A €16 mil. plant-based protein production plant starts operations in Latvia

Golden Fields, an agricultural company operating in three Baltic States, has opened a plant-based protein facility in Liepaja, Latvia. The plant, which the business invested €16 million in, will use pea and fava beans to make plant-based proteins, pellets, fibers, starches, and flours for livestock and food production. The company is considering opening similar plants in other Baltic countries.

Mahmoud Ahmed, the CEO of Golden Fields, stated that the company that would produce the plant-based proteins is Golden Fields Alternative Protein. 

"The opening of the plant is a new milestone in Golden Fields' expansion, following the company's 2023 exclusive supply agreement with Al Dahra Group, an Abu Dhabi, UAE-based agribusiness and one of the largest forage providers worldwide," Mr. Ahmed stated. “Today, we’re also proud to announce our new collaboration with Bunge, a global leader in agribusiness and food and ingredients. They will serve in a commercial capacity to facilitate the sale of pea and faba protein given their breadth of customers, strong supply chain, leading quality assurance, and application expertise across the food and feed markets.”

“We’re excited to help customers seeking sustainable and traceable plant proteins to grow brands of any size in alt meat, pet food, animal nutrition, and more,” said Brian Douville, Vice President of Emulsifiers & Protein at Bunge. “We’ll support them with pea and faba protein concentrates made through a differentiated and simpler method that’s water-free, solvent-free, and energy-efficient and that starts with pulses from farmers engaged in regenerative agriculture like crop rotation.”   

More opportunities for Baltic farmers

According to Mr. Ahmed, Golden Fields Alternative Protein is a leading processor of pea and beans ingredients, specializing in dry-processed concentrates, starch, and flours. Most ingredients are also available in organic variants. The growing popularity of plant-based diets, shifting consumer preferences, and the move away from meat in favor of meat substitutes, particularly in industrialized nations, are the main drivers of demand for these products. 

Furthermore, he stated that the goods produced in Latvia will be derived from crops cultivated in the Baltic States.

"The Baltic markets stand to gain greatly from the opening of the plant protein facility. Better food security, access to innovative agricultural technologies, and the ability for farmers to diversify their crops and raise their incomes are all expected outcomes,” said Mr. Ahmed.

According to him, the new Liepaja facility will generate 50 employment opportunities and be able to produce about 50,000 tonnes of pea and beans annually. The pea and beans will be utilized to make flour, fiber, starch, protein pellets, and other goods that can be used to make animal feed or substitute meat.

Golden Fields is considering developing comparable facilities in additional Baltic nations. 

"We are concentrating on the Liepaja plant right now. But we're also considering constructing comparable plants in other Baltic nations. We may grow our business much more as a result", Mr. Ahmed stated.

Further comments and information:
Mahmoud Ahmed
„Golden Fields“ CEO
+372 55555934
Mahmoud.Ahmed@Goldenfields.ee
www.goldenfields.ee

About Golden Fields

Golden Fields Alternative Protein is a leading processor of pea and beans ingredients, specializing in dry- processed concentrates, starch, and flours. Most Ingredients are also available in organic variants.

For more information, visit www.gfalternativeprotein.com

About Bunge

At Bunge (NYSE: BG), our purpose is to connect farmers to consumers to deliver essential food, feed and fuel to the world. With more than two centuries of experience, unmatched global scale and deeply rooted relationships, we work to strengthen global food security, increase sustainability where we operate, and help communities prosper. As a world’s leader in oilseed processing and a leading producer and supplier of specialty plant-based oils and fats, we value our partnerships with farmers to bring quality products from where they’re grown to where they’re consumed. At the same time, we collaborate with our customers to develop tailored and innovative solutions to meet evolving dietary needs and trends in every part of the world. Our Company has its registered office in Geneva, Switzerland and its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. We have approximately 23,000 dedicated employees working across approximately 300 facilities located in more than 40 countries.

For more information, visit www.bunge.com

About Al Dahra

Al Dahra is a prominent multinational leader in agribusiness, with over 400 thousand acres of agricultural land in Egypt, Romania, Serbia, USA, and others, specializing in the cultivation, production in addition to trading of nearly 3 million tons of animal feed and up to 3 million tons of essential food commodities and end-to-end supply chain management.
Serving a large customer base from the Government and Commercial sectors, Al Dahra has a widespread geographic footprint, operating in over 20 countries and catering to more than 40 markets with a leading position in Asia and the Middle East.
For more information, visit www.aldahra.com