EIT Food study says Europe’s protein future depends on circular self-reliance

EIT Food’s Protein Diversification Think Tank has released a foresight study setting out four possible futures for Europe’s protein system, with 140 organizations backing a 'Circular Protein Renaissance' as the most desirable route toward greater protein self-reliance.

• EIT Food’s Protein Diversification Think Tank surveyed 140 organizations, including 131 from across Europe, on possible protein futures to 2050.
• Respondents rated a “Circular Protein Renaissance” as the most relevant and desirable pathway for Europe’s protein system.
• The study identified five key levers: regulation, finance, energy, consumer trust and open digital transparency.

The study, conducted with futures experts at VTT, an independent research organization based in Finland, mapped four plausible pathways to 2050 and presented a transition roadmap with milestones for 2035 and 2050. Participants came from research, industry, the public sector, NGOs and primary production.

While the 'Circular Protein Renaissance' emerged as the preferred future, respondents viewed an 'Uneven Protein Transition' as the most probable route under current conditions. EIT Food described this as a sign of a gap between Europe’s ambitions and the practical trust, investment and implementation needed to deliver them.

The scenarios ranged from an uneven, incremental shift to a fully reimagined, circular and technology-enabled food system. The work built on earlier analyses by the Protein Diversification Think Tank and AI-assisted scenario building through VTT ScenAIrios.

The roadmap identified five areas with the greatest potential impact: more agile regulation, including conditional approvals; blended public-private finance for scale-up; energy-efficient biomanufacturing and circular processing hubs; consumer familiarization and trust-building; and open digital transparency to support traceability and safety.

EIT Food, which is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, a body of the European Union, has made protein diversification one of its three high-value areas. The Protein Diversification Think Tank was established in 2022 to bring together selected stakeholders and partners and address barriers to innovation across the sector.

The report has been published as Europe’s food system faces mounting pressure from climate volatility, geopolitical disruption and farmer unrest, while policymakers seek to maintain competitiveness and improve sustainability. EIT Food argued that the situation required a system-level plan rather than gradual fixes.

The study also aligned with emerging EU policy frameworks, including the Life Sciences Strategy, the proposed Biotech Act, the Green Deal and the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy. According to EIT Food, those frameworks could help connect policy, investment and industrial priorities around a more resilient protein system.

For EIT Food, novel proteins formed part of a broader strategy to diversify animal, plant and biotech-based protein sources while making greater use of circular side streams. The organization noted that this approach could reduce pressure on land, water and emissions while strengthening Europe’s food resilience.

“Europe’s protein transition must balance innovation with inclusion,” said Lorena Savani, Director of Thematic Leadership, Biotech & Protein Impact. “This foresight study shows how circularity, adaptive governance and transparency can make sustainable diets effortless for consumers while creating opportunities for farmers and SMEs.”