FORFARMERS CORPORATE SERVICES BV

Their core work

ForFarmers is one of Europe's largest animal feed companies, headquartered in Lochem, the Netherlands. In H2020, they participate as an industry end-user exploring alternative protein sources (insect protein, microalgae) and circular nutrient recovery to future-proof their feed supply chain. Their role in these projects is to validate new ingredients and biorefinery outputs for commercial feed applications, bringing market-scale demand and formulation expertise to research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ForFarmers began their H2020 involvement in 2017 with nutrient recovery and circular fertilizer production (RUN4LIFE), reflecting an initial interest in closing agricultural loops. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward alternative protein sources — first insect protein (SUSINCHAIN), then microalgae biorefinery (MULTI-STR3AM). This progression shows a clear strategic move from waste-side circularity to supply-side protein diversification for feed.

ForFarmers is investing in next-generation feed ingredients (insects, microalgae), signaling readiness to co-develop and validate alternative protein supply chains at commercial scale.

How they like to work

ForFarmers participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with a large industry player contributing market validation and end-user requirements rather than managing research. With 62 unique partners across 17 countries in just 3 projects, they operate in large, diverse Innovation Action consortia. This makes them an accessible partner: they bring commercial pull and real-world testing capacity without competing for project leadership.

Despite only 3 projects, ForFarmers has built a broad network of 62 partners across 17 countries, reflecting their participation in large Innovation Action consortia spanning most of Europe.

What sets them apart

ForFarmers is not a research organization — they are a major feed industry buyer with the scale to absorb new protein ingredients commercially. This makes them uniquely valuable as a demand-side partner: they can validate whether an alternative protein source actually works in real feed products at market volumes. For any consortium developing insect, algae, or other novel proteins for animal nutrition, ForFarmers offers immediate market access and formulation know-how that academic or SME partners cannot provide.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MULTI-STR3AM
  Largest funding (EUR 377,781) and most ambitious scope — a multi-product microalgae biorefinery targeting food, feed, fragrance, and bio-based chemicals.
• SUSINCHAIN
  Directly addresses the insect protein value chain from production to market, positioned at the core of the EU protein transition agenda.