#data munging

[blech]

tumblr-backup and datasette

I've been using tumblr_backup, a script that replicates the old Tumblr backup format, for a while. I use it both to back up my main blog and the likes I've accumulated; they outnumber posts over two to one, it turns out.

Sadly, there isn't an 'archive' view of likes, so I have no idea what's there from way back in 2010, when I first really heavily used Tumblr. Heck, even getting back to 2021 is hard. Pulling that data to manipulate it locally seems wise.

I was never quite sure it'd backed up all of my likes, and it turns out that a change to the API was in fact limiting it to the most recent 1,000 entries. Luckily, someone else noticed this well before I did, and a new version, tumblr-backup, not only exists, but is a Python package, which made it easy to install and run. (You do need an API key.)

I ran it using this invocation, which saved likes (-l), didn't download images (-k), skipped the first 1,000 entries (-s 1000), and output to the directory 'likes/full' (-O):

tumblr-backup -j -k -l -s 1000 blech -O likes/full 

This gave me over 12,000 files in likes/full/json, one per like. This is great, but a database is nice for querying. Luckily, jq exists:

jq -s 'map(.)' likes/full/json/*.json > likes/full/likes.json

This slurps (-s) in every JSON file, iterates over them to make a list, and then saves it in a new JSON file, likes.json. There was a follow-up I did to get it into the right format for sqlite3:

jq -c '.[]' likes/full/likes.json > likes/full/likes-nl.json

A smart reader can probably combine those into a single operator.

Using Simon Willison's sqlite-utils package, I could then load all of them into a database (with --alter because the keys of each JSON file vary, so the initial column setup is incomplete):

sqlite-utils insert likes/full/likes.db lines likes/full/likes-nl.json --nl --alter

This can then be fed into Willison's Datasette for a nice web UI to query it:

datasette serve --port 8002 likes/full/likes.d

There are a lot of columns there that clutter up the view: I'd suggest this is a good subset (it also shows the post with most notes (likes, reblogs, and comments combined) at the top):

select rowid, id, short_url, slug, blog_name, date, timestamp, liked_timestamp, caption, format, note_count, state, summary, tags, type from lines order by note_count desc limit 101

Happy excavating!

[exportimportdata-blogs]

How Is the Pulses Export from India Shaping Global Markets?

India is one of the largest producers and exporters of pulses, supplying various types of lentils and beans to countries worldwide. But how does the pulses export from India work? What are the essential regulations, HS codes, and leading pulses exporters in India? Let’s explore the details in this informative article.

1. What Is the Current Scenario of Pulses Export from India?

India has a well-established pulses market, exporting different varieties of pulses, including toor dal, green mung beans, and black matpe. The demand for export pulses from India has increased due to global dietary shifts, with people choosing plant-based protein sources.

Key Trends in India's Pulses Export Market:

India exports pulses to over 100 countries, including the UAE, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the USA.

The export data of pulses from India indicates steady growth in exports over the past five years.

Government policies influence the import and export of pulses in India, especially during shortages.

2. What Are the HS Codes for Pulses Export from India?

To facilitate trade, pulses have specific HS codes (Harmonized System Codes) that categorize them. These codes are essential for identifying products in international markets.

Major HS Codes for Pulses:

Pulses Type HS Code Pulses (general category)210Toor Dal880 / 110Green Mung Beans40Black Matpe50

Why Are HS Codes Important?

They help in customs clearance for pulses exporters in India.

They ensure accurate taxation and duty calculations.

They prevent fraudulent trade practices in export pulses from India.

3. Who Are the Leading Pulses Exporters in India?

India has several established pulses exporters catering to international markets. These Indian pulses exporters follow quality standards to meet global demand.

Top Features of Reliable Pulses Exporters:

✅ FSSAI and APEDA certification for food exports. ✅ Compliance with global trade standards. ✅ Consistent supply and competitive pricing. ✅ Strong international trade networks.

Major Pulses Exporting Companies in India:

Adani Wilmar – A top exporter with a vast global network.

Laxmi Agro Products – Specializes in toor dal and green mung beans.

Shri Lal Mahal – Offers a variety of lentils and pulses for export.

If you’re looking for pulses exporters in India, consider those with verified certifications and positive export records.

4. What Are the Challenges and Opportunities in Pulses Export from India?

Challenges:

Fluctuating Government Policies: The Indian government often imposes export restrictions to stabilize domestic prices.

Climate Conditions: Poor monsoons can reduce crop yield, affecting export data of pulses from India.

Global Competition: Countries like Canada and Australia also export pulses, creating competition.

Opportunities:

Increasing Global Demand: More countries are importing pulses for plant-based protein diets.

Expanding Export Markets: African and Middle Eastern countries are emerging as key buyers.

Organic and Premium Pulses: There is a growing demand for organic pulses, providing new business opportunities for Indian pulses exporters.

5. How Can Importers and Exporters Benefit from India’s Pulses Market?

For Importers:

India provides a variety of pulses at competitive prices.

Strong trade policies ensure quality and safety.

Access to bulk orders through trusted pulses exporters.

For Exporters:

Government incentives support the export pulses from India.

Diversified markets reduce trade risks.

A growing focus on organic pulses opens premium markets.

Conclusion

The pulses export from India is a crucial part of global trade, meeting the growing demand for plant-based protein. With well-established pulses exporters in India, structured pulses HS codes, and evolving market trends, the industry has a bright future. Understanding toor dal HS code, green mung beans HS code, and black matpe HS code helps streamline the export process.

Do you have any questions about pulses exports? Drop them in the comments!

FAQs

1. What is the pulses HS code for export from India? The general pulses HS code is 210, but specific pulses have different codes (e.g., toor dal HS code is 880/110, green mung beans HS code is 40, and black matpe HS code is 50).

2. Which countries import pulses from India? Countries like Bangladesh, UAE, Sri Lanka, the USA, and Canada import large quantities of pulses from India.

3. How do I find reliable pulses exporters in India? Look for APEDA-certified Indian pulses exporters with a proven export record and good customer reviews.

4. What are the main challenges in the pulses export business? Challenges include government regulations, climate changes, and global competition. However, India remains a strong player in the pulses export market.

5. Is the pulses export business profitable? Yes! With growing global demand and premium organic pulses markets, the pulses export from India is a profitable industry for exporters.

[wayofcloudbrain]

Noodle Survey

Please vote, I long for data. :3 This question is almost wasted on a poll, it should be a bracket.

Edit/clarification: For the purposes of this poll, I use noodle in the most inclusive/maximalist sense possible. You can refer to the wikipedia entry on noodle for what that entails. Yes, I know you all like multiple different noodles in different contexts. But people constantly ask what's your favourite song too, so don't try and make me feel bad about it. I also had to vote and I hated every minute of it. Sorry bun, I hope you can forgive me one day.

[andmaybegayer]

oh hey that makes sense. I have NTP coming in to this microcontroller over wifi and you can just... make os.date() calls from Lua to get the current time of day, because that goes through to the C calls, and the ESP-IDF implements all the standard time functions. Cool as hell. That really simplifies a lot of my life by moving yet more stuff into lua.

I was expecting this to require way more painful munging of data but it's very smooth and you can basically just write lua. I have a function that delays your pixel write until the next frame and it just works. I keep track of the number of microseconds you had "left" to draw before delays start happening so I can generate utilization stats, and because Lua gets its own entire core there's not really any noisy neighbours to cause jitter (which I noticed before I moved the wifi thread over)

Now for the hardest part: making an interactive webpage that is not piss. At the last work conference one of my coworkers was showing off her plugin for a docker webui and a bunch of kernel developers were like this is great but I will never send you a patch for this because the browser DOM confuses and terrifies me. And I agree with this sentiment.

[ask-mung-mung]

Mung mung why did you hiss at me a few data ago

- @ask-megan

Channeling mountain lion

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from National Geographic:

These days, the village of Karauzyak in western Uzbekistan is a dusty place. Surrounded by an arid landscape of dry scrub grasses and salt-crusted soils, it’s hard to believe the village was once along the banks of a swollen river, 30 miles from the shore of the world’s fourth-largest lake. Over the last 50 years, that lake, the Aral Sea, has dried up almost entirely, in what is often called the “world’s worst environmental disaster.” Now, it’s hard to farm much of anything in Karauzyak—except for atriplex, or saltbush. 

In a 3.5-hectare plot of land near the village, a team of Japanese researchers is growing this salt-loving plant, known scientifically as a halophyte, to see if it can be a viable crop for farmers in the region and even nurture a small dairy industry. They’ve fed it to cows at a nearby farm and found that it helps lock scarce moisture into the thirsty soil, and it can be grown without extensive fertilizer use.

As she holds up a dusty green twig of atriplex, Kristina Toderich, a halophyte expert from Tottori University in Japan, explains why the salt-loving plant excites scientists like her: “This doesn’t need water. It doesn’t need anything.”

Toderich is one of the lead researchers on a project using the former seabed and nearby river delta as a living laboratory. It’s part of a larger Japanese foreign aid and scientific collaboration initiative called SATREPS. Working with Uzbekistan’s hydrometeorological service, UZGIP, the researchers are collecting real-time climate data and satellite imagery to better understand the conditions in the Aral Sea area: how much water is left, how fast it’s disappearing, and what kind of crops are being farmed there.

Based on the results, they’re drafting a model for sustainable agriculture in the region, recommending that farmers adopt new irrigation methods and plant crops that are more salt- and drought-tolerant, says Kenji Tanaka, a hydrologist who studies the effects of climate change on water resources and the head of the SATREPS project.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification has warned that an area of land the size of Central Asia has become degraded from drought, salinization, and overuse since 2015. By learning what can grow in the Aral Sea, SATREPS could provide solutions for other parts of the world that are facing similar problems, from the Lake Chad basin in Western Africa to the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

It's unclear whether the Uzbeki government will adopt the recommendations made by the SATREPS team. But so far, the country seems open to change; President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who promised to loosen the rigid Soviet-era policies of his predecessor, Islam Karimov, ended the requirement that all Uzbek citizens pick cotton if called upon, and has spoken at the United Nations about the effects of desertification and land degradation on his country.

Climate change makes these adaptations even more urgent. Average temperatures in the Aral basin have increased by around 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit since 1968. And the shrinking of the Aral Sea itself has affected the climate; as the water disappeared, the air became drier and lost the cooling effect of the nearby lake, creating a feedback loop that resulted in hotter and drier weather. Sandstorms now spread dust and toxic heavy metals to nearby villages, while retreating water has caused a build-up of salts in the soil.

Tanaka’s project has several components. Aside from atriplex, SATREPS researchers are planting crops like sorghum, mung bean, and amaranth in test plots to learn which can best survive in dry, saline soil. So far, they’ve developed promising varieties of winter wheat and barley.

[theunlitpath]

New word! code

There's a new word! A code (count noun) is the source code of a program. E.g. "I write codes that munge data."

[myconetted]

you're right it's only february, but people are claiming the cuts from trump's first term are to blame. while there were big spikes in 2016 and 2017, 2015 wasn't great either. combined with the increases over 2022-2024, i don't think this year's recalls can (yet) be attributed to actions from trump's second term.

i used claude to write some code to do basic data munging to split it out into "contamination" versus "undeclared ingredients" versus "other" based on the text of the description field from the FDA data set, and this is what it came up with after i helped it fix some bugs. (note that it used code to draw these graphs and i spot-checked the code, but you should still be skeptical and see if you can reproduce these results)

Anyone with a milk allergy needs to be on high alert. In the midst of a flurry of ongoing food recalls, the FDA has updated its initial recall of a handful of Cal Yee Farms' chocolate products to the highest risk level. Originally, the FDA announced a recall of numerous Cal Yee Farm products because they may have contained undeclared milk, soy, wheat, sesame, FD&C #6, and/or almonds. The recall has now been elevated by the FDA to the most serious level of recall, Class 1, for only a few of the affected products: the company's dark chocolate almonds, dark chocolate apricots, and dark chocolate walnuts because the chocolates contained undeclared milk.

[neveropen]

String Munging In Pandas Dataframe

In this article, we are going to learn about String Munging In Pandas Dataframe. Munging is known as cleaning up anything which was messy by transforming them. In technical terms, we can say that transforming the data in the database into a useful form. Example: “no-one@example.com”, becomes “no-one at example dot com” Approach: Step 1: import the library Python3 import pandas as pd import numpy as np import re as re Step 2: creating Dataframe Now create a dictionary and pass it through pd.DataFrame to create a Dataframe. Python3 raw_data = {"first_name": ,             "last_name": ,             "email": ["jas203@gmail.com", "momomolly@gmail.com", np.NAN,                       "battler@milner.com", […]

[codylambertdanafoster]

hit garlicke for big data insights if audience mung bean

[tccicomputercoaching]

Learning Machine Learning: From Theory to Practice

Machine Learning (ML) is arguably one of the most transformative technologies of our time, driving innovations from personalized recommendations to self-driving cars and advanced medical diagnostics. The allure of building intelligent systems attracts countless enthusiasts, but the journey of learning Machine Learning often presents a unique challenge: bridging the gap from theory to practice.

Many newcomers get caught up with algorithms, statistical concepts, and mathematical equations, only to be faced with a real-world dataset or problem and wonder what next. Real mastery in Machine Learning is not knowing just the formulas; it is being able to actually use what you know. This blog post will provide a hint on making that leap.

Why Practice is Paramount in Machine Learning

While theoretical knowledge is irreproachable, practice-wise:

Understanding Nuances: Algorithms behave differently with messy, real-world data than with nice, clean textbook examples. Here, practice allows the implementation of such nuances.

Problem-Solving: ML stands for the solution of problems. Practical experience is useful for putting problems into perspective, choosing models, and interpreting results.

Getting proficient in using Tools: These are getting acquainted with tools and libraries, such as Python, Pandas, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, and PyTorch, which are very handy in the real world.

Debugging & Iteration: Real-life projects involve innovating into errors, building performance, and iterating on models. These processes come from doing.

Building Up Portfolio: Your portfolio is an absolute must for practical projects to back up your popularity with potential employers.

Your Roadmap: From Theory to Practice

Here’s a structured approach to ensure your ML learning journey is grounded in practical application:

1.      Solidify the Foundational Theory (But Do Not Get Stuck Here):

Mathematics: Go over linear algebra, calculus, probability, and statistics once again. Grasp why one employs some concepts and not the other.

Algorithms: Learn core machine learning algorithms like Linear Regression, Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, K-Means, SVMs, and Neural Networks. Know their principles, assumptions, and when they're unsuitable to use.

Resources: Online courses, textbooks, or trustworthy blogs are ideal.

2.      Master a Programming Language (Python is King):

Python: Spend quality time on Python programming. Use it for ML in the field.

Key Libraries: Learn NumPy for numeric operations, Pandas for data munging, and Matplotlib/Seaborn for data plotting. These are the daily tools.

3.      Start with Guided Projects (Follow Along, Then Experiment):

Online Tutorials: Many platforms offer guided projects where you code along with an instructor. This is an excellent way to get comfortable with the workflow.

Small Datasets: Begin with simple, clean datasets (e.g., Iris, Titanic, Boston Housing).

Experimentation: Once you complete a guided project, try changing parameters, using different algorithms, or exploring new features in the dataset.

4.      Tackle Independent Projects (This is Where You Truly Learn):

Kaggle/UCI ML Repository: These platforms offer a wealth of datasets and challenges. Pick a problem that genuinely interests you.

Define Your Own Problem: Even better, identify a problem from your daily life or an industry you care about and try to solve it with ML.

End-to-End Projects: Aim to complete projects from data collection/cleaning to model deployment (even if just a basic local deployment). Document your process thoroughly.

Iterate and Refine: Your first model won't be perfect. Learn to evaluate, debug, and improve.

5.      Understand the Tools (Beyond Just Code):

Git/GitHub as Version Control: To organize the codes and collaborate.

Jupyter Notebooks/Google Colab: Use these environments for interactive coding and analysis.

Cloud Platforms (Optional but Recommended): Check out the basic services of AWS, Azure, and GCP, basically to understand scaling of models.

6.      Join a Community and Seek Feedback:

Online Forums: Participate in communities on Stack Overflow, Reddit (r/MachineLearning, r/datascience), or Kaggle forums.

Peer Reviews: Share your code and projects with others and ask for constructive criticism as the latter forms an invaluable learning experience for you.

Learning Machine Learning in Ahmedabad:

Many institutes in Ahmedabad offer excellent Data Science with Python, AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Analytics Tools courses designed to guide you from theoretical understanding to practical proficiency. Look for programs that emphasize:

Hands-on Labs and Projects: This is key to building practical skills.

Industry-Experienced Faculty: Learn from those who apply ML in real-world scenarios.

Comprehensive Curriculum: Covering both theory and the practical tools.

Career Support: Helping you build a strong portfolio and prepare for jobs.

The journey of learning Machine Learning is continuous, but by prioritizing practical application and embracing project-based learning, you can transform theoretical knowledge into actionable skills, becoming a competent and sought-after ML practitioner.

Contact us

Location: Bopal & Iskcon-Ambli in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Call now on +91 9825618292

Visit Our Website: http://tccicomputercoaching.com/

[cromacampusinstitute]

Data wrangling in data science involves cleaning, transforming, and organizing raw data into a usable format. It ensures accuracy and consistency, enabling better analysis and insights. This crucial step prepares data for modeling and visualization, ultimately enhancing decision-making and driving data-driven strategies across various industries and applications.

[gruballergy]

The Future of Breakfast: Why Vegan Breakfast Foods Are Leading the Way in 2025

In 2025, the most important meal of the day is undergoing a bold transformation. Breakfast is no longer just toast, eggs, or sugary cereals—it’s a powerhouse of vegan breakfast foods, allergen-conscious ingredients, and gut-friendly choices that reflect our evolving values and dietary needs. At GrubAllergy, we’ve watched this shift unfold firsthand. What started as a niche lifestyle has blossomed into a global movement, with vegan breakfast food ideas taking center stage across kitchens, cafés, and social media feeds.

1. The Rise of Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Allergy-Friendly Mornings

We’re living in a time where health-conscious and allergy-aware choices are no longer exceptions—they’re expectations. More individuals are being diagnosed with intolerances to gluten, dairy, soy, and nuts, while others are making proactive dietary changes for better digestion, mental clarity, and long-term wellness.

As a result, the breakfast table has become a place of reinvention. Instead of the standard fare, people are reaching for:

Oat milk chia puddings topped with seasonal fruit

Tofu scrambles with turmeric and veggies

Banana-oat blender pancakes (with no eggs or flour)

Vegan yogurt parfaits layered with homemade seed granola

These aren’t just Instagram-worthy; they’re nutrient-rich, inflammation-friendly, and satisfying. They also double as great gluten free breakfast ideas and allergen-safe vegan breakfast suggestions. And the best part? They’re made without triggering common allergens, which means more people can enjoy them without fear.

2. Millennials and Gen Z Are Shaping the Plant-Based Breakfast Boom

Younger generations are at the forefront of the plant-forward movement. Data from market researchers show that Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to identify as vegan or vegetarian and are far more likely to be food-allergy aware. They care deeply about the origin of their food, how it affects their bodies, and its environmental impact.

For them, vegan meals for breakfast aren’t just a healthy habit—they’re a form of self-expression. That’s why you'll find everything from vegan protein overnight oats to nut-free green smoothie bowls flooding their social feeds.

At GrubAllergy, our top-performing content isn’t just about food—it’s about feeling good. That means offering allergen-safe vegan breakfast ideas recipes that are time-conscious, nutrient-rich, and bursting with flavor.

3. The Innovation of Food Tech Is Changing the Vegan Breakfast Game

From plant-based cheese spreads made from fava beans to dairy-free yogurts enhanced with gut-boosting probiotics, food tech is expanding what’s possible in the breakfast aisle. A few years ago, if you were vegan and gluten-free, your options were limited to fruits and maybe a basic smoothie. Today, you're spoiled for choice.

Emerging products like:

Egg-free omelets from chickpea or mung bean protein

Seed-based butters (hello, watermelon seed spread!)

Cassava and millet waffles

Coconut kefir with live cultures

These innovations are helping redefine what a modern vegan breakfast recipe looks like—balancing flavor, function, and food sensitivity.

4. Gut Health Is at the Heart of Morning Routines

We now understand how central our gut is to overall wellness. From mood regulation to immune health, it all starts in the digestive system—and breakfast plays a major role in setting the tone for the day.

That’s why the shift toward plant-based, allergen-friendly breakfast recipes also reflects a shift toward healing. Fiber-rich grains like millet and quinoa, fermented foods like coconut kefir and dairy-free yogurt, and anti-inflammatory spices like cinnamon and ginger are being woven into everyday meals.

At GrubAllergy, we constantly hear from readers who’ve seen real changes in their energy, skin, and focus just by eliminating common allergens at breakfast and switching to vegan breakfast foods designed to nourish their gut.

5. Environmental Impact Is Influencing Breakfast Choices

The environmental benefits of eating plant-based are no secret. Compared to animal-based products, vegan foods require fewer resources, generate lower emissions, and contribute less to deforestation and biodiversity loss.

So when people choose a vegan, gluten free breakfast over bacon and eggs, they’re not just making a personal health decision—they’re making an eco-conscious statement. And when those choices are also allergy-friendly, they become even more inclusive and impactful.

Oat milk is one of many great vegan breakfast suggestions that also happens to be sustainable and allergy-safe for many.

6. Social Media Is Fueling Creativity and Accessibility

The #VeganBreakfast tag has over 5 million posts on Instagram alone, and platforms like TikTok are exploding with vegan breakfast ideas recipes and prep hacks for busy mornings. Whether it's 3-ingredient banana pancakes, quinoa apple porridge, or hummus toast with lime and herbs, people are finding exciting new ways to reinvent breakfast.

At GrubAllergy, our recipes are created with one mission: to be safe, simple, and satisfying. That means no dairy, no gluten, no guesswork—just real food that fits every vegan breakfast recipe goal, whether you’re avoiding allergens or living a plant-based lifestyle.

Where We’re Headed: A More Inclusive Morning Table

The future of breakfast is inclusive, intentional, and inspired. As more families and individuals shift toward vegan breakfast foods that are both gluten-free and allergy-safe, the demand for creative, nutrient-rich meals will only grow.

If you're looking to refresh your morning routine with mindful food, our collection of vegan breakfast food ideas is here to help. From grab-and-go options to lazy brunch favorites, GrubAllergy is your partner in allergen-free, joyful mornings.

Conclusion: Your New Morning Starts Here

At GrubAllergy, we believe breakfast should nourish, not restrict. It should energize you without making you guess what’s safe. It should align with your values—and your allergies.

In 2025, vegan breakfast foods aren’t just leading the way—they’re paving a new path forward for food freedom. Whether you’re managing a gluten sensitivity, living with multiple allergies, or just exploring more vegan meals for breakfast, the future is already here—and it tastes amazing.

Hungry for inspiration? Explore our latest vegan breakfast recipe ideas and join the allergen-friendly food revolution.

Read more: Vegan Breakfast Recipes

[dax-cooke]

Plant-Powered Future: How Alternative Proteins Are Reshaping Agriculture

You’ve probably noticed a shift in what people are eating, talking about, and investing in—plant-based and lab-grown proteins are gaining serious ground. What used to be a niche corner of the market is now reshaping how crops are grown, where investments go, and what your next farming opportunity might look like. As demand rises for protein that’s not reliant on traditional livestock, agriculture is pivoting toward new inputs, systems, and partnerships. This article walks you through how alternative proteins are creating real-world change in agriculture, and how you can adapt, benefit, and lead in this fast-moving sector.

Alternative Proteins: What You’re Working With Now

Alternative protein refers to anything that delivers protein without traditional animal farming. That includes plant-based products made from soy, peas, chickpeas, mung beans, and lentils; fermentation-based proteins created using microbial processes; and cultivated or cell-based meat, which grows muscle cells in a lab environment. Each of these categories has moved from experimental to commercial, with major brands and start-ups building entire business models around them.

You don’t need to overhaul your farm to get involved. If you're already growing pulses or soy, you might already be part of the supply chain. If not, expanding into high-protein crops or aligning with new food tech buyers can open a door. Consumer demand is pushing food companies to innovate, and they’re looking for reliable growers and suppliers to keep pace.

How This Changes What You Grow

Crop patterns are already shifting. Soy remains a staple, but the interest in peas, fava beans, lentils, and chickpeas is pushing acreage increases globally. These crops have multiple upsides: they grow well in diverse conditions, fix nitrogen into the soil, and can be rotated with cereals to improve long-term yield.

You’re likely to see more vertical integration—companies investing directly in growers or offering long-term contracts for alternative protein inputs. That gives you more stability and predictability. If you're currently focused on commodity crops, this shift can open the door to value-added opportunities with premium buyers.

Even wheat is seeing action. Some food-tech startups are using wheat gluten and wheat protein isolates as binding agents in plant-based meat formulations. If you’ve written off protein markets because you’re not growing soy, think again.

What Happens to Animal Agriculture?

This shift doesn’t mean livestock disappears. What’s happening is a rebalancing. Consumers want choices, and those choices now include plant-based burgers, cultured seafood, and fermentation-derived egg proteins. That puts some pressure on feed crops and traditional animal protein markets. But there’s room to pivot.

If you're a livestock producer, you might explore feedstock partnerships with plant protein processors or use byproducts from fermentation as feed inputs. Some livestock operations are also branching into co-production—growing protein crops alongside animal systems to meet a broader range of buyer needs.

You’re also likely to see pressure from sustainability regulations. Livestock systems with high emissions or poor waste handling will have a harder time competing in markets where carbon and environmental performance are tracked. But operations that integrate sustainable feed, pasture management, or co-located biogas production can stand out.

The Supply Chain Is Getting Smarter

Alternative protein producers are laser-focused on traceability. Whether you're selling peas to a processing plant or contracting soybeans for protein isolate, you're going to need clean data—input sources, growing practices, transport details, and moisture levels at delivery. Blockchain and traceability tech are becoming standard, especially for companies targeting export markets.

This also means better access to premiums if you’re meeting certain standards. Organic, non-GMO, or regenerative practices are highly sought after by companies trying to tell a clean supply story to their consumers. You can use that demand to your advantage by aligning with buyers who reward verified production methods.

Processors want to know their inputs are consistent. Clean, uniform crops with reliable protein content are worth more than commodity bins mixed from multiple farms. Working directly with protein buyers gives you leverage—and more room to negotiate based on quality, not just quantity.

Where Fermentation and Cultivated Meat Fit In

You might think fermentation or cultivated meat is out of reach for a traditional farm—but that's changing. Fermentation facilities need feedstock: sugars, starches, or plant-based inputs to grow their cultures. Many rely on glucose derived from corn or wheat. That puts you in the game if you’re growing either and can meet purity specs.

Some operations are also developing co-located fermentation plants near grain-growing areas to cut logistics costs. If you’re looking for long-term buyers and can supply consistent quality, it’s worth exploring partnerships or regional supply calls.

Cultivated meat companies are still scaling, but they too will need plant-based inputs for scaffolds, nutrients, and culture media. Some are already working with ag-tech companies to develop more affordable feed inputs grown through conventional methods. There’s potential here, and it's growing faster than most forecasts expected even a year ago.

Global Trends Driving Market Growth

Consumer habits are only part of the story. Governments are getting behind alternative proteins as a food security tool. Singapore, Israel, and the Netherlands are funding cultivated meat pilot plants. Canada and Denmark are investing in pea protein extraction facilities. In the U.S., the USDA and DOE are both funding research into plant-based food systems and fermentation tech.

If you’re watching crop subsidies or rural development incentives, look out for programs tied to high-protein legumes or low-carbon food innovation. These are often targeted at newer markets but can benefit traditional farms that pivot early.

The biggest retailers in the world—Walmart, Tesco, Kroger—are giving shelf space to plant-based protein brands and asking suppliers to help meet their ESG targets. That signals long-term investment, not just a marketing fad.

How are alternative proteins changing agriculture?

Driving demand for high-protein crops like peas and lentils

Shifting land use away from feed crops

Increasing traceability and quality standards

Creating new markets for fermentation feedstock

Encouraging farmers to diversify and access premium buyers

In Conclusion

The future of protein is being rewritten, and you're in a position to play a leading role. Whether you're growing pulses, managing feed grain operations, or looking to connect with emerging food companies, the door is wide open. With real buyer demand, growing government support, and constant product innovation, alternative proteins aren't just disrupting agriculture—they’re redefining its opportunities. The smartest move you can make is to look at where your current operation intersects with this trend—and make sure you're not watching from the sidelines when you could be supplying the next big product on grocery shelves.

Stay updated on the latest agri-food innovations and market shifts—subscribe to Dax Cooke on Substack.