In a market where taste and price are table stakes, clarifying plant-based meat’s protein credentials can unlock new occasions, higher spend, and more relevance in a crowded protein category.

New GFI research shows that when consumers understand plant-based meat’s protein content—and its broader nutrition advantages like fiber + less saturated fat—they buy more. bit.ly/3Nn6OJu

This transition won’t happen overnight, but if we are serious about protecting the Colorado River basin and building a resilient, future-proof food supply, rethinking how we produce protein has to be part of the conversation.

This builds on Matt’s Fast Company op-ed, which laid out how drought-resistant, water-smart crops could help farmers use less water and earn more—especially when those crops feed people directly, rather than cycled through animals.

GFI’s senior director of scitech Matt Hotze just had a letter to the editor published in the L.A. Times that highlights how plant-based and fermentation-derived foods could significantly reduce strain on the basin while creating profitable new markets for regional farmers.

Crucially, the report also stresses that realizing this potential will require greater investment, supportive regulation, and coordinated global research—making this a powerful third-party validation that alt proteins are no longer niche, but a necessary pillar of a sustainable food future.

The big finding? Reducing conventional meat consumption is the single most impactful food system action we can take—and plant‑based, fermentation‑derived, and cultivated proteins are identified as valuable tools to mitigate emissions, land and water use, biodiversity loss, and public health risks.

👩‍💻 You can also check out our recent webinar covering highlights from the report. Watch the recording here:

🔎 Explore the quick start guide + full report to learn how sensory science can be applied strategically to make better-tasting alternative protein products: bit.ly/4syFNCY

You’ve likely heard by now that GFI and Tufts University teamed up to acquire bovine cell lines from SciFi Foods when the startup ceased operations. But what happened next? About 10 commercial companies and 11 academic labs from around the world signed up to access them!

BlueNalu has secured $11MM in an insider-led funding round to support its next phase of scale-up. As they move toward market entry in the U.S.—pending regulatory approval of their cultivated bluefin tuna—they are in talks with chefs and strategic partners in the premium sushi & fine dining spaces.

Mosa Meat has secured $17.6MM in fresh capital that will extend the company’s runway into 2028. They have reduced production costs by 99% since their first cultivated burger in 2013, and expect this to come down even further by the time their product receives regulatory approval (likely in the UK).

2025 was about proving what works. 2026 is about replicating and scaling it 📈

🥂 Cheers to the New Year—and a huge thank you to all who do this work alongside us.

Mission Barns meatballs are made from cultivated pork fat and plant proteins.

Hybrid products like these offer a smart path forward for alt protein companies, since they are:

✔️ Less costly to produce (for now)
✔️ Easier to scale
✔️ A more approachable entry point for consumers

In a tough moment for the cultivated meat sector, this milestone is a powerful reminder that meaningful progress is still happening.

🗨️ “To see cultivated meat inch closer to commercialization in a very tangible way was really special!” says Shayna.