Alternative proteins are not the only solution, but they have a clear role to play…

The shift towards plant-based protein could allow farmers to grow higher-value legumes and crops instead of growing low-value crops destined for animal feed, while cultivated meat offers animal farmers an opportunity to produce ingredients for cell feed, or even provide the top-quality animal cells needed to start the process.

Stella Child
Research and Grants Manager
Good Food Institute Europe

Plant-based proteins, cultured meat and fermentation… Here are a few of today’s most important alternative protein development methods. The first of these, plant-based protein products, has already reached a certain point and consumer acceptance is higher. Especially vegan and vegetarian diet trends are driving this segment. However, there is much to wonder about cultured meat produced in the laboratory with animal cells. Many people see these meats as an important alternative that will improve animal welfare, reduce environmental impact, reduce the use of anibiotics and meet future nutritional needs. One of them is Stella Child, research and grants manager at the Good Food Institute Europe which is an international non-profit think tank that aims to diversify the protein supply.

“To feed a population of 10 billion and satisfy the global demand for meat which is forecast to grow by 52% by 2050, we need a more efficient system,” says Stella Child. And according to her, plant, cell and fermentation-based proteins could offer a more efficient system to meet this global demand for meat. But this industry is still in its infancy, and there are still many problems to solve and many questions to answer. We asked Child some of these questions and here are her answers:

First of all, could you give us some information about Good Food Institute Europe? What would you like to tell us about the aim and activities of your organisation?
The Good Food Institute Europe is an international nonprofit think tank helping to build a more sustainable, secure and just food system by diversifying our protein supply.

We work with scientists, businesses and policymakers to advance plant-based foods, cultivated meat and fermentation – making them delicious, affordable and accessible across Europe.

By making meat from plants and cultivating it from cells, we can reduce the environmental impact of our food system and feed more people with fewer resources. GFI Europe is powered by philanthropy, so we’re independent of the industry.

You are an organisation working for the alternative protein industry. Could you first explain what alternative protein means?
Alternative proteins deliver the taste and experience of the meat, dairy and seafood that people eat today, but using fewer resources – helping to satisfy growing demand for these foods sustainably.

Plant-based meat looks, cooks and tastes like meat – but is made entirely from plants.

Cultivated meat is the same meat we eat today, but made in cultivators (like the fermentors used for brewing beer) instead of by farming animals.

Fermentation can be used to produce sustainable protein that looks, cooks and tastes like meat.

With the rapidly growing world population and rising income levels, the demand for animal proteins is also increasing rapidly. To what extent do you think alternative proteins such as plant and cell-based meat will benefit from this increase in demand?
To feed a population of 10 billion and satisfy the global demand for meat which is forecast to grow by 52% by 2050, we need a more efficient system.

Plant-based foods, cultivated meat and fermentation offer an excellent opportunity to deliver the meat people want with up to 90% less land and 66% less water than beef. They can be made with indigenous crops, creating new opportunities for farmers, and can be adapted to suit local tastes.

Dietary preferences such as vegan and vegetarian diets create an important market for plant-based proteins. However, do you think the same interest will be shown in cell-based meats; especially nowadays when the natural nutrition trend is popular?
A recent study shows 80% of consumers in the UK and United States are open to eating cultivated meat, and GFI Europe’s own research suggests between 33% and 65% of consumers in western Europe are already willing to buy it – even at this early stage. There will always be consumers who want to eat animal meat, and cultivated meat can deliver this in an efficient and sustainable way.

Are alternative protein products developed through plant, cell or fermentation methods a competitor to animal food products? For example, how do the developments in these industries affect the livestock industry or how will they affect it in the future?
Farmers should play a key role in the transition towards a more sustainable food system, and governments must support them to adapt.

The shift towards plant-based protein could allow farmers to grow higher-value legumes and crops instead of growing low-value crops destined for animal feed, while cultivated meat offers animal farmers an opportunity to produce ingredients for cell feed, or even provide the top-quality animal cells needed to start the process.

Because these foods use much less land, they can also open up the space needed for more sustainable farming methods.

More public investment in R&D in this field will play a crucial role in unlocking new opportunities for farmers and allowing them to make evidence-based business decisions, for example by identifying how to optimise their crops for plant-based meat, or how byproducts might be sold into the cultivated meat or fermentation supply chain.

Plant-based and cultured meats are currently difficult to access and high priced. How long do you think it will take for such products to become more accessible in all aspects (such as price and availability)?
Cultivated meat is in its infancy – only available in three restaurants worldwide – but a recent study by independent researchers CE Delft found that, with the right investment, it’s possible to bring cultivated meat production costs down to just £4/€4.68 per kg by 2030, making it accessible to a much bigger market.

Both the public and private sectors will need to invest significant sums into research and infrastructure to overcome existing challenges – and this research makes clear which areas are most in need of funding and innovation. It is likely to be some years before cultivated meat is easily accessible in supermarkets – but the pace of progress will depend on the extent to which governments invest.

There is much reference to the environmental impact of alternative proteins, but how efficient are these products in terms of sustainable production and environmental impact? In particular, there are some opinions that the production process of cell-based meats may cause high carbon emissions. Are there any studies carried out on this subject?
Peer-reviewed research has found that cultivated meat could cut the climate impact of meat by up to 92%, reduce air pollution by up to 94%, and use up to 90% less land. Key to maximising the sustainability of cultivated meat will be the wider shift towards renewable energy – but even when produced using today’s energy mix, cultivated meat is likely to have significant environmental benefits.

Research has also found that plant-based meat causes up to 98% less emissions than conventional meat while Quorn’s mycoprotein, developed through fermentation, has a carbon footprint 70% lower than chicken.

While there has been widespread media coverage of a study on cultivated meat’s environmental footprint whose findings deviate significantly from other published research, and which is based on assumptions that don’t reflect industry practices.

Finally, could you share your predictions for the future of alternative proteins and the livestock sector?
Alternative proteins are not the only solution, but they have a clear role to play in feeding a growing population, boosting food security and creating future-proof green jobs.

Because these new ways of making meat will also free up land for more sustainable farming, they’ll work alongside a range of approaches to building a better food system for everyone. The most resilient future will be one with a diversified protein supply, based on complementary solutions like alternative proteins and regenerative agriculture.