US Senator Adam Schiff introduces PROTEIN Act to boost US investment in protein innovation

US Senator Adam Schiff introduced new legislation aimed at expanding federal investment in protein innovation, as lawmakers sought to strengthen domestic manufacturing, improve food security, and ensure the USA remained competitive in a rapidly evolving global protein market.

The Producing Real Opportunities for Technology and Entrepreneurs Investing in Nutrition Act, known as the PROTEIN Act, proposed increased support for research, workforce development, and domestic production infrastructure across emerging protein technologies, including plant-based, cultivated, and hybrid foods.

Schiff introduced the bill in response to projections that global meat demand could double by 2050, while existing food systems lacked the capacity, workforce, and research pipeline to meet that demand sustainably. The legislation aimed to position protein innovation as a strategic pillar of the US bioeconomy and a tool for addressing climate, supply chain, and food security challenges.

“Right now in America, it seems all anyone can talk about is protein, but the exploding demand for it is not something our current food system will be able to meet,” Schiff said. He added that investment in protein innovation was already supporting thousands of jobs and could help the US meet future demand while building a more climate-friendly food system.

Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Julia Brownley, with Senator Alex Padilla listed as a co-sponsor in the Senate. Brownley said the bill reflected the need for the USA to keep pace with international competitors that were increasing public investment in alternative protein research and commercialization.

“Protein innovation is an emerging but essential pillar of the US bioeconomy,” Brownley said, pointing to growing investments by countries including China and Canada. She said diversifying protein sources would strengthen domestic supply chains, expand consumer choice, and support long-term economic growth.

The legislation proposed the creation of multiple research centers of excellence focused on alternative protein innovation, alongside a new USDA research program centered on protein security, biomanufacturing, and the conversion of underutilized biomass into high-value ingredients. It also called for federal grant programs to expand food biomanufacturing capacity and develop a skilled workforce, as well as a national, cross-agency strategy on protein security.

Supporters of the bill argued that public investment was lagging behind private sector momentum, despite the plant-based food sector alone already supporting more than 55,000 jobs in the US. California was highlighted as a focal point for protein innovation, hosting more than 150 companies across plant-based, cultivated, and hybrid protein technologies.

Industry groups, academic institutions, and advocacy organizations broadly welcomed the proposal. The Good Food Institute said the bill would help position the US as a global leader in food biomanufacturing by addressing long-standing gaps between research breakthroughs and commercial-scale deployment.

“The PROTEIN Act would position America as the global leader in food biomanufacturing for generations to come,” said Pepin Tuma, Vice President at the Good Food Institute.

Food Solutions Action described the legislation as a whole-of-government approach to securing the country’s food future, while the Plant Based Foods Institute said the bill could lower the risk of scaling up new technologies by supporting shared infrastructure rather than isolated pilot projects.

Academic leaders also emphasized the importance of linking research to real-world impact. David Block, Professor at the University of California, Davis, said the legislation addressed the commercialization bottleneck that often prevented promising protein technologies from reaching the market. Others, including researchers from Stanford, Tufts, Harvard, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, pointed to the need for coordinated federal investment to translate established scientific fundamentals into scalable food production.

The Association for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Innovation said the bill would help secure resilient domestic supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign markets, while Paul Shapiro, co-founder of the Fungi Protein Association, warned that failure to invest could see the US lose ground to other countries accelerating public support for protein diversification.