Exploring the State of European Alternative Protein Research

The European funding landscape for alternative proteins has experienced a remarkable transformation over the past years. This evolution reflects the growing recognition of alternative proteins’ role in creating a sustainable and resilient food system.

In this post, we summarise both the reports  State of the European Alternative Protein Research Ecosystem 2019-2023 and State of the European Alternative Protein Research Ecosystem 2020-April 2024 by the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe, explaining the growing alternative protein research ecosystem in Europe. These are the most systematic analyses of the state of Europe’s alternative protein research ecosystem done to date.

The research landscape in Europe for alternative proteins has never been so positive, there is still a great need for more public funding to ensure the European research community can work and progress on technological roadblocks.

Let’s summarise it: 

Why Do Alternative Proteins Matter?

As global meat demand is projected to increase by 52% by 2050, alternative proteins provide an innovative solution to reduce reliance on resource-intensive animal agriculture. From plant-based meat to cultivated and fermentation-derived proteins, these innovations promise to cut land use by up to 90% while enabling a circular bioeconomy.

Yet challenges persist. To achieve full adoption, alternative proteins must compete on taste, healthiness, and prices, and be available to purchase.  European consumers often cite taste and price as the biggest barriers to adopting them, underscoring the importance of overcoming technological hurdles to achieve taste and price parity with traditional animal products.

Why does Public Funding matter?

Public investment in open-access R&I focused on public benefits can drive progress by making results widely available. Key research areas needed to achieve taste and price equality with conventional animal products often fall outside the scope of individual companies’ capabilities or incentives. The 2019 Global Innovation Needs Assessment on Protein Diversity by ClimateWorks Foundation and the UK’s FCDO estimated that achieving the full climate and economic benefits of alternative proteins requires $4.4 billion in annual global public R&I funding from 2022 to 2050. Europe’s proportional contribution would be €760 million per year.

From the GFI Europe’s older report between 2019 and 2023, publications in alternative protein research grew by an average of 38% annually. In 2023 alone, researchers across Europe published 472 papers, marking a 400% increase compared to 2019. This surge was driven by contributions from over 4,600 researchers representing 1,092 institutions in 30 European countries.

The report also sheds light on regional leaders in this growing field. The United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy produced the highest number of publications, while nations like Denmark and Ireland demonstrated remarkable output on a per capita basis.

The European Commission, regional governments, and nonprofit organizations have become prominent figures in supporting plant-based, fermentation, and cultivated protein technologies. Notable projects such as the Giant Leaps and VALPRO Path illustrate the diversity and depth of Europe’s research agenda.

A Growing Investment Landscape

Between 2020 and April 2024, Europe has seen a remarkable increase in public and private funding dedicated to alternative proteins. The European Commission leads in alternative protein investment, committing €252 million over the past four years. Denmark follows with €96 million (government and nonprofit), closely followed by the UK at €90 million. Finland (€68 million) and the Netherlands (€67 million) complete the top five. According to the report, over €290 million has been allocated to plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived proteins. This growth investment demonstrates Europe’s commitment to achieving sustainable food systems in line with the European Green Deal and Farm-to-Fork Strategy.

End-Product Focus 

Research investments in alternative proteins vary by end-product focus. Of projects targeting specific products, 65% of funding went to meat, 16% to dairy, 8% to seafood, and only 2% to eggs. Notably, 72% of funding supported product-agnostic research, such as optimising protein ingredients or crop development. This contrasts with cultivated protein research, where over 95% of funding targeted specific end products.

Plant-based proteins remain the most funded pillar, with investments reaching €390 million by 2024. Traditional fermentation alone has received €91 million. Although plant-based proteins accounted for 56% of all alternative protein funding in 2020, this share dropped to 32% by 2023 due to growing investments in cultivated and fermentation projects. Despite this, 2023 marked the highest funding year yet for plant-based proteins.

Plant-based projects focused less on seafood (3% vs. 8% across all pillars) but more on dairy, reflecting the success of plant-based milk and cheese with consumers.

Dominance of Plant-Based Research

The plant-based protein sector accounted for 63% of the total research output, emphasizing its maturity and focus within the European ecosystem. Conversely, fermentation (16%) and cultivated meat (13%) are at earlier stages of development. Despite this, all pillars require further investment in critical areas such as cell line development, strain optimisation, and bioprocess design to close the gap between innovation and commercial viability.

Challenges and Opportunities

While the growth is encouraging, GFI Europe’s findings reveal several challenges:

• Fragmentation of Collaboration: International collaborations remain limited, with only 39% of publications involving cross-border collaboration. Building stronger networks will be key to addressing shared technical hurdles.
• Technological Gaps: Research in fermentation and cultivated meat lags significantly behind plant-based solutions. Specific areas, such as precision fermentation and scaffolding for cultivated meat, remain underdeveloped.
  
  Open Access and Impact: Only 70% of publications were openly accessible, below the EU average of 80%. Ensuring broader access to research could accelerate innovation and application.

Conclusion

The State of the European Alternative Protein Research Ecosystem report underscores the transformative potential of research and innovation in shaping sustainable food systems. VALPRO Path project, co-funded by the European Union, shows this transformation, driving advancements in plant-based protein production through its Innovation Production Systems and stakeholder-driven co-creation approach.

With five Practice Abstracts already published and emerging Scientific Publications, VALPRO Path is actively bridging the gap between research and real-world application. These outputs provide actionable insights for farmers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, ensuring that alternative protein solutions are scalable, economically viable, and sustainable.

By building on the trends and addressing the challenges highlighted in the report, VALPRO Path is positioning itself as one of the drivers in Europe’s alternative protein revolution. Through collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to delivering tangible impact, the project is paving the way for a future where plant proteins play a central role in meeting Europe’s food security and sustainability goals.