World Food Day 2023: Why we need smart proteins to build a resilient food system

Globally, food systems resilience is gaining momentum as a burning issue in addressing the rising green-house gas (GHG) emissions. Many climate scholars and studies have raised alarms over the last decade about the dangers of overlooking the risks of the way that we currently eat and source our foods. There is enough and more scientific consensus that our food system plays a crucial role in building a resilient and sustainable future for our people and the planet. According to the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, a resilient food system “is able to withstand and recover from disruptions in a way that ensures a sufficient supply of acceptable and accessible food for all.” Relying on food from animals – through meat, eggs, dairy, and seafood is an unsustainable way to feed a growing population and is notably responsible for exacerbating environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. For instance, 77 percent of agricultural land is dedicated to livestock, providing us only 17 percent of global caloric intake and 33 percent of global protein supply. Additionally, animal agriculture is responsible for 14.5 percent of total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The food system is also riddled with issues like supply-chain vulnerabilities, the risks of zoonotic disease, and rising antimicrobial resistance associated with high antibiotic usage. These challenges all point to a pressing need to develop more resilient and alternative protein sources through global action.

For the first time, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Conference of Parties (COP) 2023 Presidency has included “food” as a dedicated day for discussions in Dubai. The COP Presidency has gone one step further to ensure that two-thirds of the food served at the conference will be plant-based, which is considerably lower in carbon footprint. This acknowledgement that animal-protein-reliant diets are environmentally expensive for the planet serves as a baseline to move discussions forward on building a resilient and sustainable food system.  Although navigating a complex issue of food-system transformation will require region-specific evidence, coordinated action at the international level is needed to build supportive mechanisms. Innovation-led food sources are rising in popularity to showcase how they can feed a rising population more sustainably and efficiently.

Alternative proteins are foods derived through plants, fermentation, or cell culture developed to provide the sensorial, textural, and cultural resonance of animal-derived protein. Plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, and seafood are the core of a global protein transition led by environmentally sustainable and health-conscious consumers. Many alternative protein products are readily available worldwide on market shelves for consumption. According to the latest state of the industry report, the category in India is estimated to be around ₹350 crore, with several companies launching shelf-stable, ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products that resonate with people’s cultural and regional preferences. Interestingly, it is reported that in the top Indian cities, around 500 restaurants and eateries have launched plant-based menus or dishes in the last few years. Entrepreneurs working in fermentation and cultivated proteins in India are also optimistic about the market potential of their products, several of which are in the final stages of development.

A growing number of governments worldwide, including India, are recognizing alternative protein as a viable solution that could be sustainable, climate-friendly, and deliver on nutritional requirements. The Department of Biotechnology, under the Government of India’s Ministry of Science and Technology, has recently included alternative protein (known as ‘smart protein’ in India) within its plan to develop biotechnology for the economy, environment, and employment. Other bodies within the Government of India have supported the category by providing public research grants, establishing new regulatory frameworks, promoting exports, and incentivising product commercialization.

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Despite these efforts, a protein transition in low and middle-income countries will not be as swift or straightforward as in the richer, more import-reliant countries. Moreover, the livestock sector plays a discernible role in low and middle-income countries to provide food and an economic livelihood to millions. At the same time, these countries and their most vulnerable populations face the largest climate change risk. For example, India endures substantial pressure on its natural resources, coupled with the largest growing population, human displacement, and a large projected number of Indians living in resource scarcity.

Reaching a universal agreement on driving a path toward a protein transition will be complex – but can be developed through short, medium, and long-term strategies. Several of these strategies could benefit from discussions on platforms such as COP28. Numerous organizations, pavilions, and sessions across the Blue Zone will dedicatedly discuss efficient mechanisms toward a protein transformation. Increasing public investments in alternative protein research and providing incentives to promote crop diversification in agricultural countries could be a major first step. The multilateral nature of the conference can bolster knowledge sharing and tech-transfers from richer countries that have successfully unlocked bottlenecks in supplying alternative protein at affordable prices and help curate financing models for the alternative protein value chains in low and middle-income countries.

Catalytic change is possible when leaders of the world, civil society organizations, climate researchers, nutrition experts, and policy-makers unite at forums such as COP to chart a resilient and sustainable path forward to achieve global food security and resilience. It is imperative that countries like India take further cognizance of this global dialogue on smart protein, and set dedicated national commitments that are reasonably achievable by 2030.