Globally recognised for its environmental, nutritional, and socioeconomic advantages, plant-based protein production and consumption is gaining traction. Ireland aims to position itself as a global leader in sustainable food production.

As a result, the Protein-I initiative, a DAFM-funded all-island research project, brought stakeholders together from diverse backgrounds to discuss the current state of the plant-based protein value chain.

Through collaborative discussions, stakeholders explored gaps, challenges, and potential business opportunities associated with the production and supply of ingredients for food use within the tillage sector. The increasing demand for plant-based protein emphasises the need for sustainable value chains in food supply networks, highlighting the importance of insights gathered from stakeholders in shaping the tillage sector.

Protein-I focuses on cereal crop production, initially targeting wheat and oats for food purposes. Desk-based research produced a preliminary value chain map, providing valuable insights into the different value chain stages. Teagasc and University College Cork (UCC) subsequently hosted an in-person stakeholder workshop, which was attended by 23 stakeholders with diverse knowledge of the Irish plant-based value chain.

Amanda Sithole, a Teagasc Walsh Scholar and PhD student at UCC, explains: “The workshop was designed to sense-check a preliminary value chain map created through desk-based research and to identify gaps, challenges, opportunities, and potential areas for improvement.”

Workshop participants highlighted numerous challenges facing the Irish plant-based sector along its value chain, continues Amanda.

“A key challenge that emerged is the insufficient demand for suitable seed varieties tailored for the food market, due to a historical focus on the feed market and reliance on imported flour. Tillage farmers in particular face challenges in acquiring land, as they experience lower and uncertain economic returns compared to other farmers – particularly dairy farmers – when seeking available land for purchase or rental.”

Additionally, agronomic challenges were emphasised by the participants, intensified by market demands – such as clean labelling and reduced inputs – and the policy drive to reduce input use, e.g. pesticides. To address the latter, stakeholders stressed the importance of implementing appropriate crop rotations and strategies for soil health and integrated pest management.

Merchants at the workshop shared the challenges they encounter in securing a consistent cereal supply, with issues relating to both quantity and quality required for food processing. Primary processing faces challenges due to limited investment in infrastructure, such as large-scale milling facilities.

Participants also identified gaps in other essential infrastructure, such as demonstration plants suitable for plant protein and related materials to support scale-up.

“Another significant challenge highlighted by workshop participants is the need to enhance industry agronomic knowledge related to food production. This challenge extends from farmers to advisors and is exacerbated by a shortage of graduates in the field,” Amanda adds.

“The importance of market research to align Irish cereal attributes with diverse market segments was emphasised, highlighting a need for feasibility studies into ingredient and food product markets that offer the opportunity to deliver a price premium over feed.”

Moreover, concerns were raised regarding policy instruments potentially favouring meat and dairy products over plant-based innovations, emphasising the importance of a balanced enabling environment.

Unlocking business potential

Despite the challenges, the workshop participants highlighted Ireland’s potential to meet the demand for plant-based protein food products. They highlighted opportunities at both product and industry development levels.

The participants explored a range of possibilities, particularly focusing on wheat and oats, and extended to other cereals, such as legumes, Amanda says.

“They identified opportunities for food products such as soda bread, sourdough bread, pizza bread, oat beverages and sports drinks made from legumes. Additionally, they considered innovative products like barley protein flour and hybrid mixes of legume and wheat flour. Throughout, participants emphasised the importance of diversifying crops and planning rotations to produce these products.”

Participants identified product development opportunities at both niche and mainstream levels. Niche products – differentiated by provenance-based quality attributes and sustainability benefits delivered through short food supply chains – have potential.

Exploring the industry’s development further, the workshop participants recognised the potential to increase milling capacity with an emphasis on strategic local/regional locations.

These actions could pave the way for the establishment of domestic wheat-based food product value chains. In the broader tillage sector, promising prospects were identified, particularly in plant protein extraction and related materials, extending to raw materials for non-food packaging.

Amanda concludes: “As Protein-I, alongside projects such as U-Protein and VALPRO Path, is collaborating with stakeholders to understand the complexities of the Irish food system, the plant-based sector emerges as a significant opportunity for sustainable production and consumption. Additional research will be undertaken to develop pathways to support its development.”