BOI starts plant-based food industry roadmap work

THE Board of Investments (BOI) said it has commenced the development of the Philippine Plant-based Food Industry Roadmap, starting with an industry appraisal study.

In a statement on Thursday, the investment promotion agency unveiled that it has partnered with the University of the Philippines (UP) through the College of Home Economics-department of Food Science and Nutrition.

This partnership, BOI noted, conducted the Frontiers of the Plantbased Food Industry, which is a webinar that presented an “overview” of the local and global plant-based food industry and the opportunities for its further development.

“This is very timely as the Covid-19 pandemic has created a new culture of healthy eating that includes patronizing plant-based products,” said Shirley Guevarra, Dean of the UP College of Home Economics.

Guevarra emphasized the “various” opportunities for plant-based foods in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, BOI Director for Resource-based Industries Raquel Echague said the BOI fully supports the administration’s direction to strengthen food value chains to achieve food security.

According to BOI, Echague also noted that the investment promotion agency shares the same aspirations with UP, food industry stakeholders, government agencies, and the entire nation towards developing the Philippine Plant-based Food Industry.

Meanwhile, Maria Patricia Azanza, Professor Emeritus from UP Diliman who’s also a food innovation expert and head organizer of the webinar, emphasized that the Philippines is currently participating actively in the “complex” plant-based food supply chain locally and globally. This, Azanza noted, indicates the future opportunities that need to be “captured and capitalized.”

“Our present discussions are essential in the transformation of the plant-based food industry to become a legitimate working food system with sustainability and significant support from the various stakeholders,” Azanza said.

According to the BOI, the webinar featured 10 local and international speakers who presented an overview of the plant-based food industry from different aspects and perspectives.

The webinar also featured some of the key players in the local plantbased food industry and the brands and products that they offer, namely: Century Pacific Food,inc. And their brand unmeat; Universal Robina Corporation and their product Vitasoy; Monde Nissin Corporation and their brand Quorn; and Worth the Health Food and their brand Umami.

Meanwhile, BOI said Engineer Ninaliza Escorial, deputy director of the Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD), presented the various programs, scientific research, and food innovations of the agency that set the direction for the research and technology development of the Philippine plant-based food industry.