INTERVIEW FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE September 2025 79 creates pressure to innovate. There are marketable products in new food and animal feed that promise solutions, which is why this area is particularly attractive. Whether insects, algae or other new protein sources will prevail in the long term depends on many factors, ranging from price to regulation. Meat from the bioreactor, for example, is currently too expensive to establish itself on the market across the board. It is clear that innovation has always led to cheaper production. Anyone who underestimates the potential of alternative protein sources as a whole does so at their own risk. How important will new protein sources be for farmers in the medium term? Simone Poppe: Agriculture as we know it will not be completely replaced by insect fattening or microalgae in 20 years' time. But entrepreneurs need to think today about what their land will look like in 50 years' time and what entrepreneurial opportunities they want to open up for their children. Farmers who want to enter new business sectors should only do so gradually in order to gain experience. How competitive are we currently in Europe when it comes to producing alternative proteins? Prof. Hühn: There is some competitive cultivation of soya and field beans, but competitors from China and Canada are more competitive in terms of market prices, for example when it comes to meat from cell cultures (Asia and Australia) or soya and peas (China and Canada). It is difficult for our domestic farmers to succeed in this field, which is why various innovative projects in Germany, such as the construction of a pea protein factory by Nordzucker in Lower Saxony, have been stopped. Are alternative protein sources just far-fetched dreams? Poppe: No, just think of the example of the sausage manufacturer Rügenwalder Mühle. They were very brave many years ago, a first mover. Today, they are the market leader for plant-based meat substitutes. However, they still have a traditional meat business for the products that sell well. What should a farmer who wants to invest in alternative protein sources consider? Poppe: Like any other entrepreneur, they should first examine their own location and consider what is possible there. For example, whether I grow legumes for protein production, produce microalgae indoors or fatten insect larvae depends on how suitable my soil is, whether I have old halls that I can repurpose and how high my energy costs are. Another decisive factor is whether I have a sales channel in the region, for example a mill that wants to buy my raw material. So how should farmers proceed? Poppe: Farmers should approach investments in a controlled and gradual manner - and check whether existing structures can be sensibly utilised. For examProfessor Tilo Hühn Photo: DLG Simone Poppe Photo: Private
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