Building a better world through alternative protein sources
About LIKE-A-PRO

Building a better world through alternative protein sources

LIKE-A-PRO is a 13.9 € million project aiming to facilitate sustainable and healthy diets by mainstreaming alternative proteins and products, making them more available, accessible, and acceptable to all population groups (from children to elderly, vulnerable groups) and everywhere (across Europe, in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas).

This will be done by developing 16 new alternative protein products with ingredients from 7 novel and optimized protein sources.

The interest of Europeans in alternative proteins is becoming clear and this trend is the perfect ground for the dietary shift towards sustainable and healthy nutrition and food systems, in line with the ambitions of the EU Green Deal, Farm to Fork strategy and EU’s climate goals.

Yet, this interest is not reflected in the European dietary patterns, as alternative proteins are mainly consumed by early adopters, while the majority is less receptive towards alternatives or have limited possibilities to integrate them in the diets.

This gap between interest and consumption is due to obstacles in the food environments such as product limited offering, suboptimal product taste, isolated product placement in shops or menus etc.

Without overcoming these obstacles, alternative proteins will remain a niche.

Mainstreaming alternative proteins

LIKE-A-PRO aims at mainstreaming alternative proteins, making them accessible, available, and acceptable to everybody and everywhere.

To achieve this, key representatives along the entire alternative protein value chain (growers, producers, cooks, retailers, consumers, researchers) will work together in a trans-disciplinary consortium.

Co-designing solutions with citizens

In order to improve European food environments towards fostering alternative protein consumption, practical solutions will be co-designed with citizens. This social innovation will take place in 11 living labs and in 4 real life food environments.

New alternative protein products 

For a diversified alternative protein offering, 16 new alternative protein products will be developed with 7 sustainable, healthy, and novel sources.

To secure result deployment, the project will actively involve middle food system actors (+35,000 companies) – via co-creation and capacity building. For a maximised impact, innovative communication campaigns will be launched in 6 countries, reaching 8 million citizens in 4 years.

Facts about the project

Facts about the project

  • The LIKE-A-PRO project (No. 101083961) is funded by the European Union under the topic “HORIZON-CL6-2022-FARM2FORK-01-07”.
  • The project runs from 1 November 2022 - 31 Octocer 2026
  • 41 partners from 17 countries (14 European and 3 non-EU)

16

New alternative protein products

7

Ingredients from novel and optimized protein sources

41

Partners

17

Countries

"To make a protein dietary shift possible, the food industry must focus on diversifying the alternative protein sources and developing new appealing products".