Hot off the press: Our 2026 State of the Industry reports:
Our annual deep dive into the rapidly evolving alternative protein landscape is here! GFI has GFI’s 2026 State of the Industry reports provide a global snapshot of the plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated protein landscape—synthesizing product trends, investment and sales data, new scientific advancements, public investment, and regulatory updates to highlight industry progress.
Although it was a challenging year for the sector, with some start ups closing their doors, regulatory hurdles, and ongoing misinformation around ultraprocessed foods, the overall picture is good. Plant-based food sales grew by 3% in 2025, with Europe remaining the biggest market. And government investment in alternative proteins has quadrupled in the last four years, with 33 countries now investing in the sector (up from 16 in 2020).
Calling for alternative proteins to be included in EU plans
Together with 30+ organisations, GFI Europe has signed a joint letter calling for novel foods, including alternative proteins, to be included in new EU legislation on regulatory sandboxes – spaces where regulators and innovators can learn about new technologies together.
Regulatory sandboxes are already used across the EU to accelerate innovation in an evidence-led way. But currently, alternative proteins are excluded from these sandboxes, missing out on an opportunity to accelerate research and improve regulator confidence in alternative proteins. We’re asking EU policymakers to change this ahead of upcoming negotiations.
China’s alternative protein opportunity A new report by Systemiq Ltd. models how China’s innovation-to-mass-adoption playbook could fundamentally reimagine global meat production over the coming decades.
According to the report, new food security legislation, state investment in fermentation infrastructure, and the emergence of alternative protein clusters indicate that protein innovation is a central strategic priority for the nation’s policymakers.
By taking a page from the playbook it used to successfully scale its EV and solar industries and applying that strategy to food, China could go from an “engine of global agricultural demand” to a net protein exporter as soon as 2040.
Dig into The Good Food Institute APAC’s latest newsletter to learn more.
The Good Food Institute Organisation Updates:
Hot off the press: Our 2026 State of the Industry reports:
Our annual deep dive into the rapidly evolving alternative protein landscape is here! GFI has GFI’s 2026 State of the Industry reports provide a global snapshot of the plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated protein landscape—synthesizing product trends, investment and sales data, new scientific advancements, public investment, and regulatory updates to highlight industry progress.
Although it was a challenging year for the sector, with some start ups closing their doors, regulatory hurdles, and ongoing misinformation around ultraprocessed foods, the overall picture is good. Plant-based food sales grew by 3% in 2025, with Europe remaining the biggest market. And government investment in alternative proteins has quadrupled in the last four years, with 33 countries now investing in the sector (up from 16 in 2020).
Calling for alternative proteins to be included in EU plans
Together with 30+ organisations, GFI Europe has signed a joint letter calling for novel foods, including alternative proteins, to be included in new EU legislation on regulatory sandboxes – spaces where regulators and innovators can learn about new technologies together.
Regulatory sandboxes are already used across the EU to accelerate innovation in an evidence-led way. But currently, alternative proteins are excluded from these sandboxes, missing out on an opportunity to accelerate research and improve regulator confidence in alternative proteins. We’re asking EU policymakers to change this ahead of upcoming negotiations.
China’s alternative protein opportunity
A new report by Systemiq Ltd. models how China’s innovation-to-mass-adoption playbook could fundamentally reimagine global meat production over the coming decades.
According to the report, new food security legislation, state investment in fermentation infrastructure, and the emergence of alternative protein clusters indicate that protein innovation is a central strategic priority for the nation’s policymakers.
By taking a page from the playbook it used to successfully scale its EV and solar industries and applying that strategy to food, China could go from an “engine of global agricultural demand” to a net protein exporter as soon as 2040. Dig into The Good Food Institute APAC’s latest newsletter to learn more.
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