For the first time, China’s five-year agricultural plan includes cultivated meats and other ‘future goods’ like plant-based eggs as part of its blueprint for food security.
So what?
China is the largest consumer of eggs and meat, meaning the country’s strategic inclusion of alternative protein in its plans provides a large market for cultivated and plant-based start-ups to innovate and grow, with significant implications on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector.
The government’s plans could also accelerate the regulatory timeline, increase R&D investment, and help gain a broader consumer acceptance.
The Good Food Institute says that plant-based alternatives haven’t met Chinese consumers’ expectations for taste or texture. Higher investment and innovation in plant-based products could make such food more appealing. Alternatively, cultivated meat could see greater acceptance due to its similarity with traditional meat sources.
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