KESSLER Pongamia plantations – An Outstanding source of alternative proteins

DEFINITION

Alternative proteins are food products that replace animal proteins, including meat, dairy, eggs, and seafood, with sources like plants, fungi, algae, and even cultured beef. These alternatives are being developed to address concerns about sustainability, health, and ethics associated with conventional animal-based protein production.

BACKGROUND

Plant-based protein is gradually becoming the most essential alternative source of animal-based protein and is expected to become a major source of protein worldwide in the near future.

Global alternative protein investments grew 60% from 2020 to 2021, reaching a record-breaking total of $5 billion. As the sector continued to evolve, cumulative global investments surpassed $16 billion by 2024, reflecting growing confidence in sustainable food innovation. Israel maintained its position as a worldwide leader, second only to the U.S., in alternative protein innovation and startup activity. In 2023 alone, Israel launched a record 15 new alternative protein startups, bringing the national total to over 80 active companies. These advancements are supported by a high-quality and productive feedstock of alternative protein, driving continued innovation and investment in the sector.

OUR GOAL

To become a major provider of Pongamia plant-based protein for food and feed.

OUR SOLUTION

Our motto is "Pongamia pinnata - One plant to clean, energize, and feed the world." Our solution is developing the elite variety of Pongamia pinnata, a unique legume tree with tremendous potential as a seed crop, for the production of four premium products: 

1. Oil – feedstock for biodiesel. 

2. Starch – feedstock for bioethanol. 

3. Pod shells – feedstock for direct combustion.

4. Complete protein – feedstock for the food industry. 

Our sustainably grown Pongamia plantations continuously sequester carbon and fixate nitrogen, thus combating climate change, while becoming a major resource for the food and energy industries.  

Our R&D, in exclusive partnership with the Israeli Agriculture Research Organization, the Volcani Institute, is currently focusing on the development of new high oil and protein-yielding varieties of Pongamia with potential yields far exceeding those of current protein sources (> two to threefold), including soybeans, chickpeas, and peas. 

Our elite genetic lines produce ~33% complete protein, in hexane-defatted seed cake. Our objectives are to breed and register high protein-yielding varieties and develop improved and innovative technologies to extract Pongamia seed proteins with improved functionality while removing bitter and unpalatable components.