The largest protein markets in Asia need to massively scale up their adoption of novel meat substitutes in the coming decades to meet the region’s climate goals, according to a study by Asia Research and Engagement (ARE).
China, the world’s top food consumer, needs alternative proteins to comprise 50 per cent of its protein intake by 2060 to have a credible trajectory towards eliminating food emissions. The figure rises to at least 85 per cent for fast-growing India and Pakistan, though traditional plant protein could play a bigger role in these countries.
The report adds to calls for businesses and governments to help replace traditional meat products with new plant, microbe and cell-based alternatives, which have lower carbon emissions but are not widely consumed. Livestock accounts for about half of global food emissions, and a sixth of total manmade greenhouse gases.
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Recent studies have shown that alternative proteins have significantly lower climate change impacts than conventional meat, with the additional energy expenditure from producing food in specialised factories far compensated for by the smaller land and raw material footprint.
China’s latest “Five-Year Plan”, the country’s top directive for national development up until 2025, for the first time called for research into lab-grown meat and plant-based foodstuffs. Globally, plant-based proteins have gained some momentum, but only Singapore and the United States have approved lab-grown meat products for sale.
