Reimagining meat

Animal agriculture causes 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions – equivalent to all the planes, trucks, cars, trains and ships on Earth.

Research by Oxford University shows that the world cannot meet its climate targets without shifting away from conventional animal agriculture.

Moving to alternative protein sources could reduce climate emissions by up to 92% compared with farming animals – enabling people to eat familiar foods they already enjoy and want without accelerating the climate crisis.

It may also help with biodiversity loss. The rate of removal of open landscapes in Israel remains high each year due to civil development and there is an increase in the frequency of fires – and it is expected to worsen due to the effects of climate change.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 37% of global ice-free land is used as pasture for farming animals. Cultivated meat production could use up to 90% less land than farming animals, and plant-based meat can use up to 99% less land. These alternative proteins can free up space to restore habitats, and to use more nature-friendly methods of farming.

Aquatic life is also significantly affected. The Mediterranean is one of the hotspots of biodiversity on the planet, but fishing and other issues threaten marine habitats, and there is an accelerated loss of biodiversity, likely irreversible in some cases. Plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived seafood avoid marine pollution and help populations recover from overfishing.

Using animals for food is a key driver of pandemics, including Covid-19. The increased demand for animal protein and unsustainable livestock farming are among the top anthropogenic drivers of emerging zoonotic diseases—viruses that jump from animal hosts to humans and are capable of spreading globally.

Raising animals for food also requires massive doses of antibiotics, which is leading to antimicrobial resistance that could spell the end of modern medicine. By 2050, it is estimated that these superbugs could kill 10 million people each year and cost the global economy US$100-210 trillion.

Additionally, a plant-based diet that is high in fiber and low in saturated fats can substantially reduce the risk of developing heart disease. In August 2020, researchers found that in comparison to animal-based meat, consuming plant-based meat products led to statistically significant positive impacts on cholesterol, weight, and heart disease markers among the study’s participants.

Alternative proteins, specifically plant-based and cultivated meat, can help prevent future pandemics as they are free of antibiotics and fecal contamination and involve no risk of zoonotic diseases. While more research and innovation are needed to continue improving nutritional profiles and human health benefits, alternative proteins provide an opportunity to bring a healthy change in how we produce what we eat.

Feeding crops to animals and then eating a part of the animal is exceedingly inefficient, driving up the price of grains and legumes and entrenching global poverty. According to the World Resources Institute, it takes nine calories of feed to produce one calorie of chicken meat.

By 2050, the world will have to feed a population of nearly 10 billion people, and we can’t do it with a system as inefficient as animal agriculture.

By making meat directly from plants and cultivating it directly from cells, we can focus on growing crops to feed people instead of animals, creating a more efficient and just food system.