Vow launches “Forged Gras” —— lab-grown foie gras

•  Australian startup Vow officially released its cultured quail-based foie gras in Singapore and Australia, branded Forged Gras. The product is now served in over 35 upscale venues following regulatory approvals from FSANZ and in Singapore. Priced at around $19 per serving, it undercuts conventional foie gras while avoiding animal cruelty.

Impact: This marks one of the earliest mainstream market launches of cultivated gourmet meat—not a commodity product but a luxury food niche. It demonstrates regulatory acceptance and opens the door to high-end culinary use cases. Though production costs remain high (~$85/kg), the premium positioning may attract investors and early-adopter consumers.

GEA opens $20M U.S. pilot hub for alternative proteins

• On July 17–21, GEA inaugurated its Food Application & Technology Center in Janesville, Wisconsin. The 100% renewable-energy facility offers modular pilot-scale bioreactors for precision fermentation, cell cultivation, and plant-based ingredient testing.

Impact: This infrastructure is crucial for scaling: startups and CPGs can simulate industrial conditions before full-scale production. It lowers the barrier to entry across the supply chain and accelerates innovation in egg-white, seafood, and dairy protein production.

Growing research behind cost-effective processes

• Multiple studies underscore the promise of AI and machine learning to optimize cell culture and fermentation, as well as systems converting lignocellulosic waste into microbial protein feedstocks. These methods support cost reductions and circular production models

Impact: By integrating AI-driven bioprocess control and waste-to-protein systems, the industry can reduce reliance on expensive inputs and improve resource efficiency—critical for scaling commodity-priced alternative proteins.

ProVeg incubator includes fungi-based precision dairy startups

• In April, ProVeg’s incubator selected 10 startups—including those developing AI-enhanced protein production and precision-fermented dairy from fungi—for support and coaching.

Impact: This supports an emerging pipeline of functional proteins beyond meat, expanding ingredients into baked goods, cheeses, and novel dietary applications—strengthening ecosystem-building across global alt-protein innovation.

Sector Trends: Implications at a Glance

• These stories mark a clear shift: ecological economics is gaining traction beyond academia into practical policy, local governance, and public debate.
• They illustrate a growing understanding that ecological limits, wellbeing economies, and economic justice are interconnected.
• Policy relevance spans from UK planning reforms to farm incentives in Europe, and local governance models in places like Sweden.

Tomelilla, Sweden Adopts Doughnut Economics

• Tomelilla, a small Swedish town, implemented Kate Raworth’s doughnut economics framework in municipal planning—embedding ecological ceilings and social foundations into budgeting, urban design, transport, and procurement.

Impact:

• • Shifted decision‑making toward regenerative and low‑carbon pathways (e.g., refurbishing instead of building anew, free public transit for youth).
  • Showcased how even small municipalities can prioritize wellbeing within planetary limits.
  • Inspired other cities and municipalities globally to explore similar sustainable economic models.

Op‑ed: Environmental Protection As Economic Gain (Australia)

• Economist Nicki Hutley argued that preserving nature and fighting climate change deliver clear net economic benefits—from cost savings in avoided climate disasters to job creation in clean energy.

Impact:

• • Strengthened the narrative that ecological stewardship supports, rather than hinders, economic prosperity.
  • Highlighted reduced solar panel prices and high costs of inaction (~US $143 billion/year) as economic logic for transition.
  • Supports momentum for policy reforms such as carbon pricing and nature‑inclusive planning in Australia and worldwide.

UK’s Planning Bill Nature Levy Faces Blowback

•  UK’s proposed “nature levy” would let developers pay to bypass environmental protections. Economists and ecologists—including Partha Dasgupta—warned this creates a “license to kill nature.”

Impact:

• • Raised alarm about weakening environmental safeguards and undermining ecological integrity in planning.
  • Pressured policymakers to revisit or withdraw the provision, emphasizing need for independent regulation and systemic reform.
  • Reframed ecological economics as crucial for aligning development with planetary boundaries.

Academic & Policy Developments

ISEE Launches Special Issue on Ecological Macroeconomics

When: Call opened June 18, 2025 (submissions open July 1, 2025)

• The International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE) invited papers exploring integrated ecological‑macroeconomic models to understand post-growth futures, climate policy, and inequality.

Impact:

• • Encourages development of models that capture economic–ecological–social feedbacks.
  • Supports transition from conventional GDP-focused narratives toward wellbeing‑oriented policymaking.

IIASA Study: Economic Gains from Mining Quickly Fade

Researchers found that while industrial mining brings short-term economic boosts, benefits fade once global prices dip—even affecting neighboring regions.

Impact:

• • Highlights ecological-economic vulnerability linked to commodity dependence.
  • Supports policy emphasis on diversified, nature-aligned development pathways instead of extractivism.

Modelling Biodiversity & Pesticide Use Relative to Farm Size

The paper introduces a spatial ecological-economic framework showing small‑to‑mid‑size farms benefit economically from reduced pesticide use combined with habitat restoration, whereas large farms struggle to do so.

Impact:

• • Informs policy design: environmental incentives should be tailored to farm structure.
  • Promotes biodiversity via cost-effective, scale‑specific strategies for pest control and sustainability.

Summary Table