New research finds Asia’s growing demand for alternative proteins is an opportunity for Australian and New Zealand manufacturers to harness a new market.
China’s increasing interest in alternative proteins makes it the most favourable market prospect in Asia for exporters of plant-based meat and cellular agriculture products such as cultivated meat.
The research is available in a new report called Alternative Proteins and Asia published by independent alternative proteins think tank, Food Frontier, which partnered with researchers Mintel and New Zealand’s food and fibre sector think tank Te Puna Whakaarouni to identify new export opportunities for manufacturers.
Researchers assessed 11 countries across Asia, ranking them for their market suitability based on market size and innovation, market entry and operations, and consumer intelligence.
The top five countries with the greatest market potential were identified as follows, listed in order of opportunity: China, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Japan. The report includes primary research from 5,000 consumers across these markets.
Food Frontier Executive Director, Dr Simon Eassom, says Australia and New Zealand have long traded with Asia, occupying a privileged position as close neighbours and reliable trading partners of safe and quality goods.
He says, “With an expanding alternative proteins market in Asia, Australia and New Zealand have the potential to build a major new food export industry that complements our existing ones.
“Health, environmental and food security concerns are behind the growing demand for alternative proteins. Population growth and rising incomes across Asia will drive a 78% increase in meat and seafood consumption regionally by 2050.
“Consumer interest in healthy and environmentally sustainable protein options is increasing, leading to more people becoming interested in a flexitarian diet—one where they regularly swap conventional animal meat for new options like plant-based meat, which provides a familiar eating experience without compromising on nutritional value.
“Flexitarians are driving demand for alternative proteins in Australia—our latest research shows this is also the case in Asia. A quarter of Chinese identify as flexitarian and one third plan to reduce at least one type of meat. Similarly, twenty-six percent of South Koreans want to reduce meat consumption.”
According to Statista, the Asian market for meat substitutes is estimated to be worth USD4.32 billion with the expectation of annual growth of 33.27%, reaching USD13.63 billion by 2027. The strongest demand is in China where the meat substitutes market is expected to grow annually by 20%.
Although North America’s share of global investment in alternative proteins has dominated historically, start-ups from the Asia Pacific and other regions are gaining momentum, causing North American companies’ share of the market to shrink from 92% to 67% over the past decade.
Alternative proteins and Asia also shows the region is considerably interested in cellular agriculture products such as cultivated meat as nations look to shore up food security. The report can be downloaded here.
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Alternative Proteins and Asia
Key findings
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People with flexitarian diets (those who eat plant-based options at some or most meals) are driving interest in alternative proteins in the five focus markets. This dietary preference is predominantly driven by health concerns in all markets except Singapore, where environmental concerns are the top driver.
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19% of people across all five markets are flexitarian: China (24%), Singapore (21%), South Korea (9%), Japan (3%), and Thailand (38%).
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Foodservice is the best entry point for Australian and New Zealand plant-based meat brands, via quick service restaurants, while ready meals are also a growing opportunity given the rise in single person households.
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Taste, price and perception of being too processed are the biggest three barriers to acceptance of plant-based meat in the five Asian markets.
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Singapore is the regional and global hub for new food technology (in particular, products using cellular agriculture technologies such as cell cultivation, and precision or biomass fermentation) as a counter to its dependence on food imports. Singapore is the only Asian country (and only one of two globally) that permits sales of cultivated meat and precision fermentation dairy products.
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There is increasing investment and consumer awareness of cultivated meat across the five countries surveyed, with China and Thailand the most receptive markets.
About us:
Food Frontier is the independent think tank on alternative proteins in Australia and New Zealand. Funded by grants and donations, our work is growing our region’s protein supply with new, sustainable and nutritious options that create value for businesses, farmers and consumers.
Te Puna Whakaaronui is New Zealand’s first fully independent, government funded, food and fibre sector think tank. It helps lead, co-ordinate and accelerate the transformation of the food and fibre sector by providing research, thought leadership, strategic insights and advice to sector participants, industry bodies, Māori agri-business, and agri-business.
Contact details:
Australia: Kathy Cogo, Head of Communications and Marketing, Food Frontier kathy@foodfrontier.org, 0466 015 183.
New Zealand: Brigitte Marulli de Barletta, Senior Communications Advisor, Te Puna Whakaaronui, Brigitte.MarullideBarletta@mpi.govt.nz, 027 300 3874.
