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The Protein Community

Profit from the protein shift

The Protein Community (TPC) is the driving force behind the scenes of the protein transition. As the first and largest community dedicated to the application of plant-based ingredients in food, TPC has a proven track record of innovation and impact. With over 150 partners and an international network of 400+ entrepreneurs, it has enabled the launch and scale-up of more than 200 new products, ingredients, and technologies since 2017. 

We facilitate our partners in connecting with other companies and diverse stakeholders—from retailers to governments—and predict emerging trends like hybrid solutions, fibers, and fermentation before they reshape the market. TPC is not just a platform; it’s a network of experts and game-changers, turning plant proteins into real business opportunities. By focusing on practical and achievable solutions that are shared in our events and in our communication channels, we empower our partners with insights, connections, and tools to make more impact in the protein revolution. 

TPC partners

TPC is a diverse network, bringing together start-ups, SMEs, corporates, and everything in between. Is your company contributing to the protein transition? Then you are welcome to join. Our community represents the entire value chain, ensuring a wealth of expertise and collaboration. This includes farmers, ingredient producers, product developers, retailers, investors, knowledge institutes, governments, innovation agencies, consultants, machine builders, and more. Together, we drive innovation and impact across the international protein landscape.
Interested to become a TPC partner? Fill in the Request Partnership Form and we will invite you for an e-meeting.

Welcome to our newest partners

What partners say about the TPC community

“Foodvalley’s The Protein Community is an excellent platform for companies innovating with protein. 1-2-Taste is pleased to be a part of it, helping to shorten the time to market for TPC partners by quickly providing the right ingredients. The TPC network also enables 1-2-Taste to find new suppliers and expand our ingredient offerings on the 1-2-Taste platform.” 

Quote Jan KlawerJan Klawer, Co-Founder & CMO 1-2-Taste

“Via Foodvalley, we get the necessary entries and connections that I, as a farmer, wouldn’t usually get. This is very valuable for marketing our great products to consumers. Foodvalley has also provided great insights into the current trends and developments in the market and has offered us guidance on how to take the next steps.”

Quote Geert LindenholsGeert Lindenhols, Agraservice G. Lindenhols, Director Dutch Protein Farmers

Meet the TPC Partners

Meet 3 of our partners and learn more about TPC in this introduction video.

TPC News & Events

The Golden Bean Award

The symbolic Golden Bean pin serves as a catalyst for innovation and raise awareness, fostering collaboration within the protein industry. By linking the Golden Bean with positive change, it motivates individuals and organizations to explore inventive approaches.

The Protein Transition Map

The Protein Transition Map is an online tool, used to enable a comprehensive insight into the protein transition landscape within the Netherlands. On the map you find more than 500 organisations working on the protein transition. Additionally, it provides an economic analysis with province-specific, and national data on all relevant actors within the Dutch Protein Transition. Is your organisation already on it?

Protein Transition Ecosystem

This non-exhaustive overview below highlights Dutch organisations, initiatives, programmes, and clusters that are collectively shaping the future of protein. Each entity is featured along with its primary focus areas, showcasing their contributions to this evolving field.

Growing and sourcing

Facilities

Consumption

Research and Innovation

Human Capital

Entrepreneurship

Governmental

International

The TPC team

TPC is supported by 7 Dutch Provinces

Explore the TPC initiatives

Initiatives

Dutch Protein Farmers

Relevant for
Protein self sufficiency

This initiative seeks to improve the economic viability of locally produced crops in the Netherlands by bringing together protein crop farmers, creating critical mass and increasing valuation by the end users. This approach helps to organise a better value chain position for the farmers by, for instance, exploring the cooperative selling of their product as well as equipment sharing. This would result in a first national cooperation of growers of leguminous crops moving from niche to critical mass.

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Like a Pro

Relevant for
Shortening time to market

Like a Pro aims at mainstreaming alternative proteins, making them accessible, available, and acceptable to everyone and everywhere.

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The Bean Deal

Relevant for
Shortening time to market

In 2022 the Bean Deal agreement for protein rich crops, in which 56 Dutch stakeholders, including regional and national governments, have committed to far-reaching objectives related to the uptake of protein rich crops for human consumption. The Bean Deal (also known as the Green Deal) is also a steppingstone for future initiatives (Co-fresh, Dutch Protein Farmers). This initiative continues into 2023 and beyond.

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Plant Protein Forward

Relevant for
Shortening time to market

Foodvalley NL, together with Rabobank and Interprovinciaal Eiwitoverleg, are supporting crop-oriented value chain initiatives that contribute to a higher consumption of Dutch-grown plant-based proteins. Increasing the local availability, processing and consumption of plant-based proteins not only contributes to our protein self-sufficiency, but it also has the added benefits of greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen runoff reduction and increased biodiversity.  

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Protein Transition Map NL

The Protein Transition Map NL offers an interactive platform showcasing the economic value of the Dutch alternative protein ecosystem.

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Protein Facility Switch

Relevant for
Redefining Protein Industry

Investment in new facilities is badly needed to accompany the accelerating protein transition in the longer term. However, short-term solutions are also needed. Luckily existing facilities can be retrofitted for various alternative, plant protein applications. A perfect opportunity for existing companies looking to venture into this rapidly growing market. Foodvalley NL offers the opportunity to quickly check whether your current production space, machine or line can be made suitable for the processing of raw materials, the production or packaging of plant-based products. This way, you help the protein transition and create new business opportunities.

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CO-FRESH

Relevant for
Protein self sufficiency

The Co-fresh pilot case assembled a coalition that focuses on creating a competitive European value chain for fava beans that uses local sources and reduces carbon footprint. We expect to have the value chain quantified and an agreement on shared value/revenue distribution in place by October 2023.

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