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The Good Food Institute Organisation Updates:
Last month, the UN declared that there is no realistic pathway left to prevent global warming from exceeding the Paris Agreement’s 1.5ºC threshold. This summer’s heatwaves cost the EU 12 million tonnes of crops, and now we’re being warned that a stronger El Niño could have repercussions for global food security. It’s a stark reminder of why we do this work, and why your support of GFI matters now more than ever.
Here are a few things we’re doing this month to accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient food system:
Investing in student research through the Alt Protein Project
GFI's university programme, the Alt Protein Project, has now directly facilitated over 100 jobs, more than a dozen alternative protein-focused courses, and many more student research projects. This year, we piloted our first academic challenge, a hackathon for alt protein research, where student teams take on a specific bottleneck the sector needs to solve.
Thanks our donors, GFI supported each project with $2,000 to $5,000. This early-stage funding draws students into the field and encourages more of the high-impact research needed for alternative proteins to reach their potential. You can hear five of the final teams present their work in our latest webinar here.
Connecting UK startup with the funding they need
The UK is one of the most supportive governments in Europe for alternative proteins. It set up Europe’s first regulatory sandbox for cultivated meat, and now its innovation agency has announced two new funding calls for alternative proteins, worth £13.5 million. GFI Europe has responded by flagging these calls to the businesses we work with, aiming to direct funding towards high-impact work most likely to move the sector forward.
GFI Europe has previous success here. Adamo Foods, a UK startup, went on to win a €10 million Horizon Europe grant after GFI Europe informed them of the grant and encouraged them to apply. In a tough climate where private investment is declining, connecting companies to public funding is even more important.
Brazil’s agricultural research body recommends diversifying production to include plant-based proteins
Good news from Brazil: Embrapa, the country’s national agricultural research corporation, published its strategic agenda for the future of Brazilian agriculture, making the case for diversifying food sources with plant-based proteins. Brazil is one of the world’s biggest agricultural producers and the largest exporter of beef, so this recommendation from such an influential agricultural body is a huge win.
GFI Brazil has engaged with Embrapa on alternative proteins for years, through research funding, workshops, technical visits, and broader engagement. Since 2019, GFI has funded 11 alternative protein research projects there, totalling nearly US$1 million. It’s fantastic to see this translating into national recommendations for the sector.
We’re hiring:
Find career opportunities with GFI’s global affiliates here.
Thank you!
Faunalytics Updates:
New Study: The Effects Of Digital Advocacy
Can a single reel or article change how people think about farmed animals? Our latest original study put digital advocacy to the test, following participants for three months after they saw one piece of content. The videos and articles moved people emotionally, but they didn’t shift diets, attitudes, or policy support. Some tactics even backfired with audiences who are usually sympathetic to animals. Read the full report to see what this means for your next campaign.
New Video: Fur Trade In China
China is still the world’s largest fur producer, but its industry is shrinking fast. In this video, we break down findings from ACTAsia showing that fur production in China fell by 54% from 2022 to 2023, and about 41% of fur businesses closed in a single year. Watch to learn what’s driving the decline, from growing global bans to falling consumer trust, and how advocates can help secure a future without fur.
Digital Resource Manager Job Opening
Faunalytics is hiring a Digital Resource Manager to strengthen our website, Research Library, and AI tools, including the Lens. You’ll manage our WordPress infrastructure, build automations and integrations, and help shape our AI strategy. This full-time, remote role is open to candidates in the U.S. and Canada, with a salary of approximately $68,900 USD. Apply by Sunday, October 25, and please share this posting with anyone who’d be a great fit!
Welcoming New Board Members
We’re thrilled to welcome Seth Ariel Green and Zoe Lu to the Faunalytics Board of Directors.
Seth is a research scientist at Stanford University’s Humane and Sustainable Food Lab, where he studies how people respond to appeals to eat less meat and the challenges of measuring that change. He also writes about the state of the field at Regression To The Meat. Outside of work, Seth hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 2021 and now calls Brooklyn home.
Zoe is the Managing Director at Sentient Futures and a leading voice on how AI will shape the future for animals. She advises the Centre for Animal-Aligned AI and brings a background in computer science and engineering from MIT, along with years of experience building technical tools in quantitative trading. When she’s not working, you’ll find Zoe outdoors, powerlifting, or reading (and she’s happy to tell you about the time she lived in a forest).
We’re grateful to have their expertise as we continue helping advocates make informed, effective choices for animals.