The Illinois Alternative Protein Innovation Task Force has released a report on how the state can build on its biomanufacturing leadership to strengthen its economy and food sovereignty.
Illinois can generate new income streams for farmers, create high-quality employment, and strengthen rural economies by incorporating alternative proteins into state policy, according to a report by lawmakers and industry stakeholders.
These foods include plant-based, fermentation-derived and cell-cultivated products, which can drastically lower the environmental impact of conventional meat and dairy, while offering better health outcomes too.
But the Illinois Alternative Protein Innovation Task Force – a 17-member committee established by Governor JD Pritzker in 2023 – suggests that investments in the sustainable protein sector can boost the state’s economy and food security.
“Representing a district in the greater Chicago area, I’ve seen firsthand how quickly Illinois’s food innovation ecosystem is growing,” said Representative Mary Beth Canty, co-chair of the task force. “Companies are choosing our great state to create good, high-paying jobs in our communities, partner with our universities, and work directly with farmers across Illinois.”
The group’s report highlights how alternative protein innovation can help the state solidify its position as a biomanufacturing leader, complementing its “deep agricultural roots with traditional animal agriculture, world-class research institutions, and a robust manufacturing base”.
“Alternative proteins are one of the most powerful tools we have to strengthen America’s food security, expand opportunities, and promote both local and national economic resilience – and Illinois is lapping the rest of the country as real leaders in this space,” said Pepin Andrew Tuma, VP of policy and government relations at the Good Food Institute, which supported the report’s launch.
Why Illinois is primed for alternative protein success
The task force suggests that Illinois is “among the US states best suited” to host the core of the growing alternative protein sector, having demonstrated “nationally leading supportive policies” to propel these foods into the mainstream.
It’s home to 30 alternative protein producers, ranking third nationally (behind California and New York), with many others working across the value chain through research collaborations and innovation centres. Several of these companies have been found to boost employment in the Chicago and rural areas, and the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors.
These future foods can open up new markets for local crops like corn and soybeans, as well as sidestreams from protein production, offering a way for farmers to diversify their income and safeguard against price and supply shocks.
Illinois is particularly well-positioned to become a leader in the fermentation-derived protein category, which could reach $100-150M in value and make up 4% of all proteins produced by 2050. The state’s active company base, research facilities, and ongoing farmer engagement are driving its growth here. And last year, it committed $680M to the iFAB Tech Hub, which uses fermentation to turn crops like soy and corn into high-value commodities.
The state has a net-zero goal for 2050, and scaling alternative protein innovations can pose significant ecological benefits. “Illinois stands to gain new opportunities for conservation, regenerative agriculture, sustainable water use, and improved crop yields through topsoil recovery,” the report states, adding that upcycling byproducts for sustainable protein production can promote a circular economy.
The task force highlights the nutritional benefits of plant-based foods, which have zero cholesterol, low saturated fat, and high fibre (a nutrient direly missing from American diets). Crucially, it outlines that processing of plant proteins can increase their biological value, such as protein techno-functionality, antioxidant properties, and improved digestibility, in step with health experts who say not all processing is bad for you.
Meanwhile, one in eight Illinoisans faces hunger, rising to one in six among children. Plus, a quarter of its residents live in food deserts with limited access to healthy and nutritious food. The state’s food insecurity is compounded by rising food prices, but public investment in alternative proteins can drive down their production costs and offer a promising solution to this problem.
These foods require fewer inputs and supply chain links, and thus reduce the vulnerability to disruptions caused by disease outbreaks, climate events, and market fluctuations. “These products offer nutritious, accessible options that can help families meet their dietary needs while reducing pressures on our food system,” said Elvira de Mejía, a professor of food science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
What Illinois needs to do to lead the biomanufacturing race
According to the task force, Illinois has natural advantages to lead the alternative protein sector. It offers a strong university and research ecosystem, a slate of business-friendly policies, a robust entrepreneurship and labour infrastructure, and widespread access to capital and agricultural commodities.
It has made six recommendations for the state to truly realise its biomanufacturing potential:
- Expand access to capital: Investment into infrastructure development remains a major barrier cited by companies across the spectrum, so the state can support this through state grants, loans and tax incentives for alternative protein facilities. This should include support for leasing equipment, building new infrastructure, and retrofitting existing facilities.
- Invest in alternative protein R&D: Significant public funding for R&D is key to the sector’s growth, with such research serving the entire industry by addressing foundational scientific and technical questions. Illinois’s research institutions are at the forefront of the field, equipped with the expertise to tackle key technological and scaling challenges.
- Build the workforce: The task force calls on the state to incentivise workforce development programmes, like apprenticeships, internships, or industrial graduate schemes, through industry-academic partnerships. Chefs must be trained to cook with alternative proteins, too, which can be supported through tax incentives and grants for institutions that develop plant-based cooking curricula.
- Ensure policy and programme access: Illinois’s business-friendly environment and state incentives have attracted businesses to the state, and it must double down on this success. There are several biomanufacturing programmes that the legislature has authorised funding for, but haven’t received the capital yet – doing so could further incentivise alternative protein manufacturing in Illinois.
- Boost demand through public procurement: Change starts at the public level. Illinois should incentivise the procurement of alternative proteins for state facilities and institutions by establishing targets and preferring or requiring bids for meals with these foods, including plant-based meat. The ongoing school lunch program could be expanded by requiring schools to offer plant-based meals to all students without the need for advance requests.
- Maintain supportive regulation: Since cultivated meat and some fermented proteins require regulatory approval, the task force calls on Illinois to ensure a supportive regulatory environment by increasing staffing, resources and transparency for companies navigating applications. Crucially, it asks the state to reject any proposals to ban alternative proteins or impose labelling restrictions.
“Illinois has every ingredient needed to lead the future of food,” Beth Conerty, associate business development director at the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Lab and regional innovation officer for the iFAB Tech Hub. “With targeted investment and smart policy, we can strengthen the full protein landscape in Illinois and position the state at the forefront of this emerging area.”
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s de Meija, meanwhile, said expanding alternative protein production is ultimately an investment in public health and food security: “By supporting research, innovation, and workforce development, the state can accelerate a healthy, resilient, and more sustainable food landscape.”
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