UKRI launches innovation center for alt-proteins amid calls for shift away from animal farming

02 Sep 2024 --- The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Innovate UK are bolstering the alternative proteins sector with a £15 million (US$19.7 million) investment in a research and innovation center. 

With developments in cultured meat, insect-based proteins and fermentation-derived proteins, the new National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) aims to cement the UK’s position in the evolving protein market.

The investment will support innovation along the alternative protein supply chain, covering several protein sources, including plant-based and lab-grown meats and protein-rich algae.

Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, BBSRC executive chair, says the investment sets the tone for producing the “next generation” of alternative protein offerings, services and technologies.

“The science and innovation supported by NAPIC will bring together businesses, charities, academic researchers and wider stakeholders to cover the breadth of the alternative proteins industry in the UK and globally, from plant-based protein to new food products created in laboratories.”

“The UK is at the forefront of the alternative proteins industry, which has enabled over £23 million (US$30 million) in additional investment and support for NAPIC from businesses, international partners and wider stakeholders.”

The center will host collaborations among the University of Leeds, The James Hutton Institute, Imperial College London and the University of Sheffield. Areas of interest include discovery research, pre-competitive opportunities, proof of concept and commercially aligned initiatives.

Strengthening research and innovation

Global consumption of meat is expected to grow by 50% by 2050. While nutrients like protein, iron and Vitamin B12 are abundant in meat, according to the UN Environment Program, beef production remains the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

As the demand for protein multiplies, alternative proteins present significant opportunities to ensure food security while minimizing agriculture and livestock-related emissions.

Global consumption of meat is expected to grow by 50% by 2050.An analysis by the Green Alliance estimates that the UK alt-protein industry could be worth £6.8 billion (US$8.9 billion) annually and generate over 25,000 jobs in the next decade.

The UKRI reveals that over 100 international stakeholders have committed an additional £23 million (US$30 million) in co-investment to support the center. These include academic institutions, small to medium enterprises, private companies and non-profits.

“The new national alternative protein innovation center will advance research and innovation in alternative proteins, strengthening the UK’s leadership in this critical sector and fostering international collaboration to ensure a more sustainable and secure food future for all,” says Dr. Stella Peace, executive director for Healthy Living and Agriculture at Innovate UK.

“Through our strategic partnership with BBSRC, we are enabling UK businesses to collaborate with the UK research base to tackle global challenges like food security and sustainability while driving economic growth.”

However, professor Anwesha Sarkar, director of Research and Innovation at the University of Leeds School of Food Science and Nutrition and project leader for NAPIC, highlights critical challenges to transitioning toward a diet featuring alternative meats.

“Population-level access to and acceptance of alternative proteins is currently hindered by a highly complex marketplace, concerns about taste, nutritional equivalence and cost, as well as health and safety concerns and the fear of diminished livelihoods for farmers.”

The innovation center will address these challenges by providing a “sustainable platform for open innovation, responsible data exchange and collaboration with industry, regulators, academic partners and policymakers that mitigate the risks associated with this emerging sector while addressing the short and longer-term concerns of consumers and producers,” Sarkar adds.

Rethinking animal agriculture

Advocates of plant-based lifestyles, such as ProVeg, an international NGO advocating for a transition to more resilient food systems, have hailed the investment.

Experts note that current investment trends in the meat substitutes sector hardly put a dent in the funds injected into the animal agriculture sector.Jasmijn de Boo, global CEO of ProVeg International, defines the center as a “significant step forward” by the UK government, which will allow its industry to compete in the alternative protein market. “The global market for plant-based foods alone is estimated to treble in value by 2033 to US$35 billion, and the UK must position itself to make the most of that growth.”

However, De Boo highlights that current investment trends in the meat substitutes sector hardly put a dent in the funds injected into the animal agriculture sector.

“A Stanford survey found that between 2014 and 2020, public funding for novel technologies was smaller than that for animal products by factors of 1,200 in the EU and 800 in the US. We need a much greater shift in funding to ensure that climate-friendly food gets anywhere near the levels of funding that intensive livestock farming receives.”

“The EU-funded Smart Protein Project has already established that 51% of European consumers are reducing meat consumption. A separate survey carried out last month discovered that 27% of people who describe themselves as ‘omnivores’ eat meat less than three times per month. So we need this type of investment to deliver the food products that current and future generations want to eat.”

De Boo adds that animal agriculture contributes substantially to large-scale deforestation and biodiversity impacts. Therefore, progress toward an alternative approach to tackling the climate crisis is “vital.”

By Anvisha Manral