Selected Topic

Promoting sustainable production and food sovereignty, Reducing food loss and waste.

Project Description

Extreme weather conditions, the increasingly environmental impact of intensive agriculture and the consequences of climate change will make protein production more difficult in the future and thus the secure supply of high-quality, and safe food to the growing world population. This contradicts the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN, in particular the goal of »zero hunger« (SDG 2). For this reason, it is necessary to develop new resilient and sustainable protein sources from plants, algae, insects and fungi as an alternative to animal foods and thus offer a solution for sustainable development.

As part of the Fraunhofer lighthouse project »FutureProteins«, six Fraunhofer institutes are working together to develop new, innovative cultivation systems, extraction processes and processing methods to make plant, fungal, insect and algae proteins usable for the production of sensory-appealing, sustainable and protein-rich foods (https://www.ime.fraunhofer.de/en/trends/futureproteins.html). The focus of developments is on the development of closed agricultural systems and the valuable use of side streams from primary production or ingredient processing into protein-rich ingredients for an environmentally friendly and sustainable supply. The main challenge is to develop economically efficient and industrially implementable systems and processes.

The research focuses on plants (e.g. potatoes, wheatgrass and alfalfa), insects, filamentous fungi and microalgae. In addition to a high-quality and balanced amino acid profile and good processing properties, the sensory properties of alternative proteins are crucial for their use in food. All of the protein sources mentioned have their own taste and odor profile, which consumers are often not familiar with. Part of the project is therefore to improve sensory properties of alternative protein raw materials and thus make them usable for food. In the spirit of sustainability, »FutureProteins« is developing four closed cultivation systems (vertical farming for growing plants, insect farming, bioreactors for filamentous fungi and photobioreactors for microalgae) that make year-round and climate-independent production possible.

For plants, the new OrbiPlant® Vertical Farming System was developed, which can reduce water consumption by 95% and fertilizer requirements by up to 50%, and completely avoid pesticide use. The OrbiPlant® system has now been licensed out for commercial use. To reduce energy use and further increase the cost efficiency of vertical farming, scientists are developing a hybrid lighting system for the plants that dynamically combines sunlight and LED lighting as part of »FutureProteins«.

»FutureProteins«also develops processing processes specifically tailored to the protein raw materials in order to develop functionally- and sensory-appealing protein ingredients with a high level of consumer acceptance. The most promising protein ingredients are then used in food. For example, baked goods and breakfast cereals with wheatgrass proteins and vegan meat alternatives with filamentous fungis were developed, which, in addition to a balanced amino acid profile and an appealing taste, can also represent a valuable alternative to animal foods and thus contribute to supplying the world’s population with high-quality and safe food the new closed agricultural systems.
In addition, the developed agricultural systems and protein production processes are assessed in terms of their use of resources and their sustainability in comparison to conventional production. Closing material and energy cycles is also part of the »FutureProteins« lighthouse project.

About the Institution

The Fraunhofer Society is European’s leading organization for applied research and stands for innovation and excellence. Within the lighthouse project »FutureProteins«, the two renowned Fraunhofer institutes IVV (Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging) and IME (Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology) work closely together with four other Fraunhofer institutes.

Together they are dedicated to the development of closed agricultural systems, the processing of protein-rich plants, insects, filamentous fungi and microalgae into protein ingredients as well as the development of innovative foods and the evaluation of the systems with regard to sustainability. This research effort is part of the Fraunhofer Agriculture and Food Industry Alliance, a network of 13 institutions and experts dedicated to addressing challenges in the food industry.

The Fraunhofer Agriculture and Food Industry Alliance strives to make the diet of the future more sustainable and healthier by relying on the most modern technologies and scientific findings. The Fraunhofer Institutes IVV and IME significantly contribute to realizing the alliance’s vision by developing innovative solutions for food production and laying the foundations for sustainable and healthy nutrition.

Contact Person: Dr. Stephanie Mittermaier