Cell Farmers Symposium Draws Cross-Sector Crowd in The Hague
The inaugural Cell Farmers Symposium was held on June 4 in The Hague, organized by RespectFarms and the Province of Zuid‑Holland. It brought together farmers, policymakers, scientists and industry leaders to explore how cellular agriculture can be woven into existing farming systems. Speakers from Sartorius, Aleph Farms, regulatory firms and Wageningen University highlighted research, regulation and market pathways. The event concluded with a farmer‑led workshop, a signed manifesto and the announcement of an annual series.
Investment Climate Podcast: Lauren Abda of Branch Venture Group Shares How to Get Funded in 2026
The Investment Climate Podcast episode 102 features Lauren Abda, co‑founder of Branch Venture Group, discussing how the syndicate model has outperformed traditional mega‑funds in the current agri‑food financing winter. Branch, a Boston‑based angel network, has made 29 investments since 2017,...
Op Ed: Jennifer Oliver – Why Ethical Movements Need Operational Leadership to Succeed
Jennifer Oliver, Director of Operations at Switch4Good, details how the organization transformed its plant‑based advocacy into measurable impact through The Justice Tour, a multi‑city school outreach program. She emphasizes that beyond passion and messaging, disciplined logistics, staffing, and donor coordination...
Better Balance Shifts Spanish Marketing Away From Sustainability Messaging
Better Balance, the plant‑based brand owned by Sigma Group, launched a bold outdoor and digital campaign in Madrid and Barcelona that deliberately sidesteps traditional sustainability messaging. The ads feature the tagline “They save your dinner. Not the planet,” emphasizing convenience,...
India to Require Standardized Vegan Logo on Food Packaging From 2027
India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) will require all approved vegan food products to display a standardized green logo starting July 1, 2027. The logo—a green square with a stylized “V” and leaf—has precise design specifications and must be...
Japan Releases Draft Safety Checkpoints for Cultivated Meat and Seafood Products
Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency has issued draft safety guidelines for cultivated meat and seafood, outlining four key compliance areas: cell characterization, manufacturing quality, input safety, and overall product assessment. Producers must verify pathogen‑free animal cells, maintain genetic stability, and implement...
Established Networks Are Limiting What Agri-Startups Can Actually Change, Study Finds
A study by the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research shows that agri‑tech startups embedded in incumbent‑dominated regional food systems tend to deliver incremental rather than transformative innovations. The research, based on 16 interviews in northwest Lower Saxony—Germany’s “Silicon Valley...
Spain’s Foodtech Innovation Awards Name Seven Winners Across Sustainability, AI, and Alternative Protein
The sixth Foodtech Innovation Awards took place on May 28 at the Bilbao Exhibition Center, recognizing seven winners from more than 200 applicants across digitalization, sustainability, healthy food, automation, packaging and startup innovation. Noiet Foods earned the AZTI Award for...
Investment Climate Podcast: Charles Pontvianne of Planetary Shares How to Get Funded in 2026
The Investment Climate Podcast featured Charles Pontvianne, CFO of Swiss biotech startup Planetary, discussing its recent $17.4 million Series A round co‑led by Radical Capital and the Oetker Group. Planetary’s strategy bypasses the capital‑intensive build‑out of fermentation facilities by licensing its BioBlocks™...
Beyond Meat Expands Beyond Immerse Into New York Retail with 26,000-Outlet Distribution Deal
Beyond Meat has taken its first functional beverage, Beyond Immerse, to retail shelves across the New York metro area, securing distribution through Big Geyser in more than 26,000 outlets. The sparkling plant‑based drink delivers 20 g of protein, 7 g of fiber...
PLANTA Closes Toronto Locations After Bankruptcy Restructuring, Bets on US Recovery
Plant-based chain PLANTA has permanently shut its two remaining Toronto restaurants, Yorkville and Queen West, on May 19, 2026, ending its Canadian footprint. The closures follow a Chapter 11 filing in May 2025 and a $7.8 million acquisition by Anchorage Capital that...
Sun Bear Biofuture Completes £25,000 Pilot Plant for Yeast-Derived Cocoa Butter Alternative
Oxford‑based Sun Bear Biofuture has finished its first production run of a yeast‑derived cocoa butter alternative using a custom pilot plant that cost roughly $31,250 – a fraction of the $437,500‑$1.25 million typical for precision‑fermentation facilities. The automated line can produce...
German Organic Farm Launches Biocyclic Vegan Marketing Platform at BIOFACH 2026
German organic vegetable farm Moosfeld Gemüse GmbH unveiled the Vegan Farmers digital marketing platform at BIOFACH 2026, creating a dedicated marketplace for biocyclic vegan producers. The platform offers direct‑to‑consumer subscription boxes and wholesale pre‑packed vegetable bags, and is expanding to...
Canadian Startup to Upcycle Spent Brewery Grain Into Food Ingredients with $1.1M in Backing
Toronto‑based Terra Bioindustries announced a partnership with Saskatoon’s Great Western Brewing Company to upcycle brewers’ spent grain into food ingredients, backed by $0.81 million USD in funding, including $360 k USD from Protein Industries Canada. The company’s proprietary enzymatic process separates spent...
Ireland’s Six-Year Plant Protein Research Program Wraps Up With Eye on Export Markets
Ireland’s six‑year, state‑funded U‑Protein programme has concluded, delivering new methods to extract high‑value protein ingredients from crops such as faba beans, lupins, peas, grasses and seaweed. Backed by almost €3 million (≈$3.3 million) from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine,...