Ingredient Innovation Pathways to Resilient Food Systems 2025

improve, broader resilience outcomes will depend on whether adoption aligns with the needs of both consumers and traditional producers. Scaling will require consistent quality, cost trajectories that make sense in procurement, and communication that positions biotechnology not as a replacement but as a tool to diversify and strengthen existing food systems. As with other pathways, technical feasibility alone will not guarantee adoption. Aligning producer interests, managing costs for consumers and ensuring equitable value distribution will determine whether these platforms can scale. Pathway 3: Circular and waste-derived ingredients Circular approaches may offer near-term opportunities, optimizing existing materials with fewer behavioural shifts. Large volumes of agricultural residues and food-processing by- products are still discarded, underutilized or used in low-value ways. At the same time, feed systems depend on volatile imports of soymeal and fishmeal, and food manufacturers face limited options to source affordable, high-quality proteins and oils. This gap reflects both a vulnerability and an opportunity: better use of what is already produced can improve nutrition, stabilize supply and create additional revenue streams for farmers. Circular approaches address this by turning side streams into proteins, oils and fibres that can be reintegrated into livestock feed. Insects reared on residues, fungi or bacteria that upcycle local waste streams, microbial proteins from gases or waste sugars, and oilseed cakes are examples demonstrating valorization of side-streams.77 These routes are primarily targeted at feed markets, where even partial inclusion can improve resilience by reducing dependence on imported feedstocks. In the longer term, some applications may extend to food-grade ingredients where safety and consistency are demonstrated. At the ingredient level, these pathways support resource efficiency by capturing value from materials already in circulation, strengthen local resilience when production occurs near demand centres, and create income opportunities for farmers. By monetizing residues, circular and waste-derived ingredients can contribute to affordability, resilience and climate goals in ways that complement, and not depend on, breakthroughs elsewhere.