Meat protein alternatives: Opportunities and challenges for food systems’ transformation

Clara Frezal, Claude Nenert and Hubertus Gay

No 182, OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers from OECD Publishing

Abstract: Meat alternatives are attracting private investment and interest from the research community as possible solutions to meet the growing global demand for proteins in a sustainable, ethical, and healthy way. Using a food systems lens, this report investigates the opportunities and challenges associated with three meat alternatives: plant-based, insects and cultured meat. The analysis is based primarily on a literature review, which is complemented by an illustrative scenario using the OECD-FAO Aglink-Cosimo model. Results from the scenario analysis suggest that a shift from meat to meat alternatives in high and upper middle-income countries could result in a decline in global agricultural land use and GHG emissions from the agriculture, forestry, and other land use sector. Lower demand for meats in these countries would also lead to a decrease in international prices for meats, soybean and cereals, which would benefit consumers but place pressure on farmer incomes.

Keywords: Cultured meat; Economic scenario; Insects; Plant-based (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L66 O13 Q19 Q55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022-09-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-env
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oec:agraaa:182-en

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