€8.1bn and 25,000 jobs predicted from alt-protein boom

Billions of euros have been pledged or pumped into the alternative protein market, with €5bn allocated annually by the European Investment Bank alone to agriculture and bioeconomy initiatives.

The European Union had also ringfenced €50m for the development of food from microorganisms to enhance food supply chain resilience; Denmark’s MATR Foods secured €20m from the EIB; Heura Foods raised €36m to upscale production; and many other upstarts and industry leaders have raised millions more between them.

As a result, Europe was establishing itself as a global leader in sustainable food, with newly created jobs in the sector expected to exceed 25,000 in the UK alone, according to Green Alliance.

How many jobs in alternative protein?“European nations such as the Netherlands, Denmark, the UK and Sweden are highly dependent on foreign sources of food,” says Alt Protein Careers founder Noga Golan, who has expanded her agency to Europe.

“With a focus on food innovation and alternative methods of producing protein, Europe is moving towards agricultural autonomy.”

As part of its expansion, Alt Protein Careers would begin to equip sector job seekers with the insights and resources needed to level up over competition, says Alt Protein Careers’ new UK-based recruitment director Anna Heslop.

“When scaling an alt protein company, every hire is critical, and hiring the right people for your goals and culture is essential,” she says.

“It’s about securing specialised talent that can solve both technical and commercial complexities within this fast-evolving sector.”

Growing alt-protein talentThough, the alternative protein market was not immune to the skills shortage faced by the wider food and drinks industry. The sector would not only have to set up routes into market for those already skilled, but it would need to lead workers into the sector from scratch.

“I’d encourage anyone looking for a rewarding career in which they can help build a more sustainable, secure and just food system to explore the many opportunities presented by this growing industry,” says Good Food Institute Europe MD Alex Mayers.

Universities were already playing a role in upskilling the sector’s future talent. For example, the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London was backed by a $30m Bezos Earth Fundg grant.

Wageningen University’s sustainable protein research and university of Leeds’ £38m National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre are among 61 universities powering development in the market.