A paper by the (TIA) highlights innovative strategies that could help countries around the world meet growing protein demands while reducing environmental impacts.
As global populations and economies expand, the demand for protein-rich foods like meat is skyrocketing, leading to significant economic and environmental challenges.
Without effective solutions, this escalating need for protein threatens to exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions, strain natural resources and increase the environmental burden on protein-exporting nations.
Researchers from TIA publishing in the journal , have proposed a range of holistic food system innovations (HFIs) to address this looming global protein gap. These include adoption of advanced crop and livestock breeding technologies, optimised land use, and measures to reduce food waste.
TIA Associate Professor Matthew Harrison is the lead author and said HFIs can significantly reduce protein shortages worldwide while delivering broad environmental benefits.
“This research shows that by integrating advanced technologies and optimising land use, we can make substantial progress towards sustainability,” Dr Harrison said.
“These strategies aim to balance environmental, economic, and practical factors within food production systems.”
By considering the complex interactions within these systems, the proposed innovations could reduce global protein gaps – the difference between dietary protein needs and protein supply – by 78 per cent by 2050.
Additionally, implementing these solutions would lead to substantial environmental benefits, including up to an 85 per cent reduction in negative impacts from imported protein, a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by up to 27 per cent, and a significant drop in harmful ammonia emissions by up to 81 per cent.
Without these innovations, the global protein shortage is expected to grow, leading to increased reliance on imported meat and protein-rich grains.
“This dependency would drive up greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pressures on countries that export these products,” Dr Harrison said.
“Additionally, as some developed countries reduce their livestock exports, global competition for these products is likely to intensify which drives up market prices.”
Successful implementation of HFIs would not only benefit individual countries but also reduce environmental burdens on exporting nations like Brazil and Australia.
This interconnectedness shows how improvements in one country’s food systems can have positive ripple effects worldwide.
Dr Harrison adds, “The benefits of these innovations extend beyond national borders. By reducing the need for imported protein, we also alleviate environmental pressures on exporting nations. This is a global issue that requires global solutions.”
