Chapter 1 - Sustainable Proteins Production

Abstract

Animal products, that is, meat, milk, and eggs, are important components in global diets, but livestock dominate agricultural land use by area and are a major source of greenhouse gases. Cultural and personal associations with animal product consumption create barriers to moderating consumption and hence reducing environmental impacts. This chapter reviews alternatives to conventional animal products, including cultured and imitation meats and insects (i.e., entomophagy), and explores the potential change in global agricultural land requirements associated with each alternative. The chapter considers and compares the agricultural land area given shifts between conventional animal product consumption or to one of these alternative products. The analysis uses stylized transformative consumption scenarios where half of current conventional animal products are substituted to provide at least equal protein and calories.