Food system transformation

cows in feed lot agriculture

© Tyler Olson - stock.adobe.com
Sustainability / Environment

Study Highlights Gap in Sustainability Policies Addressing Animal Agriculture’s Climate Impact

A recent study conducted by the nonprofit Animal Outlook has brought attention to a critical omission in sustainability policies among major US corporations: the failure to address the role of animal agriculture in climate change. Despite increasing commitments to climate action, the report found that none of the publicly available sustainability policies of the top 100 highest-earning companies in the US include measures to reduce the environmental impact of animal agriculture. Animal agriculture accounts for over 16.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to estimates cited by the organization. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has also highlighted the sector’s role in producing 37% of methane emissions, a greenhouse gas with a warming potential 20 times greater than carbon dioxide. Animal Outlook, which is a …

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Plantbased Business Hour

Investing in Food System Transformation with Jason Ingle of Third Nature Investments

Jason W. Ingle, founder and Managing Partner of Third Nature Investments, joins CEO of VegTech Invest and host Elysabeth Alfano on The Plantbased Business Hour to discuss the powerful lever for societal and environmental impact that is investing in food system transformation. Specifically, they discuss: What is systems investing and why are you focused on this? How do you invest in systems transformation, and can you give some examples of companies in which you have invested? Why are you focused on more than Climate Change? Can you elaborate on investing in food system transformation? Do you see others engaging in (or at least comprehending) systems investing? If so, who/which sort of entities? Is it too late? Or do you see progress? If no progress, what …

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PETA

© PETA
Society

PETA Warns US Meat Companies to Learn from Mistakes of Tobacco Farmers and “Get Out Now!”

PETA is urging five major US meat companies—Hormel Foods, Cargill, Smithfield Foods, Tyson Foods, and Oscar Mayer—to shift their focus from animal-based products to vegan alternatives, following the example set by one of Italy’s oldest meat producers, Gruppo Tonazzo. Gruppo Tonazzo recently announced that it will stop selling meat entirely and concentrate solely on plant-based products. Albino Tonazzo, CEO of the company’s plant-based brand Kioene, explained that the shift is motivated by a “deep responsibility to future generations” and a commitment to environmental preservation. In letters sent to the CEOs of the US companies, PETA noted the growing consumer demand for plant-based foods and the environmental and ethical concerns associated with animal agriculture. The group explained that all five companies have already introduced vegan products …

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Poultry at a factory farm

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Agriculture / Agribusiness

Global Organizations Push to End Factory Farming and Present Roadmap for “Just Transition” at Climate Week NYC

The Center for Biological Diversity and World Animal Protection unveiled a white paper yesterday, co-produced with more than 50 contributors, urging the phase-out of industrial animal agriculture to address its impact on climate change, humans, and animals at a panel during Food Day at Climate Week NYC. According to the white paper, the industrial animal production system, including industrial fishing and aquaculture, is fundamentally inequitable, inefficient, and financially flawed. It is a leading driver of climate change, with experts agreeing that global emissions from animal production must decline by 50% by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement targets. In addition, industrial animal farming is a significant source of animal suffering and one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, contributing to habitat loss, water pollution, and …

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Agriculture / Agribusiness

Session 4 of the ‘update’ Webtalk Series: Anthropogenic Agriculture – Regenerative Revolution?!

The new international business webtalk series ‘update’ discusses the most pressing issues of the ongoing protein transition. Based on the latest news, data, and facts, the future of the industry will be put forward and discussed with key market players in this series of talks. Session 4 of the ‘update’ Webinar Series: Anthropogenic Agriculture – Regenerative Revolution?! September 12th, 10:30 AM CT (CHICAGO) | 5:30 PM CEST (BERLIN) | 4:30 PM BST (LONDON) >> Register now! Agripic: Where we are coming from Agriculture is at the heart of our food system. On the contrary; FoodTech, which aims to create a sustainable future with this system, often does not take the needs of farmers and our land into account. And while we are relentlessly searching for a sustainable …

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The Protein Tracker shows that meat and “a lot” of dairy (in total 61%) dominate consumption, perception, supply, and marketing attention in The Netherlands.

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Market & Trends

The Protein Tracker Shows Meat and Dairy Dominate Dutch Diets, Urges Changes for Plant-Based Shift

The Protein Tracker, conducted for the first time in 2023 by Wageningen Economic Research on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), shows that meat and “a lot” of dairy (in total 61%) dominate consumption, perception, supply, and marketing attention in The Netherlands. Marleen Onwezen, expertise leader in Consumer Behavior at Wageningen University, notes that while there is a shift toward plant-based options — 39% of the total protein consumption — it is not happening quickly enough.  The Protein Tracker is a collaboration between the Green Protein Alliance, ProVeg Nederland, and Dutch supermarkets (as 70% of foods are sold through these retailers) to monitor the protein transition annually. In March 2022, the Dutch government set a national target for a 50/50 …

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German sausage

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Politics & Law

A Pivotal Moment: Germany’s €38M Budget for Transition to Plant Proteins – ProVeg Responds

Last week, Dr. Zoe Mayer, an Alliance90/Green Party Member of the German Parliament, who serves on the Committee on Food and Agriculture, announced that the German government has allocated €38 million in its 2024 budget for the promotion of plant-based, precision-fermented, and cell-cultivated proteins. “The intensive negotiations on the budget have paid off. Our budget holders were able to push through key green demands that represent nothing less than a paradigm shift in the agricultural sector’s funding system. For the first time, a large sum – 38 million euros in 2024 – will be earmarked for the promotion of alternative protein sources and the switch to plant-based agriculture, after decades of focusing primarily on subsidising livestock farming. This is a clear commitment to the protein …

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PBFA UK

©Plant Based Food Alliance UK
Sustainability / Environment

Plant Based Food Groups Call for Clear Food System Transition Targets at COP27

The International Plant Based Foods Working Group (IPBFWG) has called on world leaders at COP27 to set clear, measurable targets for food system transition. The aim is to reduce the environmental impact of animal agriculture by shifting towards plant-based diets. The group also recommends that nations should: Support farmers in transitioning to more sustainable methods, including moving from animal agriculture to crop production. Educate the public about plant-based diets. Label plant-based foods appropriately to encourage sustainable choices. Make plant-based foods available in institutions such as schools and hospitals, along with recommending them as part of dietary guidelines. Ensure sustainable foods are affordable. Fund research into plant-based foods and climate-friendly crops. Present plant-based foods as the sustainable choice in environments such as retail stores. IPBFWG is …

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dan-gold-unsplash-courtesy LiveGreen

Image courtesy LiveGreen
Studies & Numbers

Report Discusses Fairest Way to Shift High-Income Countries to Plant-Based Diets

A report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) has assessed how high-income countries could best transition from industrialised animal agriculture to plant-based diets. Citing strong evidence that this transition will be necessary in the fight against climate change, the report examines how it can be done fairly, with costs and benefits evenly distributed. This will be important in garnering public support for meat reduction policies, especially among those who work in animal agriculture or consider meat an important part of their diet and culture. According to SEI, the concept of a just transition is widely recognised in the energy sector but has only recently been considered in the context of the food industry. The institute’s report examines which stakeholders would be most affected by a …

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microbial protein Formo cheese gratin

© Formo

Science

Dutch Government Funds Project to Assess Characteristics of Microbial Proteins 

A Dutch public-private consortium is collaborating on a multi-year project to optimise the processing conditions for different microbial organisms, including microalgae, bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. The project’s aim is to assess which microbial proteins have the functional, economic, and sustainability characteristics needed to create protein-rich ingredients for food applications.  Rianne Ruijschop, Department Head of Health at NIZO and the consortium’s coordinator, explains that the project is divided into four experimental sections to address the challenges of producing microbial proteins. These are efficient culturing of organisms, growing industrial sidestreams, ensuring feasible biomass yields with high protein/low nucleic acid composition, and developing scalable processes. At the end of the project, food application trials will be performed on a selected set of proteins, focusing on dairy, meat, and …

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microbial protein Formo cheese gratin

© Formo
Algae, Microalgae & Seaweed

Dutch Government Funds Project to Assess Characteristics of Microbial Proteins 

A Dutch public-private consortium is collaborating on a multi-year project to optimise the processing conditions for different microbial organisms, including microalgae, bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. The project’s aim is to assess which microbial proteins have the functional, economic, and sustainability characteristics needed to create protein-rich ingredients for food applications.  Rianne Ruijschop, Department Head of Health at NIZO and the consortium’s coordinator, explains that the project is divided into four experimental sections to address the challenges of producing microbial proteins. These are efficient culturing of organisms, growing industrial sidestreams, ensuring feasible biomass yields with high protein/low nucleic acid composition, and developing scalable processes. At the end of the project, food application trials will be performed on a selected set of proteins, focusing on dairy, meat, and …

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Climate Change Sign No Planet B

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Charity & Campaigns

Ahead of C40 Summit, 200 Groups Call For Urgent Plant-Based Transition

Ahead of the C40 World Mayors Summit, a coalition of almost 200 groups and businesses have signed an open letter demanding a faster plant-based transition and endorsing a global plant-based treaty as a solution to address the climate crisis.  Veg Climate Network, Plant Based Treaty, Better Food Foundation, Future Food 4 Climate, Compassion in World Farming, Humane Society International, and Pro Veg International are among the groups that signed the letter.  Anita Krajnc, the global campaign coordinator for Plant Based Treaty, said: “C40 cities are considered leaders in local climate action and can accelerate much-needed progress by implementing best practices such as serving plant-based food at council events and using every policy tool at their disposal, including public information campaigns, procurement, subsidies, investment, divestment, taxation, community gardens, and fruit …

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Beans Willicroft

©Willicroft
Agriculture / Agribusiness

Report Examines Farmers’ Attitudes to Transitioning to Alt-Protein Production

A new report by ProVeg International has explored the opportunities and challenges faced by farmers transitioning to alt-protein production. The report interviewed 20 groups representing 300,000 farmers, asking what prevents them from making the shift. Responses show that many are concerned about climate change and open-minded to changing what they produce. However, farmers need to be reassured that they will not lose income if they make the transition. According to one German representative, the decision would be simple if demand and revenue for alt-proteins exceeded that for animal products. Solving challenges through alt-protein The report explores how transitioning to animal agriculture could relieve a number of pressures faced by the industry, including the impact of climate change on yields, reduced demand for animal products, and …

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Protein Power Bowl allplants

©allplants
Agriculture / Agribusiness

Report: Sufficient Plant Protein is Already Produced to Feed the Entire World

Research by Dr. Stacy Pyett of Wageningen University says that the world is already producing sufficient plant protein to feed the entire population. About 520 million tons of plant protein are produced annually, with a third of this wasted either during processing, storage, or by consumers. This leaves 346 million tons remaining. However, around 50% of this is currently turned into livestock feed. Based on the minimum amount of protein required for good health, 172 million tons would be needed annually to feed eight billion people. Even with a more generous protein allowance, equivalent to the amount currently eaten by the Dutch population, only 227 million tons would be needed. This means that if the world transitioned to a plant-based diet, the amount of protein …

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Beans Willicroft

©Willicroft
Agriculture / Agribusiness

Willicroft Sows First White Beans in Renegenerative Farming Project, Preparing For 2023 Upscale

Willicroft, the Netherlands brand which became the first plant-based cheese B Corp this March, reveals to vegconomist it has sown its first white beans — the staple ingredient in the brand’s cheese recipes — as it prepares to upscale in 2023. Two years ago, Willicroft became aware of the extremely high emissions of cashews — the previous main ingredient — through an initial lifecycle assessment. The team set about looking for alternative ingredients that could tackle a multitude of factors – lower emissions, similar nutritional profile, neutral colour and flavour to name a few. Most importantly, this new base ingredient needed to be grown within or close to its consumer base in the Netherlands. Two weeks ago, the first seeds of white beans were sown …

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No Catch Co

Vegan fish & chips ©The No Catch Co
Market & Trends

The UK’s Protein Transition in Four Graphs

With kind permission from researcher and data analyst Chris Bryant, what follows is a graphic depiction of the protein transition in the UK, where the number of vegans more than doubled in just three years. 1. Per capita total meat consumption decreased 17% in the 10 years to 2019 According to figures published in the Lancet, average UK meat consumption fell from 104g/day in 2008-2009 to just 86g/day in 2018-2019. 2. Per capita red meat consumption decreased 37% in the 10 years to 2019 The same paper showed average red meat consumption falling by more than a third from 37g/day to 24g/day over the same period. Fish consumption was fairly steady, while poultry consumption increased slightly.  3. The number of vegans more than doubled from …

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Planteneers_Vegan-Sushi

©Planteneers
Company News

As Seafood Alternatives Gain Popularity, Planteneers Provides Custom Solutions for Manufacturers

Planteneers GmbH, headquartered in Germany, develops and produces custom system solutions for plant-based alternatives to meat and sausages, as well as cheese and dairy products. In 2021, Planteneers added a new category to its portfolio by introducing plant-based alternatives to fish and seafood. With its expanded range, Planteneers is delivering answers for the rising demand in plant-based seafood. Among its new products are plant-based calamari and shrimp. Both foods can be produced using the same system, with individual product variants made by adjusting the form and colour. Alt seafood opportunities for manufacturers As interest and demand for plant-based alternatives to fish and seafood is on the rise, manufacturers are looking for answers, including matching ingredients and knowhow, to shape the next category within the plant-based …

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Founders Bernat-Ananos and Marc Coloma at the City of Justice in Barcelona ©Heura
Investments & Finance

Heura Secures $16M to Accelerate Protein Transition: “Our Mission is Clear and Now We Have the Fuel to Get There Faster”

Spanish plant-based meat brand Heura, announces a €16M investment round led by Impact Fooding. Founded in 2017 by Marc Coloma and Bernat Añaños, the investment round aims to accelerate the protein transition by removing animals from the food system. The food activist brand is backed by mission-driven investors including Impact Fooding, Unovis, Lever VC, Capital V and Green Monday. Earlier this month, the company closed a crowdfunding round to offer its committed Good Rebels community the chance to own shares in the company for as little as €20. International football players such as Saúl Ñíguez, Sergi Roberto, Cesc Fábregas and Chris Smalling took part in the raise, a clear demonstration of their confidence in the brand and allowing Heura to maintain its exponential growth rate. …

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Oatly

©Oatly
Agriculture / Agribusiness

Oatly Speaks Out About Transfarmation — “To be a Catalyst, You Have to Dare to Try New Ways of Working”

Here, Sustainability Manager Carina Tollmar from Swedish Oat drink pioneer Oatly speaks to vegconomist about  their transfarmation campaign helping farmers transition to the cultivation of plant crops, as farmers around the world increasingly have to look towards more sustainable methods of agriculture. 

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