facilities. Nevertheless, that requires a lot of upfront capital. Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) recognises the value of the bioeconomy and is funding various projects to build an alternative protein ecosystem to future-proof protein supply. One of the projects they fund is Plenitude, a minimal waste, circular process that leverages the power of fungi to manufacture sustainable proteins. It consists of 10 partners across the value chain and aims to produce 1 million tonnes of protein p.a. by 2032. Co-ordinated by Scottish FoodTech ENOUGH, Plenitude has built one of the largest biorefineries producing mycoprotein called Abunda in Sas van Gent, the Netherlands, by co-locating with a Cargill facility. Price for many brands of plant and fungi proteins has not been on a level playing field with animal protein as the livestock industry is heavily subsidised by governments. Worse still, alternative protein companies face unfavourable laws and regulations which stall consumer uptake. For example, although the European Parliament has rejected proposals to ban the use of ‘veggie burgers’ or ‘veggie sausages’, non- dairy products cannot be named as their dairy counterparts. To champion being on a more equal footing with animal protein, many alternative protein companies have formed unions, including the Plant-based Food Alliance UK, Alternative Proteins Association, European Plant-based Foods Association and the newly created Fungi Proteins Association. These groups aim to represent the member companies to have a collective voice in public policy and raise public awareness of the benefits of alternative proteins through consumer education and publicity.
In the face of the climate crisis, a collective shift towards a sustainable diet with the use of alternative proteins is a force to be reckoned with. Researchers have urged the UK government to procure plant proteins as one of the three ‘super leverage points’ as an intervention to decarbonise the food system and mitigate land degradation. As simple as it may appear, we can in fact mitigate the climate emergency, one meal at a time. Further reading Derbyshire E, Ayoob KT. Mycoprotein: nutritional and health properties. Nutrition Today 54:7–15. FAO. Key facts and findings. https://www.fao.org/news/story/en/ item/197623/icode (accessed 25 January 2023). Good Food Institute. Fermentation: meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy 2021 State of the Industry Report; 2022. https://gfi.org/wp-content/ uploads/2022/04/2021-Fermentation-State-of-the-Industry-Report.pdf (accessed 25 January 2023). New Scientist. Serve vegan burgers in schools to trigger shift from meat, says report; 2023. www.newscientist.com/article/2355616-serve-vegan- burgers-in-schools-to-trigger-shift-from-meat-says-report (accessed 25 January 2023). Sustainability by Numbers. Are meat substitutes really better for the environment than meat?; 2022. https://hannahritchie.substack.com/p/ carbon-footprint-meat-substitutes (accessed 25 January 2023). The Guardian. Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth; 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/ may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your- impact-on-earth (accessed 25 January 2023). UN News. Food systems account for over one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions; 2021. https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1086822 (accessed 25 January 2023). Biography Committed to inducing positive societal change for the planet, people and animals, Angel Li has 7 years of solid experience managing an EU-funded sustainable protein project and corporate as well as community initiatives to shift the public towards a plant-based diet. A GRI certified sustainability professional with a master’s degree in Sustainable Development, she strives to influence food policy and collaborate with various partners to transform the food system.
Angel Li Plenitude Project Manager & Policy ENOUGH, Suite 4.1,
135 Buchanan Street, Glasgow G1 2JA, UK
angel.li@enough-food.com angelky71
37 Microbiology Today May 2023 | microbiologysociety.org
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker