RSO - UMass Alternative Protein Project

Our mission is to promote alternative proteins, meat and dairy from non-traditional routes like plants, fermentation, and cell culture, as a way to build a more just, sustainable food system. We aim to do this by generating excitement and community through fun events like tastings and food festivals. We also strive to increase research, educational, and entrepreneurship opportunities on campus to build a talent pipeline for this challenging field. Research opportunities may include increased grant submissions for interdisciplinary research to solve problems regarding the taste, texture, nutritional profile, cost, and scalability of alternative proteins. Education and entrepreneurship opportunities may include the introduction of alternative protein courses, majors, and product development competitions in collaboration with the alternative protein industry.