This figure, calculated by think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe, is more than half of the amount recommended in Henry Dimbleby’s 2021 National Food Strategy.
In the landmark review of England’s food system, Dimbleby highlighted the importance of building a strong alternative protein ecosystem and called for a £125m funding injection for UK scientists and startups developing plant-based foods, cultivated meat and fermentation-made ingredients.
He said that such investment was necessary to avoid the UK falling behind other countries, which GFI Europe believes it has been successful in.
According to the think tank, the £75m investment to date means that the UK is now Europe’s second-largest public research funder in the field of alternative proteins.
In particular, GFI Europe praised the creation of four major research centres that will drive collaboration between scientists and entrepreneurs.
Ivy Farm Technologies and Hoxton Farms are two examples of UK firms developing cultivated meat products right now.
‘Job is halfway done’
Defra secretary Steve Reed has pledged to develop a new food strategy for first half of this year, and GFI Europe has urged the minister to take the opportunity to boost food security, drive green growth and create new opportunities for food producers by accelerating protein diversification.
Commenting on the progress made so far, senior UK policy manager at GFI Europe, Linus Pardoe, said: “Successive governments have made impressive progress in this area and a solid foundation is now in place on which scientists and businesses can build a thriving alternative protein sector.
“But the job is only halfway done and ministers must use the new food strategy as an opportunity to write the next chapter in the UK’s protein diversification leadership by 2030. With ambitious plans, they can unlock alternative proteins’ potential to deliver innovation-driven economic growth and provide people with healthier dietary choices.”
Food Manufacture analysed the state of the plant-based category in the UK in a recent feature, which asked how the sub-sector could regain momentum.
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