Suitability of Alternative Protein Foods for Agroecological Approaches to Address Nutrition in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

Agroecology has been proposed as a holistic approach to transform food systems that meet global food requirements with favorable environmental and social impacts. Agroecology relies on science, practices, and social movements that emphasize ecological principles, local knowledge, culture, and traditions to increase the sustainability and equity of the food system. Agroecological practices have demonstrated positive outcomes on food security and nutrition in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Agroecology principles can be applied across the food system and could facilitate the integration of certain alternative protein (AP) foods to address multiple issues. In this perspective, agroecological principles were analyzed to compare the suitability of different AP sources: unprocessed/minimally processed legumes, plant-based meats, edible insects, macroalgae (seaweed), fungal biomass, and cultivated meat. Considerations were identified for the feasibility of AP adoption in LMICs within an agroecological framework to provide nutrient-rich and sustainable diets while addressing other principles such as fairness and economic diversity. From this analysis, legumes, simplified plant-based meat analogs such as texturized plant proteins with minimal additives, edible insects, and macroalgae (location dependent) would make excellent nutritional contributions alongside animal-sourced food within LMICs within an agroecological framework. In contrast, highly processed plant-based meats, fungal biomass, and cultivated meat do not align well with agroecological principles for large-scale human consumption within LMICs. Furthermore, the production facilities to make these foods require robust capital investment and there may be issues related to who owns the intellectual property of these technologies. The NOVA classification system categorizes food based on the degree of processing. Our assessment suggests that foods with lower NOVA classification of unprocessed and minimally processed best fit the agroecological principles related to nutrition, agroecosystem, and societal demands for sustainable food systems.