While 500 personalities have recently pledged not to eat, every Monday of 2019, either meat or fish, a new report titled Alternative Proteins explains the advantages of replacing meat products with algae, peas or even insects. More so, it emphasizes the impact of meat consumption on human health. Thus, replacing beef with other sources of protein could reduce the number of deaths caused by food worldwide by 2.4%. In rich countries, where consumption of this red meat is high, the percentage of lives saved could even reach 5%.
Carried out by the Oxford Martin School (United Kingdom) for the World Economic Forum (WEF) which was held on January 3, the study analyzed 13 sources of protein: beef, pork and chicken, fruit and vegetables such as beans and peas, processed substitutes (tofu, wheat products) and finally new products such as cultivated meat, insects or algae. In the end, it is beans, mycoproteins or peas that would offer the best results in terms of health. They would reduce mortality by nearly 7%.
A major challenge
This report thus highlights the advantages of replacement proteins, but also details “The magnitude of the challenge of building a more sustainable food system”. The researchers recall that in 2010, beef production alone accounted for 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions caused by food. However, with the increase in the world population, which could reach 10 billion by 2050, the demand for meat will also continue to increase.
In a press release, WEF Director General Dominic Waughray remains optimistic, however: “This report shows that it is possible to produce enough for 10 billion people and improve the health of the population without necessarily giving up meat – even red meat – through new products, improving the way of which we produce beef, pork and chicken, and a consumer effort to adopt a more diverse diet. “ So what are you waiting for to get started on a vegetarian Monday?
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