While this isn’t an overtly political newsletter per se, let’s be clear: food is politics. Governments have a major role to play when it comes to what we eat and what we will eat, and US food policy holds sway globally.

Today, as the world reacts to President Donald J. Trump’s win, it feels important to comment on this historic turn of events. We’ve put together a roundup of the best coverage on the impact of a Trump win on food policy and food tech, particularly as it seems likely he will give anti-vaccine and ‘Make America Healthy Again’ candidate Robert Kennedy Jr a major role in his administration.

Beyond that, we’ve been checking in with folks across the food tech ecosystem; the overall feeling from insiders is that it’s going to be very tough times for the US alternative protein industry specifically and food tech in general going forward.

A few US-specific predictions from us:

1. Regulatory approval for novel foods like cultivated meat is going to stall;

2. The ‘plant-based meats are unhealthy UPFs’ narrative is going to get louder (and more damaging for brands);

3. Food tech companies are going to be under even greater pressure to deliver on ‘safe’ foods: toxin-free, clean label, natural, whole foods…these terms will dominate the mainstream discussion and impact what succeeds on shelves;

4. Meat consumption will continue to be mired in identity politics and meat reduction as a climate crisis mitigation solution will continue to be ignored by regulators and policymakers;

5. Regenerative ag folks could be in for a golden age, as Kennedy is laser-focused on soil health;

6. If you take Trump at his word, the US will exit many climate commitments, resulting in a slowdown in global climate progress;

7. Key food and ag agencies like the USDA, the FDA and the EPA could look very different in a few months, which will have ripple effects on the global food industry.

More soon, but buckle up folks, it’s going to be bumpy.

-Sonalie Figueiras

🏦 Public Banks Invested $3.3B In Factory Farming Last Year

Over a dozen development banks, including the World Bank and the UN Green Climate Fund , poured billions into animal agriculture last year , going against their own recommendations.

• This was supplemented with another $3.4 billion mobilised from other public and private investors.

• The financial instruments analysed include funding for construction or expansion of breeding, rearing and/or slaughter operations, as well as investment into large-scale soy, corn or cereal production, fertiliser and seed manufacturing, irrigation system construction, animal-derived food production, and logistics.

• The World Bank Group’s investment runs counter to its own narrative, having produced a landmark report in May that called on governments to redirect agrifood subsidies away from livestock producers and towards low-emission foods, and encouraged greater adoption of alternative proteins.

• This highlights the disconnect between development banks’ investments and climate targets. Learn more here .

💡 Only on Green Queen

❓ Roundup: 8 Things We Learned at the Future of Protein Production event in Amsterdam
With over 500 delegates, 45 exhibitors, and two packed days of panels, keynotes, and workshops, the Future of Protein Production event was a deep dive into the future of sustainable food production. Green Queen’s researcher Nicola Spalding was there, and here’s what she learned about the shifts reshaping alternative proteins – and why they matter.

🧃 Op-Ed: Smoothie King’s Ozempic Support Menu Misses Key Trend
Popular chain Smoothie King has introduced a GLP-1 Support Menu for customers on drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, but it’s missing one major trend .

📈 Must-Read Headlines

💶 At EIT Food ’s new flagship event, Next Bite, six startups working in the future food space gained funding to test their technologies and accelerate their path to market.
💡This goes alongside the EU’s broader leadership in funding research for alternative proteins.

🥛 Finnish vegan company Oddlygood , a spin-off of dairy giant Valio , has acquired British plant-based milk brand Rude Health .
💡The transaction is the latest in a growing list of mergers and acquisitions in the plant-based (and the wider food) sector. 

🇫🇮 Enifer , based in Finland, has filed for novel food approval in the EU for its Pekilo mycoprotein, and is planning applications in Singapore, the US, and the UK.
💡The application marks a first for a Nordic mycoprotein maker; as the startup builds its new factory, could it become a leader in the space?

📈 Analysis from the Good Food Institute Europe reveals that research efforts for alternative proteins like plant-based and cultivated meat received a record €290 million in funding last year.
💡The report also suggests that the research community is “quite fragmented”, underlining the need for greater support to stimulate and sustain cross-border, interdisciplinary research.

🇳🇴 Oslo-based startup Norwegian Mycelium has set up a subsidiary in Japan and launched an upcycling service to turn food industry side streams into sustainable proteins.
💡The move marks another sign of Japan’s growing appetite for alternative proteins.

🧫 Everything Else In Future Food

🍌 Amid the rise of gut health and GLP-1 drugs in the UK, Potina is making clean-label, high-fibre banana oat milks for improved children’s nutrition.

🌱 Luxury hotel group Four Seasons partnered with Israel’s Oshi to put its plant-based whole-cut salmon on the menu at MKT Restaurant and Bar in San Francisco.

☕️ From today (Nov 7th), Starbucks is permanently scrapping its surcharge for dairy-free milks like oat and almond in the US and Canada. Here’s why .

🏅 Time Magazine recognised a cultivated meat technology as one of the year’s best inventions , alongside lab-grown cotton and an AI platform for functional plant-based ingredients.

🇺🇸 Americans should eat less red meat and more plant-based protein, according to scientists advising the US government on its forthcoming update of dietary guidelines , sparking furore from meat producers and meat-eating consumers.

🇹🇭 A new report by Asia Research and Engagement shows that, by replacing 50% of meat with plant-based proteins, Thailand could lower emissions by nearly 80% , while adding over a million jobs and boosting food security in the process.

🆕 New Newsletters: have you signed up YET? 🆕

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🌱🍔  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 Oatly’s new barista milk for light-roasted coffee, European precision fermentation developments, and the world’s best vegan chef.

📆 Scene & Heard

Don’t Miss The Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit

🌏 The Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit will unite over 1000 leaders accelerating greater food security and nutrition in Asia. Join companies like Unilever, Good Food Institute, Jollibee, Mondelēz, Food Navigator Asia and Temasek in Singapore for three days of exclusive panels, start-up pitching, Networking Hub and app to help you book essential 1-1 meetings with industry leaders. Register now using our code GREEN10.

🏆 If your company has what it takes to be recognised among the industry's finest, now is the time to take action! Don't miss your chance to secure a spot on the official Forward Fooding 2024 FoodTech 500 list. Submit your application today - time is running out!

🇩🇪 Meet some of the biggest names across the industry at Food Ingredients Europe 2024, taking place 19th-21st November in Frankfurt. Find out more here.

Want More? Check out Green Queen’s Deep Dive series: 

• Blended Meats Are Here  

• Meat Misinformation Deep Dive

• Ozempic & the GLP-1 Revolution

• Policy Matters: Regulating Future Food Innovation