??Cultivated meat could add up to €85 billion to the EU economy, top alternative protein research priorities and EU court win for plant-based labels
The Good Food Institute Europe
Advancing plant-based and cultivated meat in Europe to build a better food system for people, planet and animals.
This month: A new report finds a well-supported cultivated meat sector could create up to 90,000 highly-skilled jobs in the EU, our science and technology briefing summarises key research bottlenecks for alternative proteins, and the European Green Deal could increase emissions outside the bloc unless accompanied by a move towards plant-based foods.?
Featured story
Cultivated meat could have a huge impact on the EU economy and create tens of thousands of highly skilled jobs, but this will only be possible if policymakers recognise the opportunity and provide the right support. That’s the finding of a new analysis carried out by the systems change company Systemiq and supported by the Good Food Institute Europe.
The report analyses a range of future scenarios to examine the impact of cultivated meat on economic growth, jobs, and the environment across the EU by 2050. It finds:?
The study also examined individual countries, finding that with the right level of investment, cultivated meat could be worth up to €16 billion and create up to 15,000 highly skilled jobs in Germany, while it could contribute up to €10 billion to the national economy and create up to 18,000 jobs in Spain.
The analysis finds that a scaled-up future cultivated meat industry could deliver significant environmental benefits by unlocking a wider market for plant-based meat – developing ingredients such as cultivated fat that will improve the taste and texture of plant-based products. However, it also highlights that the sector still has a long way to go, and realising these benefits will depend on significant investment (€5 billion needed from the EU annually between 2024 and 2050), support for continued clarity on the path to market and evidence-based regulation, product quality and consumer confidence.?
Policymakers should now recognise the extraordinary potential of this food to spark green economic growth and provide the support Europe’s sector requires.
Top stories
With key research and infrastructure bottlenecks still blocking alternative proteins from becoming mainstream, our Science and Technology team has published a new briefing identifying the topics most likely to advance the field. We dive into plant-based, cultivated meat and fermentation –?exploring the areas researchers should prioritise to ensure these foods become affordable, accessible and delicious. Europe – home to many of the world’s top universities –?has everything it takes to become a global alternative protein leader, but governments and funders must significantly increase public research and innovation funding. This briefing highlights where that money should be spent for the most impact.
The UK government has announced ￡1.6 million (€1.9 million) of funding to create Europe’s first regulatory sandbox for cultivated meat, boosting the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) scientific knowledge. New staff will be recruited to support companies planning to submit applications and work with scientists to produce detailed guidance on key questions. The sandbox is a pioneering approach to regulating cultivated meat products and another exciting sign that the new government wants to capitalise on strong investments in British research, but it’s not a solution to long-term funding challenges affecting the FSA, which ministers need to address urgently.
The EU’s highest court has passed a landmark ruling that using terms like ‘veggie burger’ and ‘sausage’ to label and market plant-based foods is not confusing to consumers –?and countries cannot introduce restrictions on them unless they create legal names for these concepts. With survey after survey showing that Europeans support the use of clear labelling for plant-based foods, this judgement is a victory for common sense. We hope that governments will now move on from pursuing needless restrictions stifling consumer choice and invest in these sustainable options. For more information about what the ruling means –?and its implications for cultivated meat – read Axon Lawyers’ analysis.
A study in Nature Sustainability has highlighted that the European Green Deal – aimed at achieving carbon neutrality within the EU – could lead to a twofold increase in emissions outsourced elsewhere unless accompanied by a move towards more plant-based foods. Reducing Europe’s dependence on overseas land to grow feed for livestock is vital for reducing global emissions and could also boost food security and provide more opportunities for farmers to grow high value crops. The European Commission should adopt recommendations in last month’s Strategic Dialogue On The Future of EU Agriculture to develop an EU-wide action plan for plant-based foods by 2026.
A new survey has revealed the potential for Poland’s rapidly growing plant-based food sector. 53% of respondents to the survey –?conducted by Biostat with Ro?linnieJemy –?supported the development of more plant-based meat and dairy options, even though nearly 90% of those surveyed stated they eat conventional meat, suggesting a growing interest in these foods among flexitarians. The survey follows last year's analysis of Nielsen data which found that consumer demand for these foods grew sharply between 2020 and 2022, and points to new opportunities for businesses hoping to invest in Poland’s plant-based sector.
GFI News
The Good Food Institute has launched our latest affiliate, GFI Japan –?joining an ever-growing international family of organisations advocating for alternative proteins to governments, scientists and businesses. As the world’s fourth-largest economy and a global leader in advanced research and manufacturing –?as well as an important trading partner with the EU and European national governments – Japan has the potential to revolutionise alternative proteins. GFI Japan will focus on harnessing Japan’s world-class R&D ecosystem to drive breakthrough technologies in alternative proteins.
Events, opportunities and resources
Events:
Jobs, funding and resources:?
For more alternative protein opportunities, check out our funding database, visit AltProtein.jobs, or subscribe to the T?list newsletter.
Our impact
If you’ve ever thought about donating to support GFI Europe’s work, and you want to find out a bit more about the impact of doing so, now is your opportunity!??
As a nonprofit, one of GFI Europe’s top priorities is advancing open-access research into alternative proteins to share innovation that can benefit the entire sector.
Our Science and Technology team focuses on creating a thriving research and training ecosystem to advance this game-changing field.?
Submit your questions for our SciTech team via this form by Wednesday 23 October for our upcoming video.?
Want to learn more, but not sure what to ask? Check out Seren’s interview on the 80,000 Hours podcast –?or her recent chat with science journalist Jonathan McCrea – for some inspiration.
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4 个月Unfortunately market worth of something up to 20-85 B EUR doesn't mean there will be 85 B EUR added to the EU economy. On the contrary, it might be deducted from it giving nothing but a good time in return.