Meat or no meat. That’s the question!

In recent years, the international debate on sustainable diets has grown and we are increasingly witnessing a sort of ideological struggle against meat. It seems that a divide has been created between those who protect tradition and those who push for innovation.

But are we sure that arming this struggle is the right solution? Are we sure that innovation should be seen as a threat to tradition? Or does innovation represent the means for tradition to survive, renewed? And, in the case of meat, what are the innovations and why is it important to know them and look at them in perspective as alternatives instead of as threats to the pillars of our tradition?

Let’s start with the data and the scenario with which we are confronted. There are over seven billion inhabitants on this planet. Two billion people suffer from hunger and lack of micronutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin A, and iodine. At the same time, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the United Nations, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007) has certified that the livestock sector accounts for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions, the use of one third of cultivated land and the consumption of 23% of fresh water available on Earth, resulting in an average water footprint per calorie for beef twenty times higher than that of cereals and starchy roots.

In analyzing meat consumption we can draw on three other references: first, the Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid, recognized globally as one of the most balanced lifestyles, in harmony with the Sustainable Development Goals, for the health of humans and the Planet. Meat is present at the top of this pyramid, as a food for which it is recommended a consumption of less than 2 portions per week. Meat is not therefore banned, but correctly inserted among those foods which it is preferable not to consume on a daily basis.

Secondly we can refer to Lancet, the authoritative medical journal that recommends reducing the consumption of red meat by more than 50%, without asking for its elimination from one’s diet, stressing that a daily intake of red meat increases three times the possibility of developing heart disease.

Thirdly, the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) suggests a healthy consumption of 500 grams of meat per week. Here in Italy, it is calculated that more than twice that amount is consumed. And this doesn’t account for imports from countries that do not necessarily meet quality and environmental standards.

So what awaits us in the future, if we continue to perpetuate the current scenario?

In 2050 the world population will likely reach nearly 10 billion people, which means that — if we continue with the current consumption of meat — we will reach 76% more consumption with corresponding detrimental environmental impacts.

“A reduction in meat consumption is the most powerful single act that you can take to halt the destruction of our environment and preserve our natural resources.” —John Robbins, Author of Diet for a New America

Are there alternatives? Sure.

On the one hand, innovation is leading to the proliferation of technological solutions capable of making agriculture more sustainable and livestock breeding more efficient in terms of animal care and welfare. At the same time, the market for alternative proteins which, in light of the data projections and impacts we have examined, may represent an option alongside the more responsible consumption of meat.

Guaranteeing the protein needs of the world’s ever-growing population, even in areas unfavorable to agriculture and livestock breeding, is certainly a great challenge. New foods may in fact include protein alternatives such as plant-based solutions, microbial proteins, forgotten ingredients, insects, and even proteins derived from basement agriculture or nanotechnology.

There are already meat alternatives on the market made from plant-based proteins such as peas and soybeans or from animal muscle molecules grown in the lab. One comes from the garden, then, and the other from test tubes. Lab-grown meat contains omega 3 and 6 to lower cholesterol and promote greater cardiovascular well-being. According to its inventor, Mark Post, one ton of cultured meat requires about 376 times fewer hectares of land than it takes to graze animals, and 10% of the water used for consumption. There is also a third alternative: Air Protein has announced that it has succeeded in developing a new technology that makes it possible to produce meat from air, or rather from the carbon dioxide it contains.

All of this however does not mean that we should totally abolish meat consumption. So how should we deal with these innovations?

Eliminating livestock farming altogether would entail risks for biodiversity that we cannot afford: in fact, domestic breeds destined for breeding would disappear in a short time and, without human care, could not live “in nature.” Traditions and knowledge related to animal breeding and production would be lost. A centuries-old culture and a gastronomic heritage of transformations and recipes handed down from generation to generation would disappear, already at risk due to the homogenization of taste and standardization of eating habits all over the world.

“As a population, if a large number of people make even small moves to eat less meat and more plant based foods, the livestock industry will shrink. Over time, farmers will find other crops to support their livelihoods. Through such collective awakening we can make a difference in our world.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

We can therefore conclude that decreasing meat consumption, maybe in favor of alternatives, does not mean to eliminate it completely. It is essential to choose better quality meat, from sustainable farms where well-treated animals are a resource for the environment and not a negative externality, as happens in intensive systems. It is essential to look for pasture-based farms, with small numbers of animals, belonging to local breeds, well adapted to the territory. It is also necessary to cultivate a greater variety of species, cooking and consuming all cuts of the animals. The most significant conclusion remains the one related to the ideological struggles to which I referred at the beginning. It is not necessary to be “for” or “against’’ meat. Food is life, nourishment, it is a vehicle of values, culture, symbols, and identity, food is sociality. Eating is an essential act for human life, but it requires consciousness and awareness to be in harmony with the planet.

“I love eating meat, but I love our planet even more. So I will join this campaign and stop eating meat at least one day per week.” —Richard Branson

It is essential to put values at the center, to respect identity and biodiversity, to analyze data and listen to science in order to understand what are the future challenges related to the sustainable nutrition of a growing world population and to make responsible and conscious consumption choices. We are confident that innovation is the most viable way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, while also ensuring a long life to traditions.

“The hardest part of returning to a truly healthy environment may be changing the current, totally unsustainable heavy meat eating culture of increasing numbers of people around the world. But we must try. We must make a start, one by one.” — Jane Goodall

The Future Food Institute believes climate change is at the end of your fork. By harnessing the power of our global ecosystem of partners, innovators, researchers, educators, and entrepreneurs, FFI aims to sustainably improve life on Earth through the transformation of global food systems.

We advocate and initiate positive change initiatives in Food Waste & Circular Systems, Cities of The Future, Water Safety & Security, Climate, Earth Regeneration, Mediterranean Foodscape, Nutrition for All, and Humana Communitas, all tied in with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Learn more at www.futurefoodinsitute.org, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

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