News from the Frontier
May 2020
Dear friends – As COVID-19 presents supply chain and logistics disruptions across the food sector, alternative protein companies are navigating new ways to reach consumers during a time of increasing concerns about continuous access to safe, nourishing food.
Companies down under and overseas are adapting their business models, while one temporarily redirected resources towards immediate public health needs. For more developments reflecting the industry's innovation, resilience and undeterred expansions into new regions, read on.
Food Frontier Updates
We are proud to launch Food Frontier's News Page - your go-to resource for the latest news on plant-based and cultivated meat. From the centre of the action, we'll keep you updated on the industry's major developments.
We are hiring! Our search continues for a Head of Industry Engagement, an exciting new role for an experienced food industry and stakeholder engagement professional who'll be critical to galvanising the region's alternative proteins ecosystem. We're offering a $1000 finder's fee for a successful introduction.
Food Frontier's economic projections undertaken by Deloitte Access Economics continue to serve as foundational evidence for the industry's growth, with mentions in ABC Radio Conversation Hour featuring v2food and in Food & Beverage Industry News.
Source: Impossilbe Foods
Developments Down Under
After hinting at the company’s impending expansion down under in January, news of Impossible Foods solidifying its market entry with the hiring of an AU/NZ Country Manager has received coverage.
Australian plant-based meat start-up v2food has partnered with meal kit service Marley Spoon, giving Australians their first opportunity to cook with v2mince at home.
UK plant-based meat company Meatless Farm has launched in Australia in select food service outlets, following the company's rapid growth across the UK, U.S. and Europe in the four years since it was founded.
Source: Cision Images
Global Developments
As China reopens food outlets post COVID-19 lockdowns, KFC trialled and sold out of plant-based chicken in its restaurants across Shanghai, Shenzen and Guangzhou.
Meanwhile, Starbucks China launched a new plant-based lunch menu, with dishes featuring Beyond Meat – marking the company’s Chinese debut – as well as Hong Kong-based OmniPork.
Amongst meat processing facilities shutting down due to COVID-19, plant-based meat sales have skyrocketed 278% in the U.S., with Beyond Meat alone experiencing a 141% revenue increase in Q1.
Israeli cultivated meat start-up Aleph Farms has committed to eliminate emissions associated with its meat production by 2025 and reach an entirely emissions-free supply chain by 2030.
Source: Getty Images
Why Alternative Proteins?
In light of COVID-19 supply disruptions and African Swine Fever decimating Chinese pig herds, The Diplomat Magazine explored the role cultivated meat could play in helping China fulfil its rising demand for meat into the future. The article includes insights on consumer attitudes, finding Chinese consumers are more receptive than U.S. consumers to cultivated meat when provided information about its potential health and safety benefits, and reliability as a food source.
Thank you for your continued support – as always, we warmly welcome your ideas and feedback.
To discover more of the latest on alternative proteins, visit our news page.
The Food Frontier Team
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Food Frontier is the independent think tank and industry advisor on alternative proteins in Australia and New Zealand. Our vision is a sustainable, nutritious and diversifed protein supply.
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