australia risks falling behind globally and jeopardising potential health, environmental, and economic benefits.   Dr Simon Eassom, CEO of Food Frontier, said, “This comparison clearly indicates where Australia is lagging and should serve as a wake-up call to the opportunities available...With the right government support, Australia can thrive in this sector too and cement its own place as a leader in food and agricultural production.”   Take a closer look at the results: https://lnkd.in/gVJGz9u4 Read our media release: https://lnkd.in/gj7wNAP4 #AlternativeProteins #Innovation #GovernmentSupport #Food #PlantBased

AMFEP requests EU flexibility & pragmatism to allow food emzyme innovations to access the EU market, with an efficient & balanced risk assessment.

📢 New Video Alert! AMFEP EU Elections Manifesto highlights our three key requests for the enzyme industry sector to the new Commission. Today, we delve into our third request regarding market access for food enzyme products. 🧬 🔍 By providing safe enzyme solutions, our industry is paving the way for a sustainable future, aligning with the goals of the European Green Deal. 💡 Our Ask: AMFEP advocates for a balanced risk assessment followed by smooth and swift market access for enzymes. We aim to support the success of the future Union list of food enzymes and promote an environment that embraces and values innovation and the green transition for the food industry, while supporting EU competitiveness and resilience. 🌿🔋 #EUCommission #Sustainability #Biotechnology #Innovation #Biomanufacturing #AMFEP

Alternative proteins are essential to future food security and sustainability. However, Australia is falling behind other countries due to a failure of government support for this vital food sector. We urgently need the Australian government to step up support for alternative proteins.

What needs to be done to achieve a plant protein transition in Europe? Today the Greens/EFA are hosting a panel of experts to discuss this matter. We are rounding up Panel 1 here. As has been discussed thus far: The Farm to Fork acknowledged a transition, and according to experts there is a business case beyond the public procurement of food products. So what's needed to make this happen? A few calls from the room: EU targets, the streamlining of regulatory market approvals, and to encourage Member States to not inhibit market access for alternative proteins.

💶 The EU is among the largest research funders in the world, and home to one of the biggest markets for plant-based foods. Check out our new page summarising the science, policy and business of alternative proteins in the European Union https://lnkd.in/eV7w4b_n #EU #Europe #horizoneurope

Since the beginning of the war in #Ukraine I've been thinking about the role of Russian propaganda in compromising Ukrainian agri-food sector. Several #disinformation narratives on the Black Sea Grain Corridor even became a subject of the separate statement of the U.S. Department of State. According to the State, Russia has operationalized the concept of perpetual adversarial competition in the information environment by encouraging the development of a disinformation and propaganda ecosystem.   Traditional technology is based on a release of a fake news by an untrusted source or paid expert, then - discussion on a topic in social media followed by picking up that news by more trusted sources. Sometimes fakes have become a virus news, sometimes fact-checking or official refutations have got lower position in Google search than disinformation. Overall, disinformation has a broad impact of the food systems - from risk to public health caused by allergy from products with fake "Free from.." labelling, to greenwashing, economic damages and even change of consumers' behaviour, like it happened in India, when misinformation on an outbreak of lumpy skin disease has made some people wary of consuming milk. However, in many cases a strategic aim of disinformation campaigns is to undermine the credibility, trust and reputation of food system actors. In a dedicated study, released by Slovak University of Agriculture, authors described a recent disinformation case targeting Ukraine. One mill detected chlorpyrifos in a shipment of grain originating from Ukraine, surpassing permitted levels. Subsequent testing yielded differing results, prompting the mill to assess the flour derived from the contaminated wheat. Analyses confirmed the absence of pesticides in the flour, thereby negating any health risks associated with the final product. Despite this, Russian-sponsored purveyors of disinformation seized upon the situation to amplify anti-Ukrainian sentiment. I personally believe that the impact of disinformation on agri-food systems requires significant assessment, and the fake flood should be actively counteracted. For those interested in, the Slovak study can be a great starting point for a deep dive into the topic.

The Good Food Institute has just released its new report on Public investments in alternative proteins. 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. Meantime, a significant increase in funding is still needed:  "To reap the full benefits of alternative proteins, including up to 9.8 million jobs, $1 trillion in economic value, and benefits for the climate, food security, and global health, a Global Innovation Needs Assessment found that governments must invest $10.1 billion in alternative proteins on an annual basis. Though new announcements boosted prospects for future investment, the estimated $348 million spent in 2023 satisfies less than 4% of this need" Learn more: https://bit.ly/3rqzuGD #alternativeproteins #climatechangemitigation #climateinvestments #plantbasedmeat #sustainableproteins