Context and rationale The past decade of food innovation demonstrated both the potential and the limits of end-product strategies. Novel feed innovations, plant-based meats and cultivated proteins established proof of concept, but uptake plateaued due to uneven consumer acceptance and limited financing.3 These dynamics underscore that technological innovation is necessary but not sufficient for systemic change. Progress also depends on policy, procurement, finance and institutional arrangements that connect new products with nutrition and farmer livelihoods. Investment in climate-tolerant crops, alternative feedstocks and upcycling side streams has expanded, but adoption remains patchy. Smallholder farmers, who face lower returns, higher risks and limited access to land, credit and inputs, continue to rely on a narrow set of staples. Livestock and aquaculture producers remain exposed to imported maize, soy and fishmeal, and many by-products are underutilized. Without stronger integration with markets, procurement and agri-food systems, these innovations struggle to move beyond pilots. Taken together, these experiences suggest that an ingredient-level innovation can be leveraged as an upstream enabler across three pathways: diversified crops and feed systems, biotechnology-enabled ingredients, and circular and waste-derived routes. Each is largely technological in nature, but their success will depend on non-technical enablers such as procurement incentives, risk-sharing mechanisms and fair value distribution. Balancing improved farmer incomes with consumer affordability will be essential for scale. This perspective shifts the emphasis from competing against entrenched consumer categories to broadening the pool of verified inputs that supply chains can draw on. It aligns innovation with levers for resilience: feed cost structures, supply stability, nutritional adequacy and lower emissions than today’s food system. Positioning innovation at the ingredient level emphasizes complementarity. Cultivated and fermentation-derived components can be integrated into processed foods and feeds; drought-tolerant crops and pulses can be scaled through public procurement and nutrition programmes; and upcycling side streams can create new revenue streams for farmers. Each pathway is distinct, but together they represent a portfolio of options to reduce volatility, diversify nutrition and strengthen resilience in a changing climate. Ingredient Innovation: Pathways to Resilient Food Systems Food Innovators Network 4

Ingredient Innovation Pathways to Resilient Food Systems 2025