A Conversation on the Protein Transition

Synthesis's Chief Scientific Officer, David Welch, recently co-authored a paper on the protein transition titled, “Will the protein transition lead to sustainable food systems?”

The protein transition refers to a potential society-wide dietary shift from animal proteins to alternative protein sources, which could lead to a more sustainable, healthy, and ethical food system.

We interviewed David along with the paper's lead author, Wendy Jenkins at Wageningen University, to understand their vision for this transition.

Wendy, could you start with giving us some background on how your research connects to the protein transition?

Wendy (WJ): I'm doing my PhD at Wageningen University and Research, where I am studying biodiversity-positive futures of the food system. When we started to look at this topic in more detail, it became increasingly clear that we can't talk about preserving biodiversity without talking about shifting our food system away from animal products. With the food system being the leading cause of biodiversity loss globally and animal products implicated as the largest contributors, it’s not something easily ignored. This connection led us to look at different futures to preserve biodiversity within the protein transition.

Which protein transition solution(s) are you most excited about and why?

David (DW): My area of focus within the protein transition is alternative proteins. As a result, I spend a lot of time thinking about alternative proteins and working with companies and scientists developing exciting and impactful solutions. I’ve yet to see other solutions that have as much potential of shifting our planet to a better food system as alternative proteins.

Whilst I think plants, microbes, and animal cells all have an important role in replacing conventional animal proteins, recently I’ve been particularly excited about the potential of fermentation. From the use of precision fermentation to produce animal proteins such as casein for cheese production, to the upcycling of food and agricultural waste and gases such as CO₂ and methane into low-cost, sustainable protein biomass, to the improvement of sensory attributes in plant ingredients, I see fermentation as a central technology in our future food system.

WJ: There are so many cool things happening in the world of alternative proteins and other protein transition solutions! One that we touch upon in the paper is the extraction of protein from crop residues, typically left on the field. This is a very interesting solution as it opens doors for reducing food waste and further increasing the sustainability of foods that rely on the plant-based proteins such as meat analogs. Other future foods I’m personally quite interested in which we didn’t explore in the paper, are the roles of “forgotten foods” and wild foods in the diet and how adding back these once traditionally consumed plant-based sources of protein can influence environmental and health outcomes.

Furthermore, I think the role of different production systems such as circularity, which we discuss in the paper, has very exciting potential for creating ways to reduce the colossal amounts of waste in the food system. Many great initiatives are emerging in this area such as the Dutch company Kipster, which uses food waste to feed chickens. Other systems we didn’t have space to explore in our paper, but I find very inspiring are systems such as agroforestry systems and urban agriculture. I think looking at production shifts opens up the very relevant question of how much do we need to change the diet and how much do we need to change our production systems to meet our goals and what does this look like in different localities?

What do you see as the biggest hurdle toward actual diet change and a society-wide protein transition?

WJ: While technological barriers certainly exist in creating and perfecting alternatives in the protein transition, I think societal acceptance is the biggest hurdle towards dietary change and food system change more generally in high-income countries. Eating high quantities of animal products is entrenched in not only the everyday activities of many people but also contains an ideological component that makes reducing consumption very difficult. Political support for aiding in consumption and production shifts has been weak out of fear of societal backlash, making structural changes difficult. For example, meat taxes or even tax breaks for healthy alternatives can be seen as controversial by some groups and must be carefully considered based on the local context, making sure these initiatives do not affect already marginalized populations.

DW: We need alternatives that are as good as, or ideally better, from a price, taste, and nutrition perspective. Once we have this, we have a viable alternative for consumers. But we still need broad consumer acceptance. We can point to other societal transitions such as electric vehicles, digital photography, and cloud computing that saw a significant shift in consumer acceptance and adoption once price and functionality were comparable to the traditional method. But food is more complex. There are many entrenched beliefs and cultural norms that take time to change. Alongside technological innovations, we will need help from educators, governments, philanthropic organizations, and other groups to help consumers understand the importance of switching to more sustainable food and the safety in doing so.

How do you foresee the role of circular food systems in advancing the protein transition?

WJ: Circular food systems to me are the framework within which all other potential solutions fit. Waste is a huge problem in driving the environmental issues associated with our food system. In this way, without targeting waste we will not be able to tackle issues associated with the huge amounts of land use, greenhouse gases, and chemical use associated with producing food. When implementing new technologies such as meat analogs, circularity will be important in creating futures which minimize the effects on the environment. Circular food systems also require a protein transition to meet environmental targets, meaning that the sustainability of circular systems is dependent of the reduction of animal products.

DW: A circular food system, or more broadly a circular bioeconomy is a central and essential part of the protein transition. The solutions described in the paper become most effective when they are part of a circular system. For example, we can breed or engineer better plants with improved pest resistance and nutritional properties. Those plants are harvested for food. The waste, rather than being left on the field or fed to animals, is upcycled to more valuable products. While some side streams might be upcycled into food products, others may be of better use in other areas of the bioeconomy – for chemical or fuel production, for example. I don’t believe that we can transition to a sustainable and resilient food system without employing circularity principals.

How do you think the protein transition will look 10 years from now?

DW: Despite the plateau in alternative meat and dairy sales, I remain optimistic and confident we will be witnessing many positive changes in our food system in 10 years. Companies are developing the next wave of technologies that improve the taste, cost, and nutrition of alternatives and they’ll be commercializing and scaling those in the next 10 years.

Governments around the world are becoming more aware of the problems of our food system and are funding research into alternative solutions. Alongside this, we’ve seen an increase in philanthropic funding into alternative protein research. This is resulting in an increase in the number of academic labs and talented scientists performing the research necessary to further improve the taste, cost, and nutrition of alternative products.

Many consumers, particularly those in younger generations, are far more aware of the negative impacts of our food system and more open to change than older generations. This openness to change in combination with better products will create momentum that will accelerate the transition.

Simply put, if the solutions discussed in the paper continue along their current trajectory, within a 10 year time horizon our food system will look very different and alternative products will no longer be the alternative.