A giant step towards the future of sustainable food has been taken in Campinas, São Paulo, with the inauguration of the “Tropical Food Innovation Laboratory”. This center, unprecedented in Latin America, stands as a vanguard in the development and research of alternative foods. In a world where food demand is growing and diversifying, products such as cultured meat, plant-based milks, insect proteins, and chicken-free meat are being considered as viable and necessary solutions.
The laboratory, built on a 1,300 m² area at the Food Technology Institute of Campinas (ITAL), represents a unique collaboration between five leading companies in the sector. The aim of this project is to create an ‘innovation ecosystem’ that focuses on the development of sustainable food and beverages, with special attention to Brazilian biodiversity.
Paulo Silveira, creator and manager of the project, highlights the importance of such initiatives:
“In the future, we will face a protein shortage in the world, and these new foods will complement our current source of proteins. It’s not about replacing, but adding”.
The concept of ‘innovation ecosystem’ seeks to bring together companies, researchers, startups, investors, and universities in one place to accelerate the development of new products. At the ‘Tropical Food Innovation Laboratory’, the goal is not only to innovate but also to inform the population about the development of these new foods.
The principles that govern this center include the promotion of foods that are:
- Healthy and nutritious.
- Safe for health.
- Financially accessible.
- Attractive in taste.
- Environmentally sustainable and with low emissions of pollutants.
- Efficient in waste reduction.
- Developed with total transparency.
Cutting-edge Technology and Commitment to Biodiversity
The laboratory houses equipment valued at approximately R$15 million, including an extruder, unique in its kind in Latin America and available for research and innovation. This machine is used to produce plant-based proteins, like burgers and snacks.
In addition to its advanced technology, the center has facilities for the preparation and tasting of food, an experimental kitchen, and spaces for interaction and coworking. This allows companies, startups, and researchers from all over Latin America to use the laboratory to develop and test new ideas.
The ‘Tropical Food Innovation Laboratory’ project has been possible thanks to the collaboration of ITAL, Bühler (Switzerland), Givaudan (Switzerland), Cargill (USA), and the FoodTech Hub Latam. These partners contribute not only funding but also technical knowledge and a global network of contacts.
Foodtech in LatAm
According to data from AgFunder, during the year 2022, startups in the agricultural and food technology sector in Latin America secured funding totaling USD$1,700 million. This amount represents a 39% reduction compared to the year 2021, when high valuations and six significant deals boosted financing to more than USD$2,800 million.
Despite this decrease, investment in 2022 exceeded that of the year 2020 in the region by 183%. A total of 153 companies in the food and agricultural technology sectors in Latin America received investment in 2022. Investments in this sector represent 5% of the global market, with Brazil leading in activity with 86 transactions valued at USD$765 million, which constitutes 46% of the regional total, followed by Colombia with 17 operations and USD$383 million, and Mexico with 25 operations and USD$272 million.
