Shay Hannon of Teagasc Ashtown told the audience at the Teagasc National Tillage Conference that “the plant protein market is here to stay”.

He commented that this is a unique opportunity for Ireland, as plant-based protein for Irish-made products is imported at present.

Processing

Hannon noted that there can be issues with the supply chain as well as long-lead times, and that there is potential to build a processing plant in Ireland, which would mean we could grow, process and sell protein.

The researcher works at the National Prepared Consumer Food Centre, which was established in Teagasc Ashtown in 2018. In 2022, 36% of projects at the centre were plant-based. He added that the European plant-based food market is expected to reach $16.7bn by 2029.