Green Boy Group is fuelling food reformation with plant-based, non-GMO and organic ingredients

The global ingredient supplier Green Boy reveals its strategy to ensure food security for a growing population by supplying high-quality plant proteins, starches and syrups to food companies and manufacturers.

Our ever-expanding human population is heading towards nine billion people, while inhabiting a planet with limited resources. One of the most crucial areas in desperate need of a reform is the food industry: from an inefficient system reigned by the Big Dairy and Meat industry to a regenerative food supply that makes tasty, plant-based options accessible to everyone. Luckily, all of the technologies it takes to transform our food system are already there. What is needed now is action.

Let’s dive into how exactly Green Boy is fuelling the Plant-Based Food Reformation.

Sourcing & processing

Every bite we take starts with a plant. More than 35% of plants are used as animal feed and turned into a meat or dairy product along the way. As we know, this is not the most sustainable way to feed humanity. To secure global food supply in the future, agricultural land must be used for human food instead of animal feed. To get there we need vegan ‘alternatives’ that are no longer alternatives but the logical first choice.

In Green Boy’s case, this means offering a variety of plant-based ingredients that create new products that are better than their animal-based predecessors. Thanks to a global network of dozens of producers, Green Boy can supply novel ingredients efficiently, while constantly evolving its ingredient list. A dedicated quality team ensures the highest standards of quality and certification requirements are met for each ingredient. Additionally, close collaboration with each producer allows for flexibility in product processing and possibilities to adjust ingredient functionalities as needed for each customer.

Warehousing & shipping

The process from plant to plate can seem like a magician’s black box – what’s inside the black box is an immaculate supply chain that ensures a reliable ingredient supply for companies that are feeding the world with their plant-based products. This means sourcing, producing, warehousing and shipping ingredients in the timeliest manner. Having offices in Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Chicago, Singapore and Sydney, enables Green Boy to manage every part of the supply chain meticulously. For the US market alone, the company has 20 warehouses which make it possible to have a storage facility close to every customer’s manufacturing site, allowing for accurate planning, secured supply and guaranteed fulfilment on time.

 

Expanding supply to the end consumer

In 2019, Green Boy expanded into the direct-to-consumer market with its subsidiary Green Boy Products. Home chefs can now purchase single-ingredient protein powders that are usually used for texture and nutritional value in vegan favourites from the grocery store. The products range from mung bean to fava bean and chickpea protein, with 80-90% protein content.

Customer research has shown that end consumers use these flavour neutral, clean proteins in gluten free baking, vegan sauces and breakfast smoothies, and have found ways to enhance virtually any meal with plant-based protein.

“It’s a win-win. We are making the food supply chain more transparent by familiarising end consumers with ingredients used in their favourite food products, while being able to share the insights we receive directly from the end consumer with our B2B customer,” said Peter van Dijken, co-founder of Green Boy.

Research & partnerships

The plant-based market, which is projected to grow from $30 billion in 2020 to $162 billion in 2030, calls for ingredients that have a variety of application. Green Boy’s expanding food lab allows for rapid ingredient functionality testing and specific formulation guidance to help customers in the market formulate their next hit.

To evolve even faster, the industry needs to share knowledge transparently. That’s why Green Boy has formed a partnership with the Plant Protein Innovation Center (PPIC) of the University of Minnesota, to innovate plant-based proteins together with the brightest PhD students and professors of the food industry. Earlier this year, Peter van Dijken joined the Plant-Based Food Association (PBFA) as a board member to further connect with plant-based pioneers of the industry. 

 

Your part in the Plant-Based Food Reformation

The more collaboration, the faster the food industry can evolve into a more sustainable version of itself. Join the plant-based food reformation by visiting Green Boy’s team at Booth #324 at the Plant-Based World Expo in New York, reaching out to Green Boy for ingredient inquiries or signing up to Green Boy’s newsletter here.