Omer leads business and financial operations, managing strategic partnerships, and maintaining industry alignment, communications, and ecosystem engagement to drive deliverables and impact. He is also guiding the advancement of the blended meat category in Israel.
Understand the science of cultivated meat, plant-based foods and fermentation and explore Europe's sustainable protein research ecosystem.
Based on a consumer study conducted in collaboration with Kantar, this report explores the market potential of blended products in Israel- foods that combine animal protein with high-quality plant-based ingredients. The findings reveal a significant opportunity: around 40% of Israeli consumers are actively seeking ways to reduce meat consumption without compromising on taste, texture, or protein content. Blends offer a pragmatic, scalable solution that delivers nutritional, environmental, and economic benefits while seamlessly fitting into existing meat consumption habits.
This report provides an in-depth look at Israel’s plant-based meat and dairy retail market, drawing on sales data from StoreNext covering 2018 through today, with expectations for the second half of 2025. It highlights how demand for plant-based products has stabilized at around 10% of the meat market and 20% of the dairy market, well ahead of global benchmarks.
This summary highlights ten of the most impactful moments from GFI Israel’s work throughout 2025- a year marked by a shift from foundational efforts to accelerated scale, strategic collaboration, and R&D advancement. It showcases key milestones across ecosystem leadership, talent growth, knowledge creation, and industry engagement that strengthened Israel’s role in advancing alternative protein innovation, made possible through the continued support of our dedicated donors.
In a rapidly evolving industry, staying ahead requires more than innovation – it demands strategic leadership. The Next Course 2026 Executive Program offers senior leaders from diverse sectors a unique opportunity to connect, exchange insights, and build relationships within the global ecosystem. This program is designed to help leaders regroup, refine their strategies, and drive meaningful impact within their sectors. Join a network of decision-makers who will collectively shape the future of sustainable food systems.
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Solid-state fermentation (SSF) could be a game-changer for the alternative protein industry — and we've just released a comprehensive report in collaboration with Barak Dror, PhD, MBA that lays it all out. SSF holds immense potential to solve some of the biggest challenges in the alternative protein industry — from improving texture and flavor to enhancing nutritional profiles and reducing production costs.
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Keren oversees key operational functions at GFI Israel, including project coordination and organizational optimization, ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow.
Blended meat products are gaining traction as a smart bridge for flexitarians, combining familiar taste with a lower environmental impact. This blog explores how precision flavor engineering and reduced animal fraction could revolutionize blended meats, offering a pragmatic path toward more sustainable, scalable protein without compromising on consumer appeal.
Noga is the CEO of GFI Labs, GFI's latest platform, currently taking shape to move the needle on alternative protein innovation
Daniel leads plant-based meat innovation, focusing on whole-cut technologies, scientific landscape mapping, and cross-sector adoption to accelerate alt-protein development.
GFI Israel welcomes the opportunity to help emerging and growing alternative protein startups navigate climate funding and food security challenges. We have developed this suite of resources intended to guide entrepreneurs and founders' work to position their innovations within the climate-smart food system. SSF holds immense potential to solve some of the biggest challenges in the alternative protein industry — from improving texture and flavor to enhancing nutritional profiles and reducing production costs.
Experts from academia and industry will present current research and technological developments on fat functionality, nutritional value, and ingredient innovation in plant-based and blended meat products.
Solid-state fermentation (SSF) could be a game-changer for the alternative protein industry — and we've just released a comprehensive report in collaboration with Barak Dror, PhD, MBA that lays it all out. SSF holds immense potential to solve some of the biggest challenges in the alternative protein industry — from improving texture and flavor to enhancing nutritional profiles and reducing production costs.
Download
A brand-new series of 10 bite-sized videos is now available to enhance your understanding of plant-based meat R&D. Whether you're refining your skills or looking to deepen your knowledge, this video series covers the three foundational pillars that are crucial to creating better, tastier, and more functional plant-based products.
In a rapidly evolving industry, staying ahead requires more than innovation—it demands strategic leadership. The 2025 Executive Program offers senior leaders from diverse sectors a unique opportunity to connect, exchange insights, and build lasting relationships within the global alternative protein ecosystem. As the industry reaches a critical turning point, this program is designed to help leaders regroup, refine their strategies, and drive meaningful impact within their sectors. Together, we will create a network of decision-makers who will collectively shape the future of sustainable food systems.
Ariel leads scientific and technological initiatives in meat alternatives, leveraging his expertise in tissue engineering, cell culture, and product development to advance the alternative protein industry.
May oversees key operational functions at GFI Israel, including project coordination and organizational optimization, ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow.
Why and how proteins are essential ingredients for achieving biomimicry in plant-based products: In this learning, we will explore the aspects of biomimicry and functionality, as well as the importance of key protein traits in creating high-quality plant-based products. Speakers: Asaf Cohen Jonathan, Founder and CEO | Asaf Food Technologies Avishag Levi Bar Shalom, PhD., Science and Technology Manager | GFI Israel
GFI Israel partnered with the experienced food engineers Liran Gruda and Asaf Cohen-Jonathan to launch a new initiative designed to supercharge academic innovation in organoleptic excellence and price parity for alternative meats. This is your chance to take your groundbreaking ideas to the next level!
We are thrilled to share the outcomes of GFI Israel’s 2024 Research Grant Programs and introduce the scientists and their innovative projects selected this year. With a strong commitment to advancing research in the alternative protein field, GFI Israel issued three local grants this year, alongside GFI’s global grant program (learn more in our post, “Building the Next Generation of Alternative Protein Innovators“).
Discover Dr. Sharon Schlesinger’s inspiring journey from stem cell biology to leading cultivated meat research in Israel. Explore her insights on collaboration, resilience, and the scientific breakthroughs shaping the future of sustainable protein in this rapidly advancing field.
Hadas leads GFI’s marketing and communications efforts, overseeing the organization’s brand, digital assets, and public relations.
Read about our new resource and workshop offering a practical three-step guide for developing a national alternative protein strategy, essential to transforming the global food system. Designed to help governments leverage their unique strengths and address the rising demand for sustainable protein
This resource offers a practical three-step guide for developing a national alternative protein strategy, essential to transforming the global food system. Designed to help governments leverage their unique strengths and address the rising demand for sustainable protein.
Startups and industry leaders — join us to explore market trends, gain insights from industry leaders, and discover strategies to contribute to successful market offerings in the blended meat space.
Explore the World Economic Forum's first report on alternative proteins, created with the Israel Innovation Authority and GFI Israel. Featuring Israel as a case study, it reveals how country-tailored national strategies can advance alternative proteins and address global challenges.
Meet Dr. Roni Rak, leading Israel's first cultivated meat lab. Discover her path from cancer research to transforming the future of food, the role of collaboration in a fast-evolving field, and her vision for a sustainable protein revolution.
Explore the landscape of plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation companies in Israel. Use the database to stay current on new companies in the space, find a partner, or identify groundbreaking startups.
Shiri is GFI Israel’s sustainability & food security senior manager, dedicated to integrating alternative proteins into the sustainability and food security agendas of key decision-makers across government, academia and industry.
This paper examines the potential of alternative seafood to protect and restore biodiversity, emphasizing the need for a collaborative effort from various stakeholders to address environmental challenges.
Consumer demand for plant-based meat is outpacing supply. This analysis outlines necessary ingredient volumes and manufacturing needs to identify and prevent future production bottlenecks.
The plant-based meat industry has grown significantly, requiring supply chains to keep up. This analysis by GFI and Bright Green Partners assesses current manufacturing and explores ways to expand capacity for future demand.
This ex-ante life cycle assessment (LCA) forecasts the 2030 environmental performance of commercial-scale CM production, comparing it to conventional animal production, using recent data and scenario analysis.
This analysis identifies commodity crop sidestreams suitable for alternative protein production and offers recommendations for policymakers and food producers to valorize crops and promote circular bioeconomies.
This study establishes a Food Safety Plan for cultivated meat using the HACCP approach, providing a basis for future food safety studies and aiding stakeholders in ensuring safe cultivated meat production.
