On 28 March an online recap of the workshop: Opportunities in Germany took place. This online recap provided the chance to ask questions about entering and growing on the German plant-based protein market. Jochem Wolthuis discussed the most important findings of the previous workshop. 

Germany is by far the largest market in Europe for plant-based meat-, fish- and dairy alternatives and an important catalyst for product development and sales in the protein transition. Entering the German market can be difficult due to differences in regulations, consumers, and ways of doing business.  

Insights online recap Opportunities in Germany:

• Locality is very important. If you have a ‘local’ product, it is likely to do well in the German market.
• There are creative business opportunities. One participant asked, “how do I sell my ready-made meals in Germany?” You could think about online supermarkets like Picnic, maybe Oda. But there is also the possibility of getting in touch with this young German entrepreneur. He made a good deal with a delivery service and now sells potatoes online through his own web shop. That might also be an option, Jochem suggests.
• Animal welfare  is more important to most consumers than in The Netherlands. 
• Packaging remains an issue as the rules in Germany is different. Fortunately, guidelines can be found online. 

“If you want to be succesful in this day and age, you need to have a digital strategy”, states Jasper Shouten of 1-2-Taste in this masterclass – a collaboration between The Protein Community and 1-2-Taste.

By 2025 it is expected that 15% of the B2B food ingredients sales will go through online channels. This might doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you look at the total sale, this involves a lot of money.

Get inspired by the innovative businessmodel of 1-2-Taste, learn more about the consumerization of B2B buyers and the opportunities of e-commerce. Do you have questions for Jasper after watching the video? Feel free to get in touch: jasper.schouten@12taste.com

We are very proud that one of our TPC-partners and former colleague Floor Buitelaar, Managing Partner at Bright Green Partners (BGP), has been recognized in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. 

Bright Green Partners is a global consulting firm focused on transforming the meat and dairy production industries to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. The company is founded in 2020 to help large food and biotech companies as well as governments win in the complexity of alternative proteins. Bright Green Partners is thereby dedicated to advancing the plant-based, fermentation-derived and cultivated meat industry.

Forbes highlights Bright Green Partners’ role in accelerating the protein transition, emphasizing their focus on alternative proteins and their capability to deliver profitable and sustainable solutions for their clients. The unique power of Bright Green Partners is the in-house build expert network of over 2000 experts globally, connected to a strong team of strategy consultants.

Floor believes that this recognition by Forbes not only enhances Bright Green Partners’ visibility but also underscores the potential of the industry, reinforcing the importance and relevance of companies operating in the alternative protein sector to create a sustainable and profitable future.

On March 8, TPC, OostNL and GO4EXPORT organised the workshop: Opportunities in Germany,  to successfully enter and grow your company in the German plant-based protein market. 

Germany is by far the largest market in Europe for plant-based meat-, fish- and dairy alternatives and an important catalyst for product development and sales in the protein transition. Entering the German market can be difficult due to differences in regulations, consumers, and ways of doing business.  

Insights workshop Opportunities in Germany 
More than 30 TPC partners joined the workshop. Six keynote speakers shared their knowledge of the German plant-based protein market; Dennis Kraaijeveld, Fred van der Velde, Martijn Bosmans, Dr. Professor Guido Ritter, Jochem Wolthuis and Jeroen Willemsen.  

 Key take aways:   

• Germany has a ‘Eiweißpflanzenstrategie’  in place since 2012. The focus is on improving primary production through research. 
• Germany faces challenges: Edible insects products have a low consumer acceptance. It is difficult to retain consumers when they no longer buy plant-based substitutes out of curiosity, which is now the main driver. Regional origin remains a key buying argument while Germany is far from self-sufficient.
• In Germany, the retail looks different. There are four big retailers on the market and a lot of private label: that make organic and vegan products more affordable.
• The Protein Transition is urgent. There wil be “only 27 harvests till 2050″, says Dr. Professor Guido Ritter. Maybe we should not only focus on plant-based proteins, but also alternative proteins. Interesting question arises from the public: “Why are Germans so scared for the Umami taste? All products can be full of salt or sugar, but MSG or other flavour enhances are very scary to them.” Ritter agrees, he sees possibilities for fermentation, that can create the umami taste as well.
• “Germany is not that far and not that different, it is not China, they are our neighbours”, says Martijn Bosmans. Should we combine the Dutch Inventiveness and Creativiness and the ‘Deutsche Gründlichkeit’?  Would that be the holy grail?

A question to the audience:  Is it difficult to export to Germany? 
“Yes, you need endurance and the right contacts”, the audience concludes.  

That is why this workshop is only the start of the Germany programme. More will follow this year:  

• Wrap-up Workshop: Ask Questions / Online
  March 28th (16.00-17.00) 
• FoodHubub NRW – Startup Fair in Düsseldorf
  September 13th 
• Anuga in Cologne, the world’s largest food fair (pavilion or visit)
  October 7-10th 
• Food Ingredients in Frankfurt (pavilion or visit)
  November 28-30th 
• 3 day ‘trade mission to Germany’ with RVO and Embassy, around FI in Frankfurt.
  November 
• Join a 1-day tour to visit German retail + plant-based protein companies
  To be expected in the next quarter (Q2) of 2023

The activities of the Germany Programme are open to everyone. Partners from The Protein Community will find more information in the upcoming newsletters. Please contact eva.berends@foodvalley.nl if you don’t have access to this information but are interested to join.