As climate change accelerates, it’s clear that transforming our food systems is not just necessary—it’s urgent. A key area of opportunity lies in sustainable proteins, which offer powerful ways to reduce environmental impact while supporting global nutrition.

Cooperation & stakeholder engagement

At Sustain-a-bite, we’re addressing this transformation through the development of a stakeholder platform designed to foster co-creation, knowledge exchange, and innovation across the food value chain. By connecting actors from farm to fork, we aim to unlock practical solutions that drive the shift toward resilient, sustainable food systems—aligned with other EU-funded initiatives and stakeholders working toward the same goal.

Transforming By-products into Protein Powerhouses

The CHEERS project is a strong example of how circular bioeconomy principles can be applied to create sustainable protein. Focusing on the brewery industry, CHEERS is upcycling organic waste like bagasse and CO₂ through insect bioconversion platforms, turning them into high-protein ingredients for innovative food products. This approach not only tackles food waste but is expected to reduce the carbon footprint of each value chain by over 45%.

The Climate-smart Potential of Algae

Meanwhile, the CIRCALGAE project is exploring the full potential of algae-based proteins. Algae require little land and can grow in saltwater, making them a low-impact, high-efficiency crop. CIRCALGAE valorizes algae side-streams to produce functional protein-rich ingredients and bio-based compounds for other industries, embracing a zero-waste, circular approach that supports the EU Green Deal and diversifies Europe’s protein sources.

Making Alternative Proteins Mainstream

The LIKE-A-PRO project is taking the next step by developing 16 innovative food products from sustainable proteins like rapeseed, mealworm, krill, microbial, mushroom, and pea. The project is grounded in co-creation: working with consumers, retailers, and producers in living labs across Europe to bring alternative proteins from niche to norm. Campaigns like Week Without Meat are helping to raise awareness and encourage long-term dietary shifts.

A Circular Approach to Food and Packaging

InnoProtein pushes the boundaries further by combining sustainable protein production with eco-friendly packaging innovation. Using microalgae, fungi, bacteria, and insects, InnoProtein develops protein sources with minimal environmental impact. In collaboration with AIMPLAS, the project is also developing biodegradable packaging from protein and seaweed-based materials, addressing two critical issues—food sustainability and plastic waste—at once.

Toward a Sustainable Food Future

Europe faces a significant “protein gap,” importing 70% of its protein-rich crops and 85% of its soybeans, while the global population is set to reach 10 billion by 2050. Addressing this challenge requires innovative, zero-waste approaches to sustainable protein production.

To this end, a cluster of EU-funded projects—INNOPROTEIN, CHEERS, CIRCALGAE, SUSTAIN-A-BITE, and LIKE-A-PRO—has joined forces as the Protein Pioneers. This collaboration focuses on advancing alternative proteins from Single Cell Proteins, insects, and valorized biomass to create sustainable food, feed, and biobased products with minimal environmental impact.

The Protein Pioneers cluster encourages researchers and projects in the alternative protein field to collaborate, share knowledge, and drive innovation for a resilient protein future. Follow the conversation and latest updates using the hashtag #ProteinPioneers.