Billions of dollars in investment are pouring into alternative proteins globally each year. From meat and agribusiness giants to FMCG leaders and forward-thinking governments, it’s now widely accepted that the scale-up of new protein industries – including those using plants, cell-cultivation and precision-fermentation – will play a critical role in feeding a world of 10 billion people by 2050. Where does this leave Australia and New Zealand? Are we falling behind or leading our region? What can we learn from more mature overseas markets? And what does all this mean for our longstanding agriculture sectors? AltProteins 22 will tackle these questions and many more.
The first-ever alternative proteins conference for Australia and New Zealand, AltProteins 22 brings together leading researchers, industry pioneers, agrifood and policy experts to explore ideas and developments in the alternative proteins space and discuss critical issues shaping the future of alt-proteins Down Under.
The one-day in-person event will be held at W Melbourne, in Melbourne’s CBD, and will be hosted by leading alt-proteins sector facilitator Food Frontier.
The conference agenda includes keynote speakers, presentations and panel discussions and includes ample opportunity to network: morning and afternoon teas, a fully catered lunch featuring alt-proteins, and a post-conference cocktail hour with plant-based canapes.
Conference agenda
Welcome and introduction
Thomas King, CEO, Food Frontier and Alice Zaslavsky, Event MC.
Keynote speaker
To be announced.
Session 1: Capturing an Emerging Agricultural Opportunity: Plant Protein in Australia
From beans to peas to lupin, Australia grows more than 1.9 million tonnes of legumes and pulses annually. Using protein from these crops to create plant-based meats and other food products is a lucrative and value-adding agricultural opportunity. Learn about the exciting progress being made to open up Australia’s domestic plant protein pipeline, and how our farmers stand to benefit. With presentations from Australian Plant Proteins’ Brendan McKeegan and CSIRO’s Michelle Colgrave, who’ll then be joined on the panel by Professor German Spangenberg from Agriculture Victoria, and grains farmer David Jochinke. Moderator is Sarah Nolet, AgThentic
Concurrent sessions
Session 2A: Meet the Industry: Plant-Based Meat
The number of Australian plant-based meat brands on retailers’ shelves near-doubled in FY2020, and established brands expanded product offerings in New Zealand. In this session, key industry players share strategies, manufacturing models and target customers. Discussion will focus on shared challenges and potential solutions to scale plant-based alt-meat businesses. On the panel are Fable Food Co. CEO Michael Fox; Coco & Lucas/Earth’s Diem Fuggersberger. Justin Lemmens from Sustainable Foods; Rogue Foods’ Chris Nicklin; and Fenn Foods’ Alejandro Cancino. The moderator is Kim Berry from Food & Drink Business.
Session 2B: Meet the Industry: Cultivated Meat and Precision Fermentation
Hear from pioneering companies on the promising breadth of products offered by cellular technologies and what it takes to set up shop in Australia including challenges regarding talent and investment, and research underway across Australia to bring these products to market. On the panel are Vow’s George Peppou; James Petrie from Nourish Ingredients; Me & FoodTech’s Esha Saxena; and Cellular Agriculture Australia founder Bianca Le. The moderator is Dean Powell from the Good Food Institute.
Session 3A: Age of the Flexitarian: Understanding Consumer Attitudes Down Under
Vegetarian and vegan demographics haven’t grown significantly over the past few years, with sales of the newest, most ‘meat-like’ alternatives driven largely by flexitarians. Get insights from new research on who’s eating meat alternatives and why, barriers to purchase and how plant-based meat manufacturers can use these insights to mature the category. Includes a presentation from CSIRO’s Sinead Golley
Session 3B: Cultivated Meat’s Path to Market
Cultivated meat and functional ingredients produced via precision fermentation mimic conventional animal proteins and fats at cellular level and are produced with established, well-tested technologies. What is the domestic sector’s vision for bringing cultivated meat to market as countries overseas begin approving its sale? How could Australia and New Zealand’s regulator enable this? What might those first products be, and what challenges does the sector face in naming, pricing and marketing a broad variety of hybrid and novel products? On the panel are Laura Domigan from the University of Auckland; Shiok Meats’ Dr Ka Yi Ling; and Vow’s Tim Noakesmith. The moderator is Allen Zelden from Intrinity Global.
Lunch
With dishes featuring plant-based meat dishes from event caterer-sponsors MEET and Rogue Foods
Session 4: Building an Internationally Successful Alt Proteins Company
Launching and growing a successful brand in any industry is an endeavour – a challenge amplified for those entering the fast-changing, quickly-crowding arena of alternative proteins. Gather invaluable insights from leading international brand Meatless Farm about their journey to define and understand their consumers, build a unique product while balancing speed to market, scale and leverage new channels, and all the advice they’d give themselves if they could turn back the clock a few years. Includes a digital presentation from Meatless Farm’s Morten Toft Bech
Session 5: Demand on our Doorstep: The Asia Opportunity
In Asia, demand for plant-based meat products is predicted to rise by 200 per cent in the next five years. What’s happening in target Asian markets and how can plant-based alt-protein exporters cater to the diverse and evolving consumer preferences across Asia? Includes a ‘fireside chat’ with v2food’s Andrew May, Vanessa O’Neill from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and host Vanessa Matthijssen from Deloitte.
Session 6: Building a $3B Industry: What Consumer Barriers Must be Overcome?
Growing interest in plant-based meat has fuelled media and consumer discussion around the sustainability, nutrition and composition of these products. How are retailers and foodservice responding to this growing interest, and reaching a broader spectrum of consumers? On the panel are CSIRO’s Sinead Golley; Tony Green from the Australian Foodservice Advocacy Body; and FoodBytes’ Teri Lichtenstein, Accredited Practising Dietitian. The moderator is Allen Zelden from Intrinity Global.
Session 7: Future of Alt Proteins Down Under: Where To From Here?
The plant-based portion of the alternative proteins sector has expanded rapidly in recent years with global protein diversification. What technologies, partnerships and investments will be required to maintain this momentum Down Under while broadening our region’s participation in the global alt-proteins sector? And how will evolving expectations around sustainability shape the products of the future? Includes a ‘fireside chat’ with Harvest B’s Kristi Riordan; Kilara Capital – Ben Krasnostein; and Jim Fader from Eden Brew, hosted by Food Frontier’s Thomas King.
Closing remarks from Food Frontier.
Cocktail hour networking & drinks.
Speakers
View the full speaker line-up and biographies.
Ticketing and registration
The ticket price includes attendance at all conference sessions, morning and afternoon teas, lunch and the post-conference cocktail event.
- Standard tickets: $299 per person, until 9 February
- Last-minute ticket: $399 pp, from 10 February
In line with Victorian Government requirements, all registrants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend the conference. Learn more about the flexible ticketing policy in the event terms and conditions.
Venue: W Melbourne
W Melbourne is at 408 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria. View on Google maps. For information or to book accommodation, visit the hotel website or phone +61 3 9113 8800.
Lead image: A selection of plant-based Fable Ready Meals. Fable Food Co’s shiitake-based alt-meat products and ready-to-eat meals. Credit: Fable Food Co