When consumers are faced with ways to reduce their impact on the planet, gracious sacrifice is often expected. Drive less; take the train. Remember to bring your own silverware and straw! Do you really need to keep the house at a comfortable 68 degrees all the time?
We all know that energy production and transportation are large contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, and try to do what we can in our personal lives. At a more macro level, both private and public investments have poured in to fund much-needed solutions in these areas. But, did you know that raising livestock for food contributes more to global greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector?
That is in fact very much the case. Yet private investment in alternative protein (plant-based meat, eggs, and dairy, and cultivated, or cell-based, meat) are a small fraction of the investments chasing electric vehicles, and minuscule compared to the dollars allocated to renewable energy. The most alarming aspect? The world simply cannot get to net-zero emissions without addressing our food system.
Luckily, there is good news. A protein transition has the potential to deliver 14 to 20 percent of the emissions mitigation the world needs to meet the Paris Agreement. And, without asking consumers to sacrifice. With alternative proteins, we can make the meat, eggs, and dairy that people love to eat directly from plants, with fermentation technology, or using animal cell culture.
For anyone who has tried an Impossible or Beyond burger, you know that I am not talking about the veggie burgers of our youth. Companies leading the way in plant-based meat are producing plant-based burgers, sausages, and more that look, taste, and cook like conventional meat.
Intrigued? Founder and Executive Director of The Good Food Institute, Bruce Friedrich, can fill you in further on this transformational trend. Bruce is a TED Fellow, Y Combinator alum, and popular speaker on food innovation. His 2019 TED talk has been viewed over two million times and translated into dozens of languages. Join us to learn why alternative proteins must be a part of any portfolio serious about environmental and social good.
