New Systemiq analysis, supported by the Good Food Institute Europe, finds that scaling plant-based foods, cultivated meat, and fermentation-made ingredients could deliver major economic gains for the EU, while improving food security and agricultural resilience.
If treated as a strategic priority, alternative proteins could add €111 billion a year to the EU economy by 2040.
Key findings
With modest investment and supportive policy over the next 15 years, alternative proteins could:
- Generate €111 billion in annual gross value added, comparable to Europe’s wine sector.
- Create a €79 billion domestic market across the full supply chain—similar to Lithuania’s GDP in 2024.
- Build a €60 billion export market, comparable to current EU exports to South Korea, positioning Europe as a global hub for advanced food biomanufacturing.
- Support 414,000 high-quality jobs across science, manufacturing, agriculture, and logistics.
