"Time to act is now" says alternative protein industry following UN climate report

CommentaryPlant-Based FoodTechAlternative protein

Stakeholders in alternative proteins have called on governments and investors to invest more in the sector following the publication of the UN's climate report which painted a harrowing picture of what human activity is doing to the planet.

Stakeholders in alternative proteins have urged governments and investors to ratchet up investment in the sector following the publication of the UN’s landmark climate report saying the “time to act is now”.

The world’s biggest report into climate change last week warned of heatwaves, flooding and droughts and an important temperature limit being broken in just over 10 years time.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) painted a pessimistic picture of the detrimental impact that humans were having on the planet.

Scientists said the unless immediate, large scale cuts to greenhouse gas pollution were undertaken,  the target set by countries in the Paris climate treaty of limiting warming to 1.5C will fail to be met.

The report "is a code red for humanity", said the UN chief.

Russ Tucker, co-founder and CTO of Ivy Farm, the cultured meat startup, said the report highlighted the “critical”  importance of overhauling the food supply chain.

Tucker said: “We now need dramatic change in how we produce meat. Incremental change is not enough. 

“Backing alternatives and new technologies such as cultured, or lab grown meat will enable the industry to innovate to meet current demands and reduce the burden on the planet,” he said.

“Cultured meat can potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions from beef by up to 92 per cent. We urge the government to back cultured meat to drastically decarbonise our food supply chains.”

Tai Lin, managing partner, Proterra Asia, the Asian arm of the global food and agribusiness private equity fund manager Proterra Investment Partners, said for the past 20 years food had been “neglected” by investors who have focused primarily on the energy and transport sectors.

Lin said: “However, food is now rightly moving to the centre of the climate discussion."

He has now called on institutional investment to be ramped up into producing more sustainable foods.

Lin added: “Allocating institutional money that’s professionally managed into the food sector is the first important step because that money will go into improving emissions intensity and is the largest needle mover.

“If money goes into operations that are better managed and these food operators can produce more food using less land, produce protein with higher feed conversion ratios, manage logistics chains that cause less food wastage, and finally, promulgate alternative and newer food consumption patterns, such as plant-based or clean meat substitutes, that is the optimal way to improve the GHG-per-food unit ratio."

Rob Appleby, co-founder of the Cibus Fund, which invests in sustainably run food and agriculture firms, said his biggest takeaway from the report is that it centred on energy and carbon use with less attention given to the food supply chain.

He said the report has brought to light important considerations across the food and agriculture sectors.

Firstly, he said a “do no harm” approach should be adopted.

“Traditional farming has evolved to ensure food security through producing the highest yields with fewest resources and lowest cost," he said.

“But, looking forward, any model that doesn’t have ‘fewer emissions’ at its heart will likely be regulated to extinction, if the impacts of climate change don’t get there first.”

He also pointed out that technology disruption would help offset some of the harms being done to the planet.

“We are starting to see wholesale changes that will render traditional agriculture obsolete. Take for example, the beef industry.

“Giant leaps in the world of synthetic biology have enabled beef-production with less land, less water and fewer fossil fuel-based inputs, all whilst producing a clean, complex protein.

“The moment this technology becomes price competitive to traditional beef supply, the disruption will be unstoppable.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stakeholders in alternative proteins have called on the government and investors to ratchet up investment in the sector following the publication of the UN’s landmark climate report saying the “time to act is now”.

The world’s biggest report into climate change last week warned of heatwaves, flooding and drought and an important temperature limit being broken in just over 10 years time.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) painted a pessimistic picture of the detrimental impact that humans were having on the planet.

 

Scientists said the unless immediate, large scale cuts  to greenhouse gas pollution,  the target set by countries in the Paris climate treaty  of limiting warming to 1.5C will be beyond reach

 

The report "is a code red for humanity", said the UN chief.

 

Russ Tucker, Co-Founder and CTO of Ivy Farm, the cultured meat startup, said the report highlighted the “critical”  importance of overhauling the food supply chain.

 

Tucker said: “We now need dramatic change in how we produce meat. Incremental change is not enough. 

 

“Backing alternatives and new technologies such as cultured, or lab grown” meat will enable the industry to innovate to meet current demands and reduce the burden on the planet,” he said.

 

“ Cultured meat can potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions from beef by up to 92 per cent. We urge the government to back cultured meat to drastically decarbonise our food supply chains.”

 

Tai Lin, managing partner, Proterra Asia, said for the past 20 years food had been “neglected” by investors who have focused primarily on the energy and transport sectors.

 

Line said: “However, food is now rightly moving to the centre of the climate discussion.

 

“Emissions from the entire food supply chain will increase dramatically as large populations, for example across Asia, continue to grow and their purchasing power increases meaning the increased consumption of meat and other foods which have a large carbon footprint.”

 

He has now called on institional investment into the production of more sustainable foods.

 

Lin added: “Allocating institutional money that’s professionally managed into the food sector is the first important step because that money will go into improving emissions intensity and is the largest needle mover.

 

“If money goes into operations that are better managed and these food operators can produce more food using less land, produce protein with higher feed conversion ratios, manage logistics chains that cause less food wastage.

 

“And finally, promulgate alternative and newer food consumption patterns, such as plant based or clean meat substitutes, that is the optimal way to improve the GHG-per-food unit ratio.

 

“Allocating to the Asian food sector is particularly important because unlike in many more developed western countries, there are still numerous low hanging fruit initiatives, especially when it comes to ESG, as Asia is starting from a lower base on that front.”

 

Rob Appleby, coco-founder of the Cibus Fund, which invests in sustainably run food and agriculture firms said his biggest takeaway from the report it that it centred on energy and carbon use with less attention given to the food supply chain.

 

He said the report has bought to light important considerations across the food and agriculture sectors.

 

Firstly, he said a “do no harm” approach should be adopted.

 

 

“Traditional farming has evolved to ensure food security through producing the highest yields with fewest resources and lowest cost, “he said.

 

“But, looking forward, any model that doesn’t have ‘fewer emissions’ at its heart will likely be regulated to extinction, if the impacts of climate change don’t get there first.”

 

He also pointed out that technology disruption would help offset some of the harms being done to the planet.

 

“We are starting to see wholesale changes that will render traditional agriculture obsolete. Take for example, the beef industry

 

“Giant leaps in the world of synthetic biology have enabled beef-production with less land, less water and fewer fossil fuel-based inputs, all whilst producing a clean, complex protein.

 

“The moment this technology becomes price competitive to traditional beef supply, the disruption will be unstoppable.”