World: UN backs dairy, meat alternatives to help curb climate change

This is a key finding of a new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) assessment of such new alternatives to animal agriculture, a sector accounting for up to a fifth of planet-warming emissions, with meat consumption slated to grow by 50% by 2050. What’s cooking? An assessment of the potential impact of select novel alternatives to conventional animal products​ focuses on three types of alternatives: novel plant-based meats, cultivated meat from animal cells, and protein-rich products derived through rapid fermentation by microorganisms. It is part of UNEP’s Frontiers series, which identifies and draws attention to emerging issues of environmental concern. The report, produced with the support of the government of Belgium, finds that these alternatives not only show significant potential for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but they can also contribute to reductions in land degradation and deforestation, water and soil pollution and loss of biodiversity, as well as to reducing ...