Unilever taps into diversified sources to thrive in the alternative protein space

September 16, 2021 | Case Study

Unilever jump-started its expansion into the plant-based meat analog space by acquiring Dutch company The Vegetarian Butcher in 2018. Since then, it has taken an aggressive approach to grow its footprint in the plant-based meat space. In fact, in 2020, the company announced its "Future Foods" growth plan, setting an ambitious target of $1 billion for plant-based sales, including meat analogs, within the next five to seven years. The company has been focusing on internal R&D for product formulation as well as partnering with other emerging alternative protein startups. Over the past year, Unilever has partnered with other alternative protein developers, including Algenuity for its microalgae proteins and Enough for its mycoproteins.