The Good Food Institute or GFI is an international non-profit that promotes plant-based and cell-based alternatives to meat, dairy, eggs, and other products of animal agriculture.
 

The Good Food Institute addresses two questions:

1. How do we feed nearly 10 billion people by 2050?

2. How do we do it without pushing mother nature past her limits?
 

GFI has created open access resources and has published a variety of research on plant-based and cell-based meat technology. They have also helped restaurants, food service providers, food companies, and major meat producers to branch out and work on alternative proteins.

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GFI India, and what it means for the Indian food industry:
 

GFI India has been successful in maintaining relationships with key government agencies across India, such as the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, and various others. Under the leadership of managing director Varun Deshpande, and with the support of the Government of Maharashtra, GFI India established the Centre of Excellence in Cellular Agriculture. This was done in collaboration with the Institute of Chemical Technology.
 

The team has obtained funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and has been working on building an open-access database of plant-protein research. It focuses on millets, due to their tolerance to floods and drought.
 

GFI India has also established a podcast, called Feeding 10 Billion. They have had two successful seasons, and they speak about numerous issues that arise with feeding a population as large and diverse as the Indian population. 

Learn more about GFI India here and to get insights from Mr. Shardul Dabir, innovation specialist at GFI India, go to the next page.

 

What role does GFI play in improving the quality and spreading information about alternative meats?
 

Education:

GFI has collaborated with Stanford and UC Berkeley to establish courses on alternative proteins. They have launched GFI’s massive open online course, which teaches the basics of plant-based and cultivated meat.

 

Policymaking:

Engaging stakeholders is essential for transforming global markets. GFI has also filed many lawsuits against various American states and various organizations to transform the food industry. They have educated policymakers about label standards and regulatory issues.

The Good Food Institute is one of the firsts of its kind, with its primary aim being development and spreading awareness on sustainable eating. They have played a major role in changing the global food industry and transforming the food system worldwide. With changing times, changing our eating habits and being mindful of the impact we make on the environment has become a primary concern for many citizens. With the sudden surge in in need of meat alternatives, we can surely see the GFI paving the way for change.