PBFI Supports Introduction of the Producing Real Opportunities for Technology and Entrepreneurs Investing in Nutrition Act (PROTEIN Act)
December 17, 2025:
Excerpt from Sen Schiff’s Office Press Release: Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced the Producing Real Opportunities for Technology and Entrepreneurs Investing in Nutrition Act (PROTEIN Act), legislation to make a strategic federal investment in protein innovation through boosted support for research, workforce development, and domestic manufacturing capacity.
Global demand for meat is projected to double by 2050, but the United States currently lacks the infrastructure, workforce, and research pipeline to meet that exploding demand for protein sustainably. Senator Schiff’s bill seeks to ensure the United States doesn’t fall behind and makes critical investments in meeting protein demands for the future through improved and expanded innovation.
Specifically, the PROTEIN Act would:
Establish at least 3 research centers of excellence for alternative protein innovation
Create a new USDA research program on protein security focused on biomanufacturing, bioprocessing, and converting underutilized biomass into high-value ingredients
Launch a Food Biomanufacturing Grant Program to build and scale domestic production capacity
Establish a Bioworkforce Development Grant Program to train workers, fund scholarships, and support regional economic development in this emerging sector
Require a National Strategy on Protein Security—a whole-of-government plan coordinating various federal agencies
“PBFI applauds Senator Schiff and Representative Brownley for advancing the PROTEIN Act which will maintain the United States’ leadership in food security and innovation. By creating a USDA protein security research program and dedicated protein innovation centers, this bill will generate long-term opportunities for farmers, food workers, and rural communities. Plant-based companies and researchers in particular have been waiting for programs like this to lower the risk of scaling up, build shared infrastructure instead of one-off projects, and move promising ideas from the field to full-scale production here at home,” said Sanah Baig, Executive Director, Plant Based Foods Institute.
