Plant FWD 2026 Launches New Balanced Proteins Side Track

Foodvalley has announced that Plant FWD 2026 will introduce a new international side track focused on Balanced Proteins, marking a major addition to one of Europe’s leading events for alternative protein professionals. The new track will be featured during Plant FWD 2026, which takes place on April 8–9 in Barneveld, the Netherlands.

According to Foodvalley, Balanced Proteins — previously referred to as hybrids or blends — are gaining momentum as the food industry looks for practical ways to accelerate the protein transition. The concept combines plant-based and animal proteins to create products that are positioned as more affordable, nutritious and scalable at a time when meat and dairy prices remain high and supply chains continue to face pressure.

The new side track is being developed by Foodvalley’s The Protein Community in collaboration with U.S.-based Food System Innovations. It will include four breakout sessions across the two-day event, where industry experts, retailers and food companies will discuss market trends, product innovation, communication strategies and commercial scaling opportunities for Balanced Proteins. Foodvalley also said the event will include the launch of what it describes as the world’s first initiative dedicated to scaling Balanced Proteins globally.

Sessions scheduled for the program will explore the global rise of blended protein products, the latest developments in balanced meat and dairy ingredients, and the role of novel inputs such as faba beans, chickpeas, mycoproteins, seaweed, jackfruit and potatoes. Foodvalley said the program will also highlight the use of upcycled ingredients, as well as new production technologies and artificial intelligence tools designed to improve ingredient combinations and support scale-up.

A separate session will focus on how brands and retailers communicate Balanced Proteins to consumers, examining whether products should be marketed more explicitly or positioned more subtly. The final breakout session will also feature the 2025 Eiweet/The Protein Tracker results for Dutch retailers, which Foodvalley says will help frame discussions between retail, meat and plant-based industry representatives.

Plant FWD 2026 is expected to bring together more than 1,000 food system stakeholders, including startups, investors, retailers, policymakers, chefs and researchers. The event will also feature 40+ speakers, networking sessions and new content tracks covering Balanced Proteins, Organic and Novel Foods, reflecting a broader push to expand the conversation around sustainable protein innovation.

Explore the full program and get tickets:

The role of Agriventures in supporting agrifood innovation

As the protein transition continues to gain momentum across Europe, initiatives like Agriventures play an important role in helping agrifood innovation move from idea to market. By connecting startups, researchers, investors and industry stakeholders, Agriventures supports the development of scalable solutions in areas such as food technology, biotechnology and sustainable agriculture.

Through ecosystem building, knowledge sharing and support for startup growth, Agriventures helps strengthen the agrifood innovation landscape and enables promising new solutions to reach food producers, consumers and international markets more effectively.