MHESI-NXPO, in collaboration with Madre Brava, a global organization advocating for environmental sustainability and resilient food systems, hosted a consultation meeting on “Sustainable Protein Transition” on 19 February 2025. NXPO Vice President Dr. Siriporn Pittayasophon delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the potential of Thailand’s future food industry.
Dr. Siriporn highlighted Thailand’s strong position in the global future food market, supported by diverse raw materials, robust upstream agriculture, and the nation’s “Kitchen of the World” policy. NXPO is currently developing policy recommendations, measures, and initiatives to advance this industry, guided by three strategic pillars: 1) Industry Expansion, 2) Research and Development Acceleration, and 3) Market Development and Scaling. These strategies aim to grow Thailand’s future food industry to 500 billion THB by 2027.
With its strong potential as a regional hub for sustainable protein in Southeast Asia, Thailand is well-positioned to lead the transition from animal-based to plant-based and alternative proteins. The meeting featured key insights from the study “Projecting the Impacts of Protein Transition in Thailand”, jointly conducted by Madre Brava and Asia Research and Engagement. The study underscored the economic and environmental benefits of this shift, revealing that increasing plant-based protein consumption to 50% by 2050 could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35.5 million tons of CO2 equivalent, generate over 1.3 trillion THB (approximately 36.8 billion USD) in economic value, and create over 1.15 million new jobs.
The discussion also explored key challenges and policy mechanisms crucial for accelerating Thailand’s protein transition. With participation from both public and private sectors, the event marked a significant step toward fostering strong collaboration for a sustainable protein and future food industry. It also signaled to policymakers and businesses the economic and environmental opportunities presented by alternative proteins.
