ISSUE FOCUS Alternative Proteins Magazine April 2025 43 upcycling of food losses while maintaining high EU food and feed safety standards. Without such reforms, the industry risks being unable to meet growing demand or compete with less sustainable protein sources on the global market, while many companies would be offshoring their production outside Europe. A STRATEGIC SECTOR FOR THE GREEN TRANSITION Insects are not merely an alternative protein - they are a strategic asset in Europe’s broader effort to reindustrialise along sustainable lines. They are helping Europe reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, reduce pressure on land and water resources, and decrease its exposure to volatile international markets. Yet, this sector remains in a critical scale-up phase. Like other capital-intensive, innovation-driven industries, insect producers face difficulty accessing finance, particularly in the absence of long-term regulatory visibility. Several recent EU reports and policy initiatives have repeatedly identified this scale-up gap as a key barrier to innovation in Europe - a gap that can only be bridged by public-private investment models, policy incentives, and strong political recognition of the sector’s role. A MOMENT FOR BOLD ACTION Europe has a unique opportunity to become the global leader in sustainable protein through insect-enriched production. The groundwork has been laid: Robust food safety rules, established companies, proven technologies, and clear alignment with the EU Green Deal, Farm to Fork Strategy, and broader protein diversification goals. Now, political will must match this progress. Integrating the sector into strategic EU frameworks - including the Common Agricultural Policy, the Clean Industrial Deal, and the EU Protein Diversification Strategy - will ensure that truly circular and sustainable industries like insect farming are actively supported and positioned as key solutions to the interconnected challenges we face today. To unlock the full potential of these new protein sources, it is also essential to promote their use and consumption by creating demand-oriented incentives. This includes leveraging binding tools such as public procurement requirements, as outlined under the 'Promoting Demand' pillar of our Policy Roadmap 2024-2029, available on IPIFF’s website. The European insect industry is not asking for shortcuts. It is calling for a level-playing field, science-based regulation, and strategic investment to help deliver on its full potential - empowering Europe’s food and feed security with local jobs, circular practices, and global climate leadership. About Christophe Derrien Christophe Derrien is amongst Brussels’ public affairs veterans. With over 15 years’ experience in agrifood, he leads the IPIFF Secretariat. Derrien played a leading role in the establishment of IPIFF as an EU umbrella organisation back in 2015. He is in charge of coordinating the outreach activities of the organisation, regulatory developments (e.g. animal feed, frass, new substrates), as well as the general management of the Secretariat and membership. Furthermore, Christophe Derrien coordinates the activities of several internal working fora (e.g. IPIFF Working Group on ‘Feed Hygiene & Animal Nutrition’ and IPIFF Knowledge Platform on ‘‘new feeding substrates’). He speaks French, English, Spanish and some Dutch.
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