Plant‑protein market projection

Analysts are projecting the global plant-protein market to more than double over the next decade, reaching about $49.9 billion by 2036. (abasto.com) The same market analysis pegs the sector at roughly $22 billion in 2026, implying a much larger business for ingredients made from crops such as soy, pea, wheat, and other plants. (abasto.com) Plant proteins are the concentrated building blocks food companies use in meat alternatives, dairy substitutes, shakes, bakery products, and ready-to-eat meals. The Abasto report said suppliers are moving from selling single ingredients to selling “performance-driven systems” built to hold texture, taste, and stability in large-scale manufacturing. (abasto.com) That shift comes as the broader plant-based food business remains large but uneven. The Good Food Institute said global retail sales of plant-based meat, seafood, milk, yogurt, ice cream, and cheese rose 5% in 2024 to $28.6 billion, while the U.S. retail plant-based food market totaled $8.1 billion in 2024, down from $8.5 billion in 2022. (gfi.org) The plant-protein forecast points to growth beyond supermarket burger cases. Mordor Intelligence said food and beverages accounted for 57.26% of plant-protein demand in 2025, and soy protein alone held a 63.45% revenue share that year. (mordorintelligence.com) Pea protein is one of the faster-growing segments inside that market, with Mordor forecasting a 6.36% compound annual growth rate through 2031. Asia-Pacific was the largest regional market in 2025 at 36.41% share, according to the same report. (mordorintelligence.com) The consumer-facing side of the category is still under pressure in some aisles. Good Food Institute said U.S. plant-based meat and seafood dollar sales fell 10% in 2025 and unit sales fell 11%, even as conventional meat and seafood unit sales rose 1%. (gfi.org) That split helps explain why ingredient makers are talking more about formulation and manufacturing than about retail hype. Good Food Institute said global plant-based meat and seafood sales have still tripled since 2015 to an estimated $6.6 billion in 2025, while Abasto’s cited forecast says the next leg of growth is expected to come from better-performing protein systems used across more food categories. (gfi.org (abasto.com) If that forecast holds, the next decade will look less like a single bet on veggie burgers and more like a wider build-out of plant proteins as an ingredient business. (abasto.com)