“The clear winner is minimally processed plant-based sources of protein. Plants - such as peas, beans, grains and nuts - are a cheap and ubiquitous protein source that have a long track record for maintaining human health and a low carbon emissions footprint. One study found that replacing 20% of global ruminant meat (such as beef) with microbial protein alternatives by 2050 could roughly halve annual deforestation 2.Īlternatives to animal protein aren’t hard to find. But replacing red meat in particular could make a huge difference for both people and the planet. Meat isn’t all bad: it is packed with essential amino acids and nutrients, and livestock plays an important part in many ecosystems and societies. At the same time, production of vegetables, fruit, beans and nuts would need to at least double. A 2019 report by the EAT Lancet Commission 1 concluded that a sustainable global diet that is healthy for both people and the planet would require slashing the amount of red meat produced, including pork and beef, by around 75%. In general, as wealth rises, the demand for meat rises, too - a trend that is particularly noticeable in China, where the amount of meat eaten has exploded about 15-fold since 1960(see ‘Future meat-eating’).Įating so much meat puts pressure on animals, people and the planet. The average American eats more than 120 kilograms of meat per year. In wealthy nations, about half of the consumed protein comes from animal products. The problem these companies are trying to solve is where that protein comes from. But in wealthy regions such as North America and Europe, people typically consume about twice that amount (see ‘How much protein do people eat?’). On average, people require about 50 grams of protein per day. Human diets do not, on average, lack protein, says Marco Springmann, a food-systems researcher at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in fact, most people currently eat more than enough. Dozens of companies are now banking on these alternatives to animal protein becoming a regular part of your diet. Would you eat a burger enriched with mealworms? Fake bacon sliced from a mass of fermented fungi? Milk proteins extruded by microbes? Maybe you already have.

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