The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) has launched ‘The Plant Factor’- a food innovation challenge, to extend their backing to the tune of Rs 20 lakh for the right plant-based alternatives for meat products. Applications are now open for this challenge for Indian plant-based start-ups, entrepreneurs, businesses, restaurants, researchers, and students.

In order to participate in The Plant Factor challenge, all applicants are required to have/create a ready-to-market, completely plant-based (non-animal ingredients like mushrooms are acceptable) functional food products. The winning product stands to win Rs 10 lakh, with first and second runner-ups also winning Rs 7 lakh and Rs 3 lakh respectively.

Indian audiences are regularly looking to find newer ways to consume cruelty-free protein, as is evident by the recent Google Trends report which reveals 63% of Indians wanting to try plant-based meat substitutes. There is a collective interest in sustaining a more varied, versatile green diet like never before.

More Indians are reading about vegetarianism over the last 6 months. Plant-based diets offer the most sustainable solution to issues of human health problems, environmental degradation, ethical issues and of course, climate change. Emerging antimicrobial resistance (AMR) due to animal-based products also looms as a constant threat – unless the world rapidly transitions into a plant-based lifestyle.

Publication: WOOB

Source: https://www.woob.in/fiapo-to-award-rs-20-l-for-plant-based-food-innovation/