Replacing one-fifth of beef with fungus-based meat substitutes could cut deforestation in half by 2050, according to a study.
Meat from “ruminants” such as cattle contributes to climate change, as forests that store carbon are cleared for pasture or crops that make up animal feed, and livestock also produce methane emissions.
In addition to ditching meat in favor of more vegetables to reduce the food’s climate impact, alternatives include plant-based foods such as soy burgers, cultured meat or animal cells grown in petri dishes, and sources from microbes such as fungi protein produced in. The fermentation process uses sugar.
protein
Scientists say this microbial meat substitute — which people already buy in stores — is a protein-rich food that tastes and feels like red meat, and is nutrient-dense.
Research from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) modeled the future environmental impacts of replacing ruminant meat with microbial protein, taking into account food demand and diet, population growth and land use.
As human populations grow and meat consumption increases, more and more forests and other natural vegetation can be cleared for grazing and farmland.
But projections published in the journal Nature suggest that by 2050, replacing 20 percent of ruminant meat consumption per person with microbial protein could halt the increase in pasture area needed for livestock grazing.
While the demand for sugarcane as a raw material for protein fermentation has increased, the demand for animal feed crops has decreased.
Green vegetables
The study estimates that the shift will reduce annual deforestation and associated carbon dioxide emissions by 56 percent compared to business-as-usual trends.
It will also reduce emissions of other greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide in fertilizers or manure.
“The food system is the source of one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, with ruminant meat production being the largest single source,” said PIK researcher Florian Humpenoder, lead author of the study.
Swapping beef for microbial protein in the future could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the food system, he said.
“The good news is that people don’t have to worry that they will only be able to eat vegetables in the future. They can continue to eat burgers and stuff like that, it’s just that those burger patties will be made differently.”
Embrace
As a substitute for beef, further increases in microbial protein could further reduce deforestation and emissions, but relatively less significantly.
There are also concerns about shifting “meat” production from livestock to heated fermenters, which require energy for the process.
Co-author Alexander Pope, Head of PIK’s Land Use Management Group, said: “The large-scale transition to biotech food requires large-scale decarbonisation of electricity generation in order to realize the full potential of climate protection.
“However, if we do it right, microbial protein can help meat lovers embrace this change. It can really make a difference.”
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Emily Beament is the PA Environmental Correspondent.
