Emma Ignaszewski

I’ve been thinking deeply about where the #plantbased meat industry is today vs. where it was a decade ago, and what challenges it faces for sustained growth. 🧵

At @Reuters Transform Food & Agriculture USA, my @GoodFoodInst colleague Caroline Bushnell is speaking on how diversifying protein can strengthen supply chains, respond to consumer needs, and drive climate progress. Register: bit.ly/3HNKWEy + use code GFI200 for -$200

The bottom line is that 71% of Americans are trying to consume more protein, up from 59% in 2022 (IFIC). This proliferation in demand is exactly why it’s more critical than ever to diversify our protein supply.

The way we produce protein is draining our resources, fueling health risks, and leaving us vulnerable. Here are 5 quick reasons why *protein diversification* isn’t a just a nice-to-have, but rather something we urgently need. 🧵

@LizSpecht @GoodFoodInst 7) Flexible at the feedstock level (running on woody biomass, ag residues, or gaseous inputs) Also check out the webinar recording! youtube.com/watch?v=tb_Mev…

@LizSpecht @GoodFoodInst 4) Insulates nation from natural disruptions like pandemics or crop failures 5) Strengthens supply chain independence by creating domestic alternatives to imported ingredients like palm oil 6) Adaptable platforms that can pivot between food, fuel, feed, and more

Food biomanufacturing, including alt proteins, offers advantages that align directly w/nat. security. Here are 7 benefits from my colleague Pat McAuley in Protein Production Technology, from a convo he had with @LizSpecht on a @GoodFoodInst webinar: shorturl.at/tvjBl

My colleague Enakshi at @GoodFoodInst puts it beautifully: “There’s no debate that people love meat. The real question is, how can we satisfy the world’s growing desire for protein in safe, sustainable, and delicious ways? That’s where cultivated meat and seafood come in.”

This is Dawn. Dawn is a pig living on an upstate NY farm. Meanwhile, people are trying meatballs made from her cells. This is what cultivated ingredients can offer, and it's an exciting—and tasty—new world. sf.gazetteer.co/some-pig

🔗 A new report released by @BCG, GFI, and @Synthesis_Cap reveals striking parallels between the alternative protein and electric vehicle industries. Take a look 👉 on.bcg.com/4cVsx2x

📑 For a quick summary, I highly recommend my colleague Daniel Gertner’s piece on @GoodFoodInst’s Alt Protein Planet Substack. thegoodfoodinstitute.substack.com/p/taking-a-pag…

🌎 Check out a new report that covers more key learnings for APs from the EV industry. bcg.com/publications/2…

Closing these gaps hinges on securing public funding to support R&D and scale-up—which has been instrumental for EV innovation.

What can the alternative protein industry learn from electric vehicles? 🧵A thread based on a new report from @GoodFoodInst, @BCG, and @Synthesis_Cap

Competing on these drivers of consumer choice is the blueprint for alternative proteins to help decarbonize the food sector, just as electric vehicles can help decarbonize the transportation sector.

Today, APs make up <1% of global meat sales. But the recipe for success in alt proteins is similar—improving products on attributes that drive consumer purchase. For APs, that's taste, texture, price, and accessibility.

EVs have seen remarkable progress: since 2015, range has increased 66%, price has decreased 67%, and the number of models available has multiplied by six. Today, EV's share of new vehicle purchases is 18% globally.

Nonetheless, a huge part of what has made EVs more appealing to folks over time operates similarly in APs—improving the market-side solution to be competitive with the incumbent product.

I know the EV-to-AP comparison is by no means perfect. 🚗 The average American buys a car once every 8 years. 🍔 Purchasers of conventional meat buy about 60 packages at the grocery store per year in the U.S. Over the course of a decade, that’s 1 decision point vs. 600.