GFI Brazil and Araucária Foundation announce R$2 million in investments for Alternative Protein Research Program
GFI Brasil and the Araucária Foundation announce R$2 million to support research into alternative proteins in Paraná. The initiative seeks to develop innovative technologies in fermentation and cell culture to create more accessible, sustainable and nutritious foods. With a submission deadline of July 25, 2025, the call for proposals reinforces the state's leading role in the production of food of the future.
Looking for research funding? Check out GFI Brazil's new calls for proposals and submit your proposal by June 15th!
Aiming to take the national alternative protein industry to a new level, The Good Food Institute Brazil is launching two new calls for Directed Studies and inviting researchers from research institutions, startups, and companies to submit proposals—including partnerships! The first RFP (Request for Proposal) focuses on the use of agro-industrial by-products for fermentation and cell culture. The second approach, in turn, prioritizes obtaining an optimized protein ingredient from defatted soy flour. These two themes seek to strengthen the sector, reducing costs and expanding the production and marketing of plant-based products in Brazil with quality. Access the full notice through this link, and submit your proposal by June 15, 06, via email to ciencia@gfi.org. Learn the details of each line: Study to establish technological routes for the use of byproducts from agro-industrial chains for the production of alternative proteins through fermentation and cell culture. The main objective of this line is to evaluate the potential of production chains and the technical-economic feasibility of converting agro-industrial byproducts – such as sugarcane, corn, and oranges. Furthermore, the selected project must propose actions to engage researchers, industries, the public sector and regulators. Check out the specific objectives: 1. Identify by-products in the main production chains and select at least two with the greatest potential for use, considering technological feasibility and existing barriers. 2. Develop technological roadmaps for at least two chains, categorizing conversion technologies by scale, cost and resource use, with flowcharts focused on production by fermentation or cultivated meat. Study to Identify Technological Routes for Obtaining Optimized Protein Ingredient from Defatted Soy Flour This call aims to improve the flavor and cost-effectiveness of meat analogues produced with an optimized ingredient obtained from defatted soy flour, a raw material with great versatility and potential for scaling in the Brazilian scenario. Understand the specific goals: 1. Improve the sensory and nutritional profile of defatted soy flour, analyzing how different technologies affect its technofunctional properties. 2. Understand the properties of this input, in order to guide its ideal application in different formulations. 3. Develop a roadmap focusing on scalable technologies that are compatible with the national production reality, comparing the economic viability of these innovations. Application Instructions Proposals must focus on solutions for the industry, with attention to technical and financial feasibility during execution. Send your project in PDF format to ciencia@gfi.org by June 15, 06. The results will be released by 01/07/2025. The project is scheduled to begin in October 2025. Why sign up? These calls are a strategic opportunity for research centers, companies, and universities to help transform the plant-based and cultivated meat sector in Brazil, strengthening the country's position in offering more competitive, affordable, and nutritious products. To learn more about the submission details, access the call! If you have any questions, please contact our team: ciencia@gfi.org.
Open call! Work with GFI and transform plant-based retail in Brazil
The Good Food Institute Brazil is accepting proposals for consulting services aimed at expanding the presence of meat-based products in Brazilian retail through brunof@gfi.org until April 30, 04. With a budget of up to R$2025, the selected company will develop a technical report based on concrete and strategic actions to accelerate the sector. How to apply? Proposals must be submitted by April 50.000,00, 30, to Bruno Filgueira, Corporate Engagement Analyst, via email at brunof@gfi.org. Please note: Projects must include: It is important to emphasize that the proposal must not target other food categories, prioritize specific companies, or focus on theoretical analyses of the sector. The results must be announced by May 04, 2025. Why apply? Last year, the study "Survey and Analysis of Improvements in Alternative Proteins and Development of Actions" identified a number of areas of concern in the Brazilian and Latin American alternative protein markets. In addition to price and sensory similarity, the difficulties of introducing meat analogues into wholesale retail and the shelf placement of meat analogues also represented obstacles. Recognizing the need to overcome these issues, the selected proposal will serve as an appendix to the study, published in 09, and should outline strategies and recommendations to improve factors such as competitiveness and commercial positioning. Given that increased consumption of meat analogues can halt the spread of zoonotic diseases and reduce methane emissions—two problems largely caused by large-scale animal production—the report could directly impact human health and the current climate situation. For more details, access the full regulations here.
GFI Brazil launches call for Mapping the Development Stage of Fermentation Technology Applied to Alternative Proteins in Brazil
The Good Food Institute Brazil invites companies and institutions interested in developing a Mapping of the Stage of Development of Fermentation Technology Applied to Alternative Proteins in Brazil to submit their proposals by July 31st. The project starts in November 2022 and has a duration of 6 months. The main objective of the study is to understand the stage of development of fermentation technology applied to alternative proteins, the potential and challenges of the technology, bottlenecks and opportunities for large-scale production. Aiming to develop fermentation technology applied to alternative proteins in Brazil, the mapping should contribute to the development of a strategic plan and provide technical and scientific support to guide the future actions of legislators, regulators, companies, professors, and researchers in the field. The study will be divided into six stages: development of a white paper on fermentation technology applied to alternative proteins; a glossary of common technical terms for this technology; identification of the organization of the scientific community and research infrastructure; development of an educational plan to train individuals in the area of fermentation applied to alternative proteins; assessment of the geoeconomics of fermentation applied to alternative proteins; and development of a strategic plan for the development of fermentation technology applied to alternative proteins in Brazil. The project is scheduled to start in November 2022 and the desired execution period is six months. Proposals can be sent until July 31st, in PDF format, to the email ciencia@gfi.org. The document must contain a schedule, the estimated values for carrying out each stage, the total investment, the methodology to be used and the CVs of the professionals who will carry out the work. The full notice, with all guidelines for submitting the proposal, as well as all other information about the study, can be accessed at this link. Contextualization Fermentation has been used for millennia in the production of food (such as bread, beer, wine, vinegar and other basic products). However, in the last century, modern technology has enabled fermentation to gain a number of new applications. In the alternative protein industry, fermentation refers to the cultivation of microorganisms for the purpose of processing a food or ingredient; obtaining more of the microorganism itself as a primary source of protein or specific ingredients (such as flavorings, enzymes, proteins and fats for incorporation into products made from plants or cultivated meat). The plant-based industry uses traditional fermentation, industrial biomass fermentation and precision fermentation as three main techniques. The challenges of making plant-based products with sensory, functional and nutritional characteristics similar to conventional ones are numerous. We are looking for technologies and ingredients that contribute to increasing these characteristics in plant-based products, which provide a consumption experience equal to or better than that of similar animal products. Fermentation technology has proven to be a great ally in solving these challenges, enabling the improvement of desired characteristics and resulting in plant-based products that are tastier, more nutritious, and similar to conventional ones. It has also contributed to the development of cultivated meat technology, producing important process-specific molecules (such as animal-free growth factors). Additionally, proteins such as collagen and fibronectin, produced through fermentation, can serve as supporting components to replace their animal-derived versions. Thus, fermentation proves to be an enabling and innovative technology for the alternative protein sector, contributing to a new generation of ingredients and products with improved sensory and functional attributes. Not surprisingly, in early 2022, fermentation was cited by the GFI as one of the seven global trends that will dominate the plant-based sector.
GFI Brazil opens call for Nutritional Study of Meat Products Made from Plants
Interested companies and research institutions must submit proposals by July 4. The Good Food Institute is holding an open call for proposals for a nutritional study focused on plant-based meat products. The selected proposal will receive financial support for the development of a technical study on the topic, aiming to promote information and foster innovation in the sector. Through this initiative, we seek to generate relevant scientific knowledge to promote the development of new products with better nutritional aspects by the alternative protein industry in Brazil, strengthen the sector through nutritional improvements of products by the industries and, thus, expand the consumer market. The alternative protein industry has grown considerably and a large number of new products have been launched in the national market. The objective is to create an updated database of nutritional information on plant-based meat products, generate data, information and arguments around the nutritional quality of these products in terms of the content of: calories, protein, fat, saturated fat, fiber, sodium and additives, as well as understand the amino acid and lipid composition of a category of plant-based meat products, based on an analytical approach. The selected institution must collect labeling data on meat products made from plants, as well as perform analyses to determine the amino acid and fatty acid profiles of a product category and, based on the tabulation of this data, analyze and discuss the information found in the study. GFI Brazil offers support throughout the process by providing the expertise of its specialists and also in the subsequent preparation of the publication of the results. The project is expected to take eight months to complete, and is expected to begin in October of this year. To read the full notice and submit your proposal, continue reading here.