Plant-based movement gains foothold in meat-loving Brazil
30 Oct 2020 | Future Farm
Brazil ranks as the world's third-largest meat-consuming market, behind China and the US. Despite this, Future Farm – known as Fazenda Futuro in South America – highlights how the plant-based revolution has already begun to carve out a stronger foothold in the region. Andrew Sheldon, business development manager, further comments on the meat analogs manufacturer's foray into the European market and how it has dealt with bans on "meaty" terminology from plant-based offerings.
This is Benjamin Ferrer on behalf of Food and Greens First.
I'm joined here today by Andrew Sheldon.
He's a business development manager at Future Farm.
Andrew's here to speak to us about the evolution of the plant-based movement in South America, as as Future Farm's foray into the European market.
Future Farm is a plant-based player, formulating its products using 4 simple ingredients peas, soy, chickpeas, and beetroot powder.
Hi, Andrew.
Hi, Ben.
Thank you for meeting today.
So for our first question, can you detail the shifting consumption patterns in Brazil towards plant-based and how is this trend evolved in this traditionally, let's say, meat-heavy market?
Mhm.
So currently Brazil ranks as the 3rd highest market in terms of meat consumption worldwide, only behind China and the US.
So there is a growing demand for more plant-based protein, and, and the shift from meat to plant-based alternatives is starting to carve out a strong foothold in Brazil.
Before this pandemic happened, KPIs indicated that sales in the plant-based meat category were actually on the rise, and currently still in the midst of this pandemic, there are no signs indicating the growth of those numbers going down.
If anything, the category is actually skyrocketing.
We notice plant-based burgers are the most popular non-meat product in Brazil, totaling 50% of all sales in the categories, in the country's category so far.
And in recent research by the Good Food Institute, they found that 29% of all Brazilians are actually reducing their meat consumption.
So there is a growing number of flexitarians in Brazil who eat meat, and they're consciously cutting their com , their consumption.
They're motivated by a number of reasons like, like health, environmental impacts, or animal wel , animal welfare concerns.
So pretty much just like the rest of the world, I, I believe.
And, and to finish us off, normally with new products that require this much research and development, this investment is reflected in the price.
One of the things I love about Future Farm is, is that we believe everyone should have equal access to plant-based options, and this is actually the reason why our product prices are equal to those of meat.
And what are your key offerings and, and how do they stand out in this rapidly diversifying market?
So we offer a range, a a wide range of products in our assortment.
Our standout product, our flagship Future burger, we sold over 6 million patties in just 12 months alone, and currently the, the burger is being updated to a 3.0 version.
And so back in Brazil, our research and development technicians seek solutions in the elements of nature.
They identify what materials in the plant, kingdom behave the same way as real meat on a molecular level.
The base of our protein consists of pea, soy, and chickpea, and we use beetroot powder for the color, assorbic acids sourced from oranges, and aromas extracted from vegetables.
So we combine all these ingredients using cutting edge technology, and we aim to mimic the texture, flavor profile, and color of meat.
And by achieving the likeness of meats, it allows us to provide consumers with an environmentally friendly alternative.
And to answer the second part of the question, We pride ourselves on being a clean label.
We ethically source all of our ingredients, only working with fair trade and non-GMO.
Paying the farm gate price for our ingredients is essential for combating illegal soil, allowing farmers not to be strong-armed into selling to the beef industry.
This is integral towards the fight against the deforestation in the Amazon.
From an R&D perspective, how, how long did Future Farms spend on developing these products and what exactly were your benchmarks?
So the Fazenda Futura project, started in late 2016 and it wasn't until 2019 where we completely satisfied with our products before showcasing them to the Brazilian market.
And because we're from Brazil, we had the advantage of understanding the benchmark of the, of the, the gold standard.
And, and for us, there's no point in producing something that's not healthy.
From a traditional point of view, our product is much more complete than one made from animal protein.
So, so ultimately we wanted to provide an alternative protein to satisfy meat eaters or bypassing the animal intermediary.
And with your products now in Europe, have they been, been impacted by these new bans on so-called media terminology and product branding?
And what are some of the challenges of this market?
So, luckily we have not been impacted by the bans on using media terminology, thankfully.
In the Netherlands, you're allowed to call a plant-based burger a burger.
So this is a different case in other countries in Europe, like, like France.
So when moving into new markets next year, we need to evaluate whether we need to change product use on our packaging.
And one of the biggest challenges we're seeing, in the meat category, is the market ready for an update.
Simultaneously, we see an increased need for transparency in plant-based products, and our goal is and always has been to be as transparent as possible regarding our clean label and products and the origin of our ingredients.
And what is Future Farm's future plans for expansion?
And what are some of the key growth markets that plant-based players are looking at?
So as a young brand, we're trying to connect with the consumers who are concerned with the future of the planet.
And our unique selling proposition is to offer premium products sold at an affordable price.
And with innovative branding and to build an impact platform, we're creating a global community of people who want to be relevant and be a part of the solution.
So since we're the, since Future Farm, and Fazendo Futura, one and the same, is the Latin America leader, one of the youngest Brazilian companies in the segment to expand their operation to other countries so quickly, we're already being sold in Europe's main marketplaces with over 8000 points of sales in 15 countries globally.
And now we're preparing to kick off in Germany, the UK, and in the US.
Thank you very much, Andrew.
Thank you, Ben.
