Morning folks,

Had a couple of interesting offline chats about the Iran war and its effects on the alternative protein and future food sector. As the war has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, one Europe-based VC told me they think the ripple effect for the sector could be both challenging and fortuitous. Higher energy costs translate directly into higher production costs for conventional meat, dairy and crops—transport, refrigeration, feed processing, and factory energy all get more expensive overnight. If meat prices spike 20–30% as they did during past Middle East disruptions, flexitarian switching becomes less about climate ideals and more about basic math. I reckon this is right.

Here again, the China example is relevant. As I wrote a few weeks ago, Beijing appears to be adopting the same playbook it used to lead in EVs and renewables to “new proteins.” China’s energy resilience and ability to withstand oil price shocks since March is a testament to its winning electrostate philosophy and an example to many others.

If the conflict drags on, we will see more policy tailwinds for sustainable proteins framed as national security, and more consumer demand if animal meat prices rise (similar to what happened during Covid-19). We can already observe this effect in play on the EV/renewables front. Since the Iran war began, EU petrol prices are up 12%. Used EV sales have nearly doubled in France, EVs overtook diesel as Norway’s top used cars, and Germany saw 30%+ jumps in solar/heat pump inquiries. This, despite Europe’s diesel U-turn months ago. We are not there yet. But food security conversations will intensify as governments prioritize protein resilience, and may fast-track alternative options as hedges against an overreliance on imports.

That said, it's not all upside. During a separate conversation with an alt protein CEO, we talked about how fertiliser prices are likely to climb further with energy shocks, hitting soy, pea and other plant protein crops hard, while many alt protein startups rely on imported enzymes, growth media and lab equipment that's sensitive to shipping delays and tariffs.

This underscores why future food can't be siloed as "nice-to-have innovation." Wars don't pause for R&D cycles, but they do accelerate decisions on supply chain resilience and domestic production, and that’s always been foundational to the sector’s raison d’etre.

-Sonalie

💡 Only On Green Queen

🥩 Exclusive: Aleph Farms’s Cultivated Meat Matches Beef in Consumer Taste Tests
In a blind taste test, consumers rated Aleph Farms’ cultivated meat as just as good as beef on the flavour and texture scale, with half saying they’d order it in a restaurant.

🧀 Tasty Awards: Can Plant Ahead Capture the Biggest White Space in Vegan Cheese?
Plant Ahead’s Jeffrey Strah makes the case for why the company can transform the dairy-free mozzarella category with a product that’s “unlike anything” he’s seen in his 47 years in the cheese industry.

🍫 Key Founder Insights: From Chocolate to Supplements, Kokomodo Eyes 2027 Regulatory Approval for Cell-Based Cacao
Kokomodo’s co-founder and CEO, Tal Govrin, shares that the company is advancing its path to market with an upcoming fundraise and several regulatory filings across the world, with an aim to receive the green light for cell-based cacao in 2027.

💡 Exclusive Insights From Industry Experts

🌱 Opinion: Don’t Judge My Nudge – Why We Need to Rethink Behavioural Shifts for Plant-Based Food
Katie Cantrell, co-founder and CEO of behavioural change non-profit Greener By Default, argues why the food industry needs to rethink its approach to nudging plant-based choices.

🇬🇧 Opinion: Health, Resilience & Growth – Building On the UK’s Alternative Protein Progress
Linus Pardoe, senior UK programme manager at the Good Food Institute Europe, outlines why the UK government must embrace alternative proteins in its new food strategy, or risk falling behind.

💰 Big Funding News

🇫🇷 French precision fermentation startup Standing Ovation secured €30 million ($34.2 million) in Series B and non-dilutive funding to commercialise its cow-free casein protein, starting with the US.
💡Standing Ovation and Bel Group have completed initial industrial production cycles that demonstrate the efficacy of the startup’s precision fermentation process at scale; no wonder Big Dairy wants in.

💊 US startup Create Wellness secured $20 million Series B funding to expand its creatine supplements in gummy and powdered drink formats.
💡The company is leaning into the GLP-1, women’s health, and longevity categories, all major opportunities.

🧀 Dairy-free cheese startup Jay&Joy, based in France, raised €2 million ($2.3 million) to expand its presence across the UK and Europe.
💡The raise comes a year after Jay&Joy acquired rival vegan cheesemaker Les Nouveaux Affineurs, and it will support the expansion of both brands through increased awareness and accessibility.

🇳🇱 The Dutch Research Council has awarded €4.1 million ($4.7 million) to three cellular agriculture research projects looking to scale up cultivated meat and precision-fermented foods.
💡The National Growth Fund’s Cellular Agriculture programme is designed to bolster the Netherlands’s position as a global leader in this sector.

✅ Must-Read Headlines

🇺🇸 US-based California Cultured secured self-affirmed GRAS status for its cell-based cocoa powder, and notified the FDA of its determination in pursuit of a ‘no questions’ letter. 
💡It claims this is the first GRAS filing for cocoa powder produced through plant cell culture, and is planning to launch the ingredient later this year.

🏫 Nestlé has teamed up with the United Nations University to establish the World Food Academy 4 Sustainable Food Systems, which aims to support youth in the future food sector, particularly in the Global South.
💡 One of the most notable aspects of the partnership is that the educational resources developed through it will remain publicly accessible at no cost.

🇦🇺 Australian future food advocacy groups Food Frontier and Cellular Agriculture Australia have merged to accelerate research, policy breakthroughs, and regulatory progress for sustainable proteins.
💡The two organisations have been collaborating for years; this formalised merger will see them work on a single streamlined strategy dedicated to the most promising opportunities.

📉 Beyond Meat finally released its earnings report for 2025, revealing that it experienced a 15.6% decrease in annual revenue to a record low.
💡The company hopes its move into other categories and debt restructuring deal will support its path to “sustainable operations”.

⛔️ Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, has decided to end work on food ingredients and processing, due to financial challenges.
💡It helped incubate many future food startups, including plant-based meat pioneer v2food and precision-fermented protein firms Eden Brew and Eclipse Ingredients.

👎🏼 Regulatory Backlash

🇨🇭 The Swiss Federal Court has rejected Danone’s appeal to allow it to use the word ‘milk’ in the labelling of its Alpro This Is Not M*lk product, echoing a decision in the UK earlier this year.

🚫 Mississippi has enacted the US’s first ban on the sale of cultivated dairy products, with Governor Tate Reeves allowing the bill to pass without his signature.

🚀 Everything Else In Future Food

🏷️ Beyond Meat has expanded its Clean Label Project Certified portfolio, which now covers over 20 products, including its new protein drinks, as it ​​targets America’s penchant for clean-label foods.

👩🏻‍⚖ Impossible Foods has infringed two trademarks held by influencer Joel Runyon and his company Impossible HQ, a jury decided, awarding the latter $3.25 million in damages.

🌱 Abillion, an online platform that enabled people to review and rate plant-based products and restaurants, has closed down after failing to “overcome the realities of the current fundraising environment”.

🌱🍔  Future Food Quick Bites 

In our weekly column, Future Food Quick Bites, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Savor’s United Airlines showcase, La Vie’s foray into fashion, and Bold Bean Co’s sales milestone.

📆 Scene & Heard

🚀 Save The Date For Pitch Perfect Bioeconomy

🇧🇪 Looking to invest in start-ups/SMEs bringing innovative products to market that need no fossil feedstocks? Engage in some serious technology and co-investor scouting at the 6^th edition of Pitch Perfect and Boost the European Bioeconomy 2026, taking place again at the Sheraton Brussels Airport on 30th November & 1st December. Learn more here.

✅ The 6th Fermentation-Enabled Alternative Protein Summit is taking place 23rd-25th June, and will bring together foodtech innovators, CPG leaders, ingredient suppliers, investors, and technology partners. Find out more here.

⭐️ Next Impact Europe has opened nominations for a new initiative spotlighting the next generation of diverse-led impact startups emerging across Europe. The initiative will publish a curated list of 50 companies to watch, with the 2026 cohort set to be revealed at VivaTech in June. Nominate a startup here.

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