Nonprofit think tank GFI Europe has called on the UK government to invest £150 million to unlock the potential of alternative proteins through the new National Food Strategy.
It comes after an analysis by the think tank found that the UK funded more alternative protein research than any other European country between 2020 and 2024. The majority of this £129 million investment came from the country’s largest public research funding body, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The investment has helped to establish a series of alternative protein research centres, including the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre.
GFI Europe has outlined a series of recommendations for the suggested £150 million investment, which it says should be made over the next five years and funded primarily by UKRI’s £9 billion annual budget. The recommendations include:
- A plant-based innovation fund creating opportunities for UK farmers by developing local supply chains for crops such as peas and broad beans that could be used in plant-based meat.
- An alternative protein innovation fund to help develop technologies such as precision fermentation and cultivated meat.
- University-based research and training to teach the next generation of experts, solve technical challenges, and understand the health potential of protein diversification.
Commitment to alt protein innovation
GFI Europe also recommends that the government:
- Address the lack of infrastructure to extract protein from plants, creating more incentives for farmers to grow peas and beans.
- Update the Eatwell Guide to provide information about the nutritional value of plant-based meat and take into account the environmental impact of food.
- Set a target for the proportion of protein-rich foods sold by large food businesses from animal-based, seafood-based and plant-based sources. UK food retailers already report this data privately to WWF.
The publication of GFI’s recommendations comes after recent research by Systemiq, supported by GFI, found that the UK’s fermentation sector could add nearly £10 billion to the economy by 2050. Furthermore, a Green Alliance analysis has concluded that the UK’s plant-based meat market would be worth £2.7 billion by 2035 if consumption increased in line with advice from the independent Climate Change Committee.
“The food strategy is the perfect moment to double down on the UK’s
commitment to protein diversification,” said Linus Pardoe, senior UK policy manager at GFI Europe. “By continuing to invest in these foods, ministers can capitalise on Britain’s growing expertise and increase the take-up of healthy and sustainable options to tackle our overconsumption of processed meat.”
