Introduction

DARE2CYCLE aims to boost the European protein supply while contributing to a more sustainable and resilient dairy and agriculture sector. It plans to do this by developing a biorefinery system that sources alternative proteins from overabundant dairy waste and residues through efficient and safe recovery and upcycling processes. In DARE2CYCLE, waste such as leftover whey, waste milk and manure, will be converted into useful alternative protein also known as microbial protein. This protein can be used in animal feed, human food, and even in making biodegradable plastics for food packaging. The project involves a complementary consortium of research and industry partners spanning across six European countries and connecting the dairy and alternative protein value chains together.

Background

The EU faces a major protein gap, mainly due to its incapability to meet the high internal demand for protein-rich products. Such an undersized protein production system threatens not only feed and food security, but also hinders the development of innovative, non-food bio-based applications relying on proteins as substitutes for fossil or synthetic products. The dairy sector represents a typical example of strategically important agri-food activities that heavily depend on unsustainable feed protein imports from non-EU regions (e.g. soy form Argentina and Brasil), and which urgently needs to develop and implement more sustainable and circular solutions for the management of its overabundant wastes and residues.