If meat is so bad for the environment and for our health, Is the answer simply not eating meat ? Are there the same issues with all kinds of meat? (e.g chicken, pork?)

• First, there are significant differences in the production efficiency and consequent energy use in the processing of the major classes of meat. For example, 8 kg of cereal are needed to produce 1 kg of beef meat, whereas 4 kg of cereal are needed to produce 1 kg of pork meat and only 1 kg of cereal is needed to produce 1 kg of chicken meat. Moreover, it may be possible to increase the efficiency of meat production through better rearing or improved breeding.
• Second, a significant proportion of livestock continue to be grass-fed. This practice takes place in land that is often not suitable for crops without major investments. Using this type of land even to indirectly feed people can have possible adverse environmental effects. Pigs and poultry on the other hand are often fed on human food waste.
• Finally, in developing countries, meat represents the most concentrated source of some vitamins and minerals, which are important, particularly for young children. Livestock also are used for ploughing and transport. They can provide a local supply of manure and can be a vital source of income. They are of huge cultural importance for many poorer communities.

Alternative Proteins – summary (based on article by EUFIC):

1. Plant proteins and plant-based meat and dairy analogues
   • Plant-based meat substitutes and dairy analogues are foods that look, cook, and taste like meat or dairy products, but are made from plants.
   • Plant proteins have a lower environmental impact than animal proteins, but not all plant-based products are healthy.
   • Advances in technology are making plant-based proteins more appealing and affordable, which could persuade more people to choose them.
     
     
2. Fermentation-derived options like mycoprotein
   • Fermentation is a process that uses microorganisms to generate alternative proteins. There are two main types of fermentation used to produce alternative proteins: biomass fermentation and precision fermentation.
   • Biomass fermentation uses the rapid growth of protein-rich microorganisms to make large amounts of protein. The resulting microbial biomass can be used as a food product on its own or as an ingredient in blended foods.
   • Precision fermentation introduces gene sequences of animal proteins in organisms like yeast, which use these “production instructions” to generate large amounts of the target proteins. The resulting proteins are then mixed with other ingredients to create animal-free products that aim to compete with meat, seafood, eggs and dairy products.
   • Both biomass fermentation and precision fermentation have the potential to produce high-quality, sustainable alternative proteins. However, both processes are still in the early stages of development, and there are challenges that need to be overcome before they can be scaled up to commercial production.
     
     
3. Edible insects
   • Despite being traditional in some countries, insects are considered novel foods in Europe and the USA. T
   • Some insects are already used to make protein bars, flours and other products that can be found on supermarket shelves.
   • Insects like crickets, grasshoppers and locusts can have up to 61% protein by dry weight, making them suitable candidates to enrich food and feed products.
   • One of insects’ biggest advantages is that they reproduce quickly and need less feed than other animals. They can also be fed organic side-streams (from manure to food waste), which reduces pollution and production costs.
   • Consumer acceptance will be a major barrier to overcome if insects are to be successfully introduced to people’s diets in Europe and beyond, as many consumers are as yet unwilling to try eating insects.  
     
     
4. Algae
   • The algae family includes macroalgae (seaweed) and microalgae, both of which have been pointed out as key sources of alternative protein for a sustainable food system and global food security. Particularly, microalgae are gaining traction as competitive protein-rich ingredients for food and animal feed.
   • Microalgae are microorganisms (e.g Spirulina) – generally made from one single cell – that multiply quickly into nutrient-rich biomass, using water, light and a source of nutrients, like carbon dioxide. They are known for their high protein content. Plus, their production can contribute to a circular economy as they have the potential to grow on wastewater and be fed on different organic wastes or side streams (such as food waste, food processing byproducts, or carbon dioxide from the air).