Finland’s Strategy to Monetize Every Part of the Plant-Based Supply Chain

Current industry models often treat non-protein components as low-value animal feed, missing the economic potential of raw materials like oats and faba beans. VTT researchers suggest that by diversifying output—targeting sectors as varied as cosmetics—companies can significantly increase margins. Emilia Nordlund, the project leader at VTT, emphasizes that Finland’s existing agricultural capacity and regional production chains provide the ideal infrastructure for this shift toward distributed, high-efficiency manufacturing.

Success in this space requires deep integration between farmers, investors, and processors. A notable proof of concept emerged from Viking Malt and Valio, who co-developed a faba bean protein granule designed for the hybrid meat market. Beyond collaboration, technical breakthroughs are driving the transition. VTT has patented a method to stabilize oat beta-glucan for liquid applications and developed pretreatment techniques to eliminate the bitter off-flavors typical of legumes. These innovations are already reaching the market; the spin-off Happy Plant Protein is now deploying its single-step extraction and texturization technology in industrial facilities across Latvia and the Netherlands.