Chickpea Protein Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis, By Type (Organic, Conventional), By Application (Food Processing, Animal Feed, Nutraceuticals) and Regional Insights and Forecast to 2034

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CHICKPEA PROTEIN MARKET OVERVIEW

The global Chickpea Protein Market size was USD 0.29 billion in 2025 and is projected to touch USD 0.63 billion by 2034, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.91% during the forecast period.

The market of chickpea protein continues to achieve a high growth rate over the last few years due to the trend to plant-based food consumption and people focusing on their health, as well as the increased interest in abundant sustainable food. Chicken pea isolate contains a high quantity of protein with an excellent amino acid profile as well as digestibility and application in food and food products. It is used as a perfect alternative to soy and milk proteins, which is why it might be of higher interest to vegan, vegetarian, and lactose-intolerant customers. The product finds extensive application in protein powders, nutritional supplements, baked goods, dairy alternatives and meat substitutes, which is due to the fast-growing plant-based food sector. What is more chickpea protein is gluten-free and allergen-friendly and has a functional utility that includes emulsification and water-binding properties and improves product quality.

The growth of the marketplace is also encouraged by the rise in consumer demand of clean- label and non-GMO ingredient use, and awareness of the nutritional value of chickpeas, such as their high fibre content, minerals, and plant-protein content. As major food makers and upstarts increase their investment in developing new plant-based products, chickpea protein is opening access to more markets, both mainstream and specialty. In addition, the wishes of the population regarding sustainability and green farming practices go nicely hand in hand with chickpea agriculture, which makes it a viable crop to produce protein in the future. This makes chicken protein market set up a good position to have global growth.

US TARIFF IMPACT

Chickpea Protein Market Industry had a Negative Effect Due to supply chain disruption

The US tariff has been unprecedented and staggering, with the market experiencing lower-than-anticipated demand across all regions compared to pre-2025. The sudden market growth reflected by the rise in CAGR is attributable to the market’s growth and demand.

This new replacement of US tariffs on the importation of agricultural products and plant-based food products has partly affected the chickpea protein business causing challenges and adaptations to the parties concerned. The high tariffs imposed on the import of chickpeas increases the cost of raw materials to the producers of chickpea protein based in the United States. This contributes to an increase in prices of end products that can negatively affect competitiveness in the thriving plant-based protein industry where cost-competitiveness is paramount. This is of great concern to small and mid-sized companies given that they cannot afford the increasing costs. Tariffs have also stimulated the growth of local chickpea cultivation and protein extraction plants in a bid to lower their necessities on imports and consolidate the supply chain. Although price fluctuations and low product availability might be observed in the short-run, longer-term adaptation processes (diversification of external supply and investment in domestic production) could stabilize the market and promote sustainable growth in the US chickpea protein industry.

LATEST TRENDS

Rising Popularity of Plant-Based and Allergen-Free Proteins to Drive Market Growth

The new health and ethical sustainability trend in plant-based proteins and the burden of allergens in animal and soy-based protein sources are two of the most influential driving forces in the chickpea protein market as knowledgeable and trendsetting consumers seek viable alternatives to the established market products. Given that the veganism, vegetarianism and flexitarian movements are gaining more and more popularity, consumers increasingly want to see more sources of protein that take into consideration their ethical, environmental, and dietary criteria. The manner in which chickpea protein has gained acceptance is anchored on the fact that the protein is naturally free of gluten, non-GMO and appears hypoallergenic, thus making it be used with very good results with individuals who are allergic to soy or dairy. It also possesses superior functional attributes i.e. high emulsification, binding, and foaming, and thus, can be applied in the food industry like meat alternatives and dairy alternatives and bread products and snacks. Furthermore, the emerging trend in the food industry is the sustainability index and chickpea farming is a more appealing commodity since it is capable of building the soil through nitrogen fixing, not much water is required. Given the high investment on novel lines of plant-based products by large food companies and new startups in the industry, chickpea protein has a lot of potential applications and solid nutritional profile that will make the product play an important developmental role across the proteins industry as a whole.

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CHICKPEA PROTEIN MARKET SEGMENTATION

Based On Types

Based on Type, the Chickpea Protein Market can be categorized into Organic and Conventional.

• Organic: Organic chickpea protein is catching on in food and beverages with health conscious consumers who are embracing clean-label, non-GMO, and pesticide- free formulations, especially premium-quality plant-based food and supplements.

• Conventional: Traditional chickpea protein is in wide use because it is cost effective and is found in bulk quantity, hence most food and feed applications are preferred with this factored protein.

Based On Applications

Based on Application, the Chickpea Protein Market can be categorized into Food Processing, Animal Feed and Nutraceuticals.

• Food Processing: Chickpea protein is commonly found in plant-based meat, dairy alternatives, bakery, and snacks, and improves the protein and nutritional levels as well as texture and binding.

• Animal Feed: It can be used as a sustainable source of protein to sustain the needs of livestock and aquaculture and less dependence on traditional soy or fish-based proteins.

• Nutraceuticals: It is added to protein powders, dietary supplements and health beverages, and it has attracted consumers who want allergen-free, as well as easily digestible, plant-based proteins.

MARKET DYNAMICS

Market dynamics include driving and restraining factors, opportunities and challenges stating the market conditions.

Driving Factors

Rising Demand for Plant-Based Diets to Boost the Market

The growing popularity of plant-based diets all over the world is one of the most influential factors for the Chickpea Protein Market Growth. By growing recognition of the health impact of plant protein coupled with ethics and environmental issues surrounding animal based products, consumers are becoming proactively interested in alternatives, including chickpea protein. Chickpeas do not have soy or dairy allergies, are gluten-free, and not GM, making them an option open to an extended consumer market, including vegans, vegetarians, and lactose-intolerant people. Its wide application in the food manufacturing industry, including replacing meat products with plant-based alternatives, dairy alternatives, and baked food, has compounded its increased demand. Plant-based diet trends do not only receive consumer attention; investments in plant-based foods are made by food manufacturers and startups to drive innovative and market products.

Functional Benefits and Nutritional Value to Expand the Market

The other competitive advantage that drives the chickpea protecting market is its diverse and promising set of functional properties and health supports. Chickpea protein contains high values of all essential amino acids, fibre, and minerals and is highly digestible, which is its considerable advantage over other plant proteins. The functional aspects of its, can be such as emulsification, foaming and binding, which can add capabilities to product formulation in foods and beverages, to support texture, stability and flavour. These characteristics give it particular interest in the creation of meat analogues, dairy alternatives, protein powders and fortified snacks. Moreover, the emergence of clean-label, nutrient-rich and sustainable food in the minds of consumers goes hand in hand with the clean-label, natural and wholesome profile of chickpea protein. Such dual benefit of functionality and nutrition makes chicken protein an increasingly appealing ingredient in health friendly markets worldwide and in sustainability-oriented markets.

Restraining Factor

High Production and Processing Costs to Potentially Slow Down the Market Growth

One of the main restraining factors in the chickpea protein market is that the production and processing remains comparatively expensive to other varieties of plant proteins such as soy or pea protein. Extraction of protein in chickpeas needs sophisticated technologies in order to make it pure, taste-neutral, and functional, and this is usually costly in terms of production. The increased costs translate to food with increased prices on the end product, which is higher in cost than it otherwise would be in less-price-sensitive markets. In addition, poor implementation of large scale processing of chickpea protein limits economies of scale, which is bound to affect its affordability. The ability to balance productivity and cost-competitive production represents a challenge to many manufacturers. The higher pricing barrier would only permit a broad penetration of chickpea protein in the developing markets where price-sensitive consumers are prevalent unless new innovations in extraction technology and supply chain enhancements minimize the prices.

Expansion in Functional and Nutritional Food Products to create Opportunity for the Product in the Market

Opportunity

The growing application of the chickpea protein to functional and nutritional foods is an exciting prospect for the Chickpea Protein Market Share. The demand of consumers is growing towards clean label, allergen-free proteins which are not only of essential nutriment but also have functional properties during preparation of food. The inherent properties of chickpea protein that include emulsification, gelling and water binding properties thus make it a perfect ingredient to create novel products such as protein bars, smoothies, dairy substitutes, and plant-based meat.

Moreover, it also has an excellent profile of amino acids and delicious digestibility, which works in line with the ever-growing popularity of health-oriented foods and nutraceuticals. The manufacturer has the opportunity to introduce its new, differentiated product lines with the increase in the world demand for fitness, wellness, and sustainable eating. The trend makes chickpea protein something of a versatile value-addition ingredient that would power future market growth.

Limited Awareness and Market Penetration could be a Potential Challenge for Consumers

Challenge

A significant problem encountered in the chickpea protein market is the lack of consumer awareness and the extent to which the market is skewed in favour of conventional and well-established plant proteins, e.g., soy, pea or rice proteins. Although the chickpea protein brings specific nutritional and functional benefits, its benefits and potential uses are still less commonly known to many consumers as well as food manufacturers. This misrecognition delays the spread of application in mass food and beverage products, particularly outside of special health-based markets.

Moreover, the monopoly of soy and pea protein strengthened by thoroughly elaborated supply chains and a greater range of goods, introduces fierce rivalry. To succeed in overcoming this challenge, there is a need to implement selective marketing, educational programs, and more collaboration between producers and food brands to enable them to promote the individualistic features of chickpea protein. Awareness and carefully targeted distribution is the key to market potential.

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CHICKPEA PROTEIN MARKET REGIONAL INSIGHTS

• North America

North America will be a market leader in the chickpea protein, as the region will have the greatest preference of consumers with regard to the adoption of plant-based diets and allergen free substitutes. The United States and Canada have been in the vanguard of veganism and flexitarianism, stimulating the demand in chickpea protein, used to create plant-based meat products and dairy substitutes, as well as in nutritional supplements. The existence of innovative food productions, start-ups, and investment in alternative protein technologies also drives market expansion in the region at an increased speed. Furthermore, the increased lactose intolerance and soy allergies allow more validating the satisfaction of the consumers with chickpea protein as a safe and environmentally applicable addition to their diets. As its retail penetration of plant-based foods increases and with robust R&D expertise, United States Chickpea Protein Market remains a key growth market of chickpea protein products in the food and nutraceutical and beverage sectors.

• Europe

Europe is an important destination market of chickpea protein due to its large sustainability programs and the consumer preference in favour of clean label, non-allergenic, and environmentally friendly food. European powers such as Germany, the UK and France are furthest along in the plant-based food revolution, which has opened a flourishing market to chickpea protein in dairy substitutes, bakery, and ready-to-eat foods. The European consumers are well aware of the need to be health-conscious and pay significant importance to non-GMO, organic, and functional foods and this is how chickpea protein fits the description within its nutritional profile. Moreover, the region targets ambitious climate and sustainability targets that facilitate the incorporation of crops that use less water and ameliorate the soil such as chickpeas. As retail presence rises and food product development continues to surge forward, Europe can be regarded as one of the key movers in the growth of chickpea proteins in the global market.

• Asia

The Asia-Pacific region has an opportunity to be among the fastest-rising areas in the chickpea protein market, as there is a high number of consumers, a growing population of the middle class, and the desire to increasingly use health-friendly food items. India, China, and Australia are important countries, where India is a leading chickpea producer, and India can be a centralized protein extraction place. The rising adoption of the vegetarian diet and the rising lactose intolerance prevalence in the region drive the market growth of chickpea protein in milk substitutes, protein drinks and supplements, and functional foods. There are also the dynamic food processing industries in Asia-Pacific and an emerging nutraceutical sector that present a good opportunity in product innovation and integration. Asia-Pacific holds potential to become a key and influential market in the global chickpea protein market with government initiatives wanting to explore sustainable agriculture and open attitudes to plant-based diets by consumers.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Key Industry Players Shaping the Market through Innovation and Market Expansion

A wide range of global and regional players helps to support the presence of chickpea protein that presents the promotion of innovation, manufacturing and supply to satisfy the expanding demand in the food, nutraceutical and feed sector. Some of the noteworthy companies include Ingredion Incorporated, which has clean-label, plant-based protein solutions and focuses on allergen-free applications, and AGT Food and Ingredients, a pulse processor that is increasingly entering into chickpea protein to both food and feed markets. ChickP Ltd. is picking up steam due to its patented technology to produce high-purity chickpea protein isolates specifically optimized to formulate the best dairy alternatives and sports nutrition. In Europe, Emsland Group specialises in starch and proteins, and their sustainable product line-up features chickpea protein. PLT Health Solutions, together with Nutriati, has launched new chickpea protein and chickpea flour ingredient function-based applications that come with new functionalities that target baked goods and beverages. In the meantime, Harvest Innovations and AmNutrition are giving their contribution with the help of natural and plant-based proteins. These market actors cumulatively are bringing the chickpea protein industry into the mainstream by launching new products, forming alliances, and investing in plant-based food research.                                                                                             

List Of Top Chickpea Protein Companies

• AGT Food and Ingredients (Canada)
• Ingredion (U.S.)
• Cambridge Commodities (U.K.)
• Hill Pharma (China)
• Nutraonly (Xi'an) Nutritions (China)
• PLT Health Solutions (U.S.)
• Chickplease (Israel)
• InnovoPro (Israel)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT

January 2025: Cargill has announced a ground-breaking solution of chickpea protein that is suitable in the beverage sector. This is a novel ingredient, which is aimed at application in plant-based protein drinks and nutritional beverages and is soluble and tasting great.

REPORT COVERAGE

The chickpea protein industry is experiencing a robust trend with surging demand among customers to use plant-based, allergen-free and sustainable protein. There has been a rise of health awareness and health and wellness concerns and as such, there is interest in chickpea protein as a clean-label ingredient that is rich in amino acids, fibre, and minerals with functional capabilities including binding properties, emulsification, and foaming. It also has a wide range of applications making it applicable in numerous industries such as food, nutraceuticals as well as animal feeds. Chickpea protein is the new key ingredient in the innovative future of plant-based meat and dairy, protein powders, healthy snacks and more. The growing diet of vegan and flexitarian consumers in the US and Europe as well as the growing health-conscious customer base in Asia-Pacific also augments demand and permeation.

Despite impressive market growth potential, the market is not immune to some challenges, including the more expensive production process, unmaturity of most consumers, and extensive rivalry with existing plant protein sources, e.g., soy and pea. New product introductions, strategic alliances and processing breakthroughs are the recent industrial changes helping to break the setbacks. Food companies are participating in enhancing scalability, taste, and cost-effectiveness in order to expand markets. As sustainability is a major differentiator and functional food moves increasingly toward chickpea proteins, chickpea protein will be an important part of the plant-based protein revolution emerging over the next ten years.