Cornerstone Capital Group released a comprehensive new report: “Sustainable Protein: Investing for Impact at the Nexus of Environment, Human Health and Animal Welfare.” Although the report is not fundamentally vegan, it advises on several pertinent areas such as the declining milk consumption and the countries which have issued reduced meat diet guidelines in the past year.
The analysis focuses on the rise of sustainable protein, which due to changes in consumer preferences, growing awareness of environmental damage cause by factory farming, and the advances in agricultural technology.
The report points out that red meat and dairy consumption have been steadily declining, while the demand for alternatives have been rapidly growing: vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian lifestyles are becoming increasingly popular. On a global scale, plant-based foods are the primary source of protein, accounting for nearly 60% of the total protein supply.
The report also points out that if the current crop production that is used for animal feed and other uses (such as biofuels) were shifted to direct consumption in countries with high crop uses for non-food uses, like as China and Brazil, that could provide enough calories for the basic needs of 2.4 billion people.
Dietary guidelines, especially in European countries, have also started suggesting consuming more plant-based foods and less meat and dairy products.
With a rise in demand and need of sustainable protein, there are a wide range of opportunities arising for investors: alternative proteins (advanced plant-based proteins, fermented proteins, and cultured meat), organic foods, and developers of new agricultural technologies, suggests the report.
