... and How We Can Avert It
Protein is an essential macronutrient that our bodies need to function and thrive. However, a concerning global protein crisis unfolding threatens billions of people's health and wellbeing. In this blog post, I will discuss the importance of protein, the current lack of adequate protein sources, the issues with plant-based and lab-grown alternatives, and how we may be able to avert this crisis through emerging technologies like cell-based meat and fish.
Why We Need Protein
Protein is absolutely vital to human health and survival. It makes up the building blocks of our muscles, bones, skin, hair, hormones, enzymes, antibodies and more. Without adequate protein intake, we experience loss of muscle mass, growth impairment, developmental issues, hair loss, skin problems, weakened immunity and many other health consequences[1].
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for adults. However, many experts argue this is far too low for optimal health, with newer research suggesting a range closer to 1.2-2.0 grams per kilogram[2][3]. Athletes, pregnant women, growing children and the elderly may need even higher intakes to support their bodies' increased demands.
In addition to total quantity, protein quality also matters. High quality proteins contain all the essential amino acids our bodies cannot make on their own in the right ratios. Animal sources like meat, fish, eggs and dairy provide complete, high quality protein. Plant proteins like beans, grains and nuts can also be high quality but need to be carefully combined to ensure adequate essential amino acid balance[4].
The Protein Gap in Food Production
With the world population estimated to reach 10 billion by 2050, food production needs to drastically ramp up to meet global protein needs[5]. However, our current industrial farming system faces immense challenges in sustainably producing enough high quality protein sources.
Livestock farming already uses nearly 80% of the world's agricultural land, yet only produces 18% of global calories and 37% of protein[6]. Beef requires 20 pounds of feed to produce just 1 pound of meat. As demand rises, clearing more wilderness for pasture and growing more feed crops both have devastating environmental impacts. Livestock also emit large amounts of planet-warming greenhouse gases.
Overfishing has decimated wild fish populations, with 90% of stocks fully exploited or overfished. Fish farming comes with its own sustainability issues like pollution, disease transmission to wild populations, and requiring large inputs of wild fish for feed.
Simply put, our current animal-based food system cannot keep up with global protein demand without accelerating climate change, environmental destruction, and depletion of finite resources. Relying on it to feed 10 billion people would be ecologically catastrophic.
Problems with Plant and Lab-Grown Meat Alternatives
Facing the unsustainability of current meat production, many people have turned to plant-based meat alternatives as more eco-friendly options. However, these products have issues meeting certain consumer expectations around taste, texture and nutrition.
Although vegetarian and vegan diets can theoretically provide complete nutrition, they require careful planning to ensure adequate essential amino acid balance. Most plant proteins like beans and grains are lower in one or more essential amino acids. Vegetarians and vegans not paying close attention to protein combining may end up deficient.
Early generations of lab-grown meat have faced similar challenges around sensory experience. Although innovators are making rapid progress, current products lack the taste, texture, aroma, and overall eating experience of conventional meat. They are also still prohibitively expensive, with early versions costing over $50 per pound versus $3-5 for conventional meat.
How Cell-Based Meat and Fish Can Avert the Crisis
Fortunately, emerging cell-based meat and fish technologies may offer solutions to the global protein crisis. Also known as cultured, cell-cultured, or clean meat, this process takes small samples of cells from animals and grows them into real meat and seafood products without the animals themselves.
Cell-based meats provide the same nutritional profile as conventional meat, including complete, high-quality protein with all essential amino acids in the right ratios. Since they come directly from animal cells, they can offer the exact same taste, texture, aroma, and overall experience as conventional meat with no compromises.
Critically, cell-based production also offers enormous advantages in sustainability and efficiency. Because it skips the resource-intensive livestock middleman, cell-based meat could reduce land use up to 95%, greenhouse gas emissions up to 74%, and water use up to 82% compared to industrial farming according to researchers.
With contained bioreactor systems instead of sprawling pastures, cell-based meat and seafood have the potential to sustainably deliver complete, high-quality protein to meet global nutritional needs without destroying ecosystems or exacerbating climate change.
The Ethical Argument for Cell-Based Meat and Fish
In addition to sustainability benefits, cell-based meat and seafood also address ethical concerns around conventional farming.
Industrial livestock farming currently subjects over 70 billion land animals and over a trillion marine animals to inhumane crowded, confined, and unsanitary conditions each year. Critics have compared the psychological trauma of intensely social and intelligent species like pigs and cows being raised in isolation to torture.
Cell-based production spares animals from these factory farm conditions. The cells can be harmlessly and humanely obtained through biopsies similar to a blood test. The animals themselves remain unharmed. For those opposed to any animal exploitation, even this process raises ethical issues. However, it dramatically reduces animal suffering compared to industrial farming.
The Promise and Perils of Cell-Based Meat and Fish
The growing global population and rising protein demand has created an urgent crisis threatening health, ecosystems, and climate. Our current protein production system cannot sustainably meet this need. Plant-based and early lab-grown alternatives also face challenges around taste, texture, and nutrition.
Fortunately, emerging cell-based meat and seafood technologies offer a way to deliver complete, high-quality protein with a sensory experience identical to conventional meat. If rapidly scaled, they could help feed billions without the massive environmental destruction of industrial farming or compromises of alternatives.
However, cell-based meat also faces obstacles around cost and consumer acceptance. Powerful food corporations and lobbyists may resist this disruptive technology. There are also regulatory questions around safety and marketing.
Addressing the global protein crisis will require openness to new ideas, collaboration between innovators and policy makers, and a commitment from all of us to make more sustainable and ethical food choices. If pursued responsibly and equitably, cell-based meat and seafood could be game-changing technologies to sustainably nourish people and the planet.
Citations:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5532560/
[2] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/the-power-of-protein-amidst-a-global-food-crisis
[3] https://gfi.org/resource/alternative-proteins-are-a-global-food-security-solution/
[4] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/01/how-can-we-produce-enough-protein-to-feed-10-billion-people/
[5] https://allianceforscience.org/blog/2020/07/fao-predicts-global-shortage-of-protein-rich-foods/
[6] https://www.fao.org/3/x5568E/x5568e09.htm
Comments