Producing a greener and kinder future

A number of reports have been released recently on food production, the latest report titled ‘The Evolution Of Plant Protein’ is a collaboration between The Ministry for Primary Industries and Plant & Food Research that compares animal protein to plant-based protein.

The innovative report details the limits animal protein production is facing now and into the future, it’s not surprising that social impact attributes such as animal ethics are a big factor for consumers with nearly a quarter of us basing our food choices around these. Environmental concerns were also highlighted as the world population is set to reach a whopping 9.7 billion by the year 2050 which means environmental protection has never been so important! Agriculture uses 70% of the worlds drinkable water as well as contributing to the pollution of it, it is urgent we choose planet and animal friendly food production techniques.

The Impossible Burger was a great example used in the report that shows just how much better for animals, the planet and our health plant-based proteins can be. The comparison shows water and land usage is dramatically lower, the amount of protein is similar and iron is much higher in the Impossible Burger vs a conventional meat patty. This is set to smash any stereotype about plant-based foods out the window especially given the taste of the Impossible Burger has been sometimes indistinguishable from an animal-based burger, so much so it even bleeds which has been made possible with plant heme.

With incredible plant-based initiatives such as Beyond Meats and New Zealand based Sunfed Chicken-Free Chicken it’s easy to understand why these kinds of business are receiving more and more funding to expand and create more ethical plant protein options for the growing population.

There have been a number of plant-protein reports produced within the last few months which indicates the growing trend of vegan foods both in New Zealand and around the world. Infact, Beef & Lamb New Zealand have invested in research in this area and have produced a report of their own that highlights the trend in plant-proteins and the possible impacts it could have on the red meat sector.

Clean meats AKA cultured meat which is meat grown from the cell of an animal is getting closer to launching each day which could see a huge positive change for animals. Although there are still some elements being worked through, clean meats could see the complete turnaround of animal agribusinesses as these products will be next to identical to existing animal products but without the cruelty or land and water usage. This would also minimise any ethical concerns consumers may have when making their food buying decisions.

There are exciting times ahead with a new headline on innovative plant-based foods hitting the market almost every week. Just this week KFC announced they will be experimenting with a plant-based chicken option in the UK later this year. It is encouraging to see large businesses following market trends and catering to compassionate consumers.

To view the report please visit The Ministry For Primary Industries Website.