After three years of a very significant partnership, GFI Brazil and the JBS Fund for the Amazon concluded the activities of the InovAmazônia project: Ingredients for the Plant-Based Food Market. During this period, seven researchers successfully developed solutions and ingredients for the alternative protein industry, based on native species from the richest biome on the planet.
The ceremony went far beyond the presentation of study results. It was the materialization of the thinking that guides the work of GFI Brazil: the climate, technological, and productive solutions capable of boosting the alternative protein sector in Brazil and the Global South will emerge from our own territories, from our vocations, and from the challenges we know firsthand.
At a guided luncheon at the Banana Verde restaurant, guests from diverse backgrounds, including researchers, investors, companies, and stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem, were able to experience firsthand what it means to invest in science conducted in Brazil, based on our biodiversity.
That was the spirit of the event: to show that there is no transition without the local capacity to produce knowledge, develop technology, and create responses appropriate to our context. And few agendas translate this as well as the investigation of native Amazonian species with the potential to expand and improve the supply of new ingredients for the alternative protein industry.
We invite you, then, to learn about the research and, in some way, experience the flavors and aromas of InovAmazônia.
Each dish served as a starting point for one of the investigations presented, bridging the gap between scientific results and concrete applications in food, with commentary from chef Priscila Herrera, who was responsible for creating the menu.
The first presentation was associated with research by Dr. Ana Vânia Carvalho, from Embrapa Amazônia Oriental. The highlight was the use of Brazil nuts as an alternative protein source for the plant-based market, with the development of partially defatted flour, protein concentrate, and textured protein. The project also demonstrated applications in meat analogues, such as vegetable kibbeh, hamburgers, and mixed textured soy protein. While these advancements were being presented, the guests sampled a traditional Brazilian dish (a type of fritter) made with cassava, Brazil nut protein, a vegetable filling, and cashew cheese, accompanied by mango chutney.
In the second entry, mini-hamburgers made with babassu, accompanied by lettuce and tzatziki sauce, Roseli Ferrari, from ITAL, presented the conversion of babassu byproducts into a protein ingredient through hydrolysis and fermentation. The main result was a hamburger with 14g of protein and 9,2g of fiber per 100g of product, in addition to a cleaner formulation and an 88% acceptance rate compared to the commercial reference product.
The conversation also touched upon the dimensions of local processing, scaling up production, and the possibility of mini-plants and production structures close to the communities that carry out babassu extraction through the coconut breakers.
Nelinha do Babaçu's participation added an even more powerful dimension to the moment: that innovation is also built with a face, territory, collective work, and concrete social impact.
Next, Priscilla Efraim, from Unicamp, presented the advancements in the complete utilization of guarana. The research developed protein ingredients from different fractions of the fruit, including aqueous and hydroalcoholic extractions, as well as the use of the fruit's peel. In extruded formulations, blends with guarana showed gains in expansion, water absorption, and caffeine content, in addition to positive sensory attributes such as brown color, smoky aroma, and notes associated with meat and grilling. While listening to the results, the guests enjoyed penne with guarana meatballs.
The same occurred in the presentation by Juliano Bicas, also from Unicamp, who presented advancements in solid-state fermentation applied to meat analogs derived from Amazonian basidiomycetes and agro-industrial byproducts. The proposal, with the potential to generate biomass with a promising texture and aromas associated with meat broth or yeast extract, stood out for reducing processing steps and pointing towards multifunctional and scalable ingredients. The dish accompanying this discussion, Brazil nut gnocchi in a creamy tucupi sauce with manteiguinha beans, offered a sensitive translation of what the research indicated: technical sophistication and regional identity can go hand in hand.
And for dessert, the meeting featured three research areas, accompanied by two high-quality desserts: classic mini lemon tart and mini gianduia tart.
Acácio Zielinski, from UFSC, presented BioAmazon2mEAT, focusing on anisotropic protein structures and the use of Amazonian raw materials to generate fibrous texture, including protein and fat obtained through simultaneous processes that are alternatives to conventional extrusion. Anderson Pereira, from UFAM, showcased a protein concentrate from tucumã almonds, with a protein jump from 11% to 53%, and its application in a hamburger prototype. And Victor Bertucci Neto, from Embrapa Instrumentation, presented the development of flavorings based on cocoa and cupuaçu via controlled fermentation, including an automated reactor with TRL 5 and obtaining a barbecue-like aroma by heating husks and almonds.
Throughout the meeting, one message became increasingly clear: Brazil doesn't just need to adapt technologies conceived elsewhere. Brazil can, and should, be a protagonist in building knowledge and original solutions for the transformation of food systems. When we look at our biodiversity, at the still underutilized waste and byproducts, at local production chains, and at the scientific expertise established in the country, we find not only promising ingredients, but also new possibilities for economic development, industrial innovation, and climate response.
The projects presented at InovAmazonia demonstrated precisely that. They weren't limited to the conceptual stage. There was development of ingredients, prototypes, processes, technological routes, and, in some cases, laboratory infrastructure. It also became clear that many of the next steps now focus less on initial discovery and more on the challenges of scaling up, industrial validation, economic viability, market connectivity, and new funding. In other words, science has already opened the door. What we need from now on is to expand the conditions for these solutions to advance.
In closing, Natália Figueiredo, a journalist from GFI Brazil, reinforced the potential of the Amazon as a source of scientific innovation and practical application for plant-based foods, with benefits for local supply chains and for income generation associated with the sustainable use of biodiversity. The program ended with acknowledgments, networking, and conversations about new collaborations—but the lingering feeling was that something greater had been shared there: a concrete vision for the future.
For those who couldn't be there, this is perhaps the most important image to remember: a group of researchers, investors, companies, organizations, and representatives of production chains gathered around the same table, not only to observe trends, but to recognize evidence that the future of food can be built with Brazilian science, Brazilian biodiversity, and solutions that make sense for Brazil and the Global South.
This is the horizon that the GFI wants to strengthen when talking about scientific sovereignty. And this is what InovAmazonia allowed us to see, prove, and imagine more clearly: that investing in applied national research is investing in a more resilient industry, in more inclusive supply chains, in climate solutions more aligned with our reality, and in a Brazil capable of leading, with originality, a global transformation.
If you would like to receive the event presentations, including technical information on each ingredient, please get in touch.
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