corsus researches for a nutritional transition – project launched to assess the sustainability of alternative protein sources and analogues

Ensuring a sustainable diet for 10 billion people in 2050 will hardly be possible without socio-ecological change in the food sector. Biodiversity loss, deforestation, high GHG emissions, land use conflicts and other environmental impacts but also health, social and animal ethics aspects can be traced back to current diets in many cases. Alternative protein sources and analogs, such as legumes, insects, fungi, and many others occupy a key position in this debate. They offer the potential to be an important food base for a growing global earth population, as they are in many cases more beneficial than “conventional” protein sources from a nutritional and sustainability perspective. For a protein transition to be sustainable and not lead to problems in other areas (“burden shifting”), societal and social consequences as well as impacts on animal welfare and the environment need to be carefully determined and weighed during the transition. A comparative overview of different alternative protein sources including exploration of transformation pathways is urgently needed for a sustainable protein transition.

“What is special about this project is that on the one hand we are looking at how likely it is that certain products and raw materials can become established in the long term in the future but also how desirable these developments are for society, health, animal welfare and for the environment,” says Julian Quandt, project leader of the project and senior consultant at corsus. Insects, for example, have many advantages over “conventional” protein sources. They take up very little space, can be fed on food waste, are high in nutrients and low in fat, require comparatively little water to raise and can be 100% utilized. However, the idea of eating insects takes some getting used to for many Europeans, the taste is not to everyone’s liking and insects are completely unsuitable for vegan or vegetarian people. Likewise, animal ethics issues are still unresolved in the rearing of insects. Therefore, many other protein sources and substitutes are included in the project. In addition to legumes, such as peas and lentils also yeasts, mushrooms, nuts, algae, tofu and seitan will be considered, as well as traditional and modern production methods, such as fermentation or cell-based agriculture. The likelihood of protein sources becoming socially established is estimated and compared in terms of their various sustainability impacts. The goal is to create an overview of the variety of alternative protein sources and substitutes that can lead to a reduction in the use of conventional protein sources. “We will publish the results condensed, accessible, easy to understand and freely available in a brochure.” – Julian Quandt said.

The project “Integrated Assessment of the Sustainability of Alternative Protein Sources and Analogues and Transformation Pathways of Two Selected Alternatives” is funded by the German Federal Environment Agency and will run until early 2025. It is supported by a scientific monitoring group, in which interim results are regularly critically evaluated by experts.