Protein, power, and politics: the global scramble for food sovereignty

In the grand theater of geopolitics, it’s usually oil, semiconductors, or rare earth metals that dominate the headlines. But lately, an unlikely contender has muscled its way into the spotlight: protein. Whether grown in fields, fermented in tanks, or coaxed from cells in stainless steel bioreactors, protein is no longer just the building block of life – it’s the building block of national strategy.

Call it protein sovereignty – the emerging belief among governments that if you can’t feed your population domestically, you’re vulnerable. From Saudi Arabia to Singapore, countries are investing heavily in local food production technologies. Sovereign wealth funds are backing startups that promise to turn peas, algae, fungi, and microbes into the next generation of sustainable protein. The goal isn’t just food – it’s autonomy, self-determination and your country’s security.

Why the urgency? Because recent history has made one thing clear: global supply chains are not your friend when the world catches a cold – or a war. The Covid-19 pandemic turned supermarket meat aisles into ghost towns and made ‘bean hoarding’ a legitimate survival strategy. Then came Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, disrupting grain and sunflower oil exports and sending shockwaves through global animal feed markets. Suddenly, protein became a lot harder to produce – and a lot more political.

This realization has catalyzed a wave of investment and policy-making centered around self-sufficiency. Countries that once imported the bulk of their protein needs are rethinking that model. They’re asking, what happens when the ports close? When exports dry up? When protein – arguably the most emotionally charged macronutrient – becomes a lever of diplomacy or a source of civil unrest?

Protein isn’t just a dietary choice – it’s national strategy. And if you’re not planning for it, you’re probably going to be eating someone else’s leftovers

That’s where global investment firms with deep sector focus – like Big Idea Ventures (BIV), which partners with governments, corporates, and startups across the food and bioeconomy – can quietly play a role. By identifying scalable protein technologies and helping them localize in the regions that need them most, BIV and others are helping bridge the gap between innovation and implementation.

Still, as wealthy nations race to secure their protein futures, a thorny issue looms. Who is being left behind? Much of the alt protein boom is aimed at consumers who can afford to choose between artisanal tofu and Wagyu. Meanwhile, large swaths of the Global South still struggle to access basic nutrition. The question isn’t whether we can grow meat in a lab – it’s whether those advances ever reach the people who need them most.

This disconnect is becoming harder to ignore. Critics argue that food innovation is catering to Silicon Valley palates instead of solving real hunger. And while some promising startups in Brazil, Kenya, and India are developing low-cost, culturally relevant protein solutions – like chickpea chorizo or millet-based meats – they often lack
the capital, infrastructure, or cross-border expertise to scale.

That’s starting to shift. The goal is for investment platforms such as Vevolution – with global reach and local presence – to increasingly help early-stage founders tailor solutions to regional realities, connecting them not just to funding, but also to food companies, distributors, and innovation ecosystems.

All of this is unfolding against the backdrop of a warming planet, where protein production is under pressure from every angle – droughts, rising input costs, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. The race isn’t just to invent new proteins, but to make them climate-resilient, geopolitically stable, and socially equitable.

So where does this leave us? Somewhere between hope and hummus.

The good news is that innovation is fast, bold, and weird in the best way. We’re seeing breakthroughs in precision fermentation, cultivated meats, and AI-optimized crop rotation. The bad news? It’s fragmented, unequally distributed, and still vulnerable to geopolitical shocks.

The challenge now is making sure that the next era of protein isn’t just high-tech and climate-friendly – but also inclusive, resilient, and strategically wise. Because the next war might not be fought over oil or land – but over lentils, logistics, and whether or not your country can grow its own damn tofu.

In a world where food equals power, protein isn’t just a dietary choice – it’s national strategy. And if you’re not planning for it, you’re probably going to be eating
someone else’s leftovers.

Andrew D. Ive is the Founder/Managing General Partner, at Big Idea Ventures. He is an advisory board member for Tufts Nutrition Council, is a Friedman School Entrepreneurship advisor, Harvard Business School graduate, Procter & Gamble brand management trained, and has spent a number of years as an entrepreneur growing companies. This article is republished from the Q2 2025 edition of Protein Production Technology International, the industry's leading resource for alternative proteins. To subscribe to all future editions, please click here