Unilever Opens $94 Million Vegan Food Innovation And Sustainability Centre

Global consumer goods company Unilever has opened an innovation center in the Netherlands to research plant-based foods and sustainability within the food industry. 

Researchers at the center are now tasked with researching and developing plant-based foods and nutrition, vegan meat alternatives, sustainable packaging for food, and how to improve the efficiency of crops. It will also be home to innovation programs for certain brands owned by Unilever.

The center cost the organization $94 million to build and is based at Wageningen University & Research — a public university in Wageningen.

The building itself — which is known as Hive — has received a rating of “Outstanding” by Dutch regulators who assess environmental performance. It has been called “one of the most sustainable multifunctional buildings in the world.”

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Vegan Sustainability

“We need a fundamental transformation of the food system if we are to feed more than 9 billion people sustainably and nutritiously” said Alan Jope, Unilever CEO.

“Malnutrition, obesity, climate change and food waste are issues that can only be addressed if we work in partnership to accelerate technology and innovation.”

“Having a global research and development centre in Wageningen will enable us to do exactly this.”

Do you think this is an exciting step forwards for the food industry? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!