For the first time, China’s most recent Five-Year Plan for Agriculture, published in January, includes references to cultivated meat and other synthetic proteins.
Specifically, the plan refers to “cell-based meat, synthetic egg cream, functional recombinant protein cultivation” under the heading of “cutting edge and cross integrated technology” in the technology innovation section.
More recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping mentioned the development of new proteins from plants and microorganisms using biotechnology in a speech at the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
China faces new challenges in its food and nutrition security and has become increasingly reliant on imports in recent years. In 2021, China imported more than 160 million tonnes of soybean, maize, wheat and other grains. Increased demand for animal feed was identified as one of the main drivers behind surging grain imports last year.
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Moreover, as the impacts of recent swine flu outbreaks are felt at tables and in the Chinese economy, increasing alternative protein production could also contribute to supply chain resilience. But realising these possibilities requires introducing industry standards and a supportive policy framework, meaning that the Five-Year Plan is a promising start and could be a sign of more detailed policies to come.
