About
Why Alt. Proteins?
INNOVATION & GROWTH:
Exponentially growing human population.
World Population for year 2050 projected at 9.7 BILLION by Our World in Data. In order to solve this math problem, we need innovative, effective ways to produce animal protein.
ENVIRONMENTAL:
Strain on resources & climate change.
Producing animal products without the animal drastically reduces the resource input (e.g. land, energy, and water) needed to grow and process animals. The environmental impact (e.g. resource consumption, GHG emissions, pollution, biodiversity loss) of producing alt. proteins is also significantly lower compared to animal-based proteins.
ETHICS:
Limitations to livestock & animal cruelty.
The industrialization of conventional animal agriculture relies on growing to an efficient scale by concentrating livestock in a limited area, growing and excess concentrations of manure-based nutrients can lead to increased air and water pollution
SAFETY, HEALTH, FOOD SECURITY:
Antibiotic resistance, Disease, Pollution
Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly dangerous public health threat. In conventional, industrial animal agriculture, animals are fed antibiotics or hormones and livestock feed grown with pesticides -- posing health risks to consumers who eat them. Zoonotic diseases are also a very real threat considering the oftentimes tight and unsanitary conditions of industrial farms and meat processing.
The Three Pillars
Plant-Based
is made from plant-based proteins such as soy, mung bean, pea, and many more! Texturing processes such as extrusion produce fibrous meat analogues. Shear cells can be used to align plant proteins into fibers to produce meaty textures! Additionally, 3D printing can offer structured shapes.
Fermentation-Derived
Using three primary methods: (1) Traditional fermentation to produce a unique flavor and nutritional profiles and modified texture, (2) Biomass fermentation to quickly produce large quantities of protein using microorganisms, (3) Precision fermentation to use microbial hosts as “cell factories” for producing specific functional ingredients.
Common fermented foods: kimchi, pickles, kefir, kombucha, tempeh, miso
Cultivated or Cell-Based
Genuine animal meat (including seafood and organ meats) that is produced by cultivating animal cells directly. Cultivated meat is made of the same cell types that can be arranged in the same or similar structure as animal tissues, thus replicating the sensory and nutritional profiles of conventional meat.
How can we accelerate the transition toward alternative proteins?
Building a robust innovation ecosystem🌟
supported by investments in open-access R&D to reduce costs and improve product desirability
Ensuring a clear path to regulatory approval✅
to reduce market barriers to entry and incentivize market uptake.
Investing in supply chain & manufacturing infrastructure🚢
to alleviate production bottlenecks, accelerate scale-up, and aggressively drive down costs.