R&I for Alternative Protein Sources towards Strategic Autonomy and Sustainability in EU Protein Production

The EU produces less than a third of the protein-rich feed its livestock sector needs. The rest? Imported, largely from a handful of countries, mostly as soybean meal. This dependency creates real risks: price volatility, geopolitical exposure and environmental damage abroad.

A new report "R&I for Alternative Protein Sources towards Strategic Autonomy and Sustainability in EU Protein Production", from the SCAR Protein Task Force, takes stock of where European research and innovation stands - and where it needs to go. The report covers the full value chain: breeding more resilient protein crops, improving processing technology, building fairer and more transparent supply chains, and understanding what it actually takes to shift consumer behaviour.

Three takeaways worth noting:

1. Alternative proteins (insects, algae, microbial fermentation) are growing fast but still need scale-up investment and clearer regulation.
2. Consumer acceptance remains a bottleneck - not just for novel proteins, but even for familiar legumes.
3. Fundamental research is as important as applied innovation. Without understanding the science behind protein structure and nutrition, we risk scaling systems that fall short on quality.

This report is a comprehensive analysis which reviews current trends, analyses alternative protein research, identifies value chain challenges and opportunities, and proposes strategic recommendations aligned with EU priorities.

Click here to view the report.