Many think that consumers in the West eat too much meat, contributing to a host of public health and environmental problems. Such concerns have helped fuel the rise of alternative protein sources in diets. First came high-protein vegan options like tofu and seitan. Then, clever food processors figured out ways to transform soy into sausage, faux chicken, bacon, and other meat-like products that are 100% vegetable material. Finally, we see the lab-grown meat that’s getting a lot of media attention—which is technically still animal protein but generally leaner, possibly healthier, and less taxing on the environment.
We at Grow Further have our own connection to the alternative protein movement. Our board member Kathleen Hefferon founded a biotech company that makes a wide range of faux dairy, meat, and fish products using plant technology. Originally called Forte Protein, Kathleen says the company is now undergoing some changes.
“We are now called PCellBio,” she said. “In addition to molecular farming for animal proteins, we can make other products like coffee, tea, and cocoa in plant cell culture.” Kathleen said her company is motivated to make a difference, working to develop alternative proteins and other innovations to replace products that “have challenges in terms of sustainability and human rights issues.”
That Americans and Europeans consume too much meat is a matter that’s up for debate. A stronger case can be made that some consumers in developing countries are consuming too little protein in their diets. Protein deficiency is a problem not only among subsistence farmers but also among small-scale commercial growers, many of whom cannot afford a high-protein diet.
One approach to addressing this problem is to help smallholder farmers raise animal protein more cheaply and in greater quantities. Another is to find and promote the cultivation of alternative proteins. The idea is that it may be easier to introduce alternative foods boasting higher protein content than expanding animal husbandry and safe meat markets. Food security advocates are now busy narrowing down the best “alternative protein” crop candidates.
First, start with bugs?
One type of alternative protein is edible insects. In some cultures, insects like crickets, locusts, and the larvae of some species of beetles are already regularly eaten. In some cases, these foods are considered delicacies. But farming bugs for food is still a very niche activity. That said, many scientists are endorsing the concept because they know insects can be raised in large numbers cheaply, potentially generating a huge source of protein at low cost and with relatively fewer environmental problems.
“Edible insects offer a more sustainable protein source comparable to, or even better than, that of conventional livestock,” argues one team of researchers in a new study published in the journal Insects. “From a socioeconomic point of view, edible insects have lower production costs compared to conventional animal protein sources because of their high feed efficiency conversion, rapid growth rate, and short life cycles.” Meaning that lots of bugs for food can be raised rapidly and in shorter “seasons” providing markets with a steady supply and alternative protein. The researchers also make the climate case for insect farming—it releases far fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to animal husbandry, which in the case of some animals releases large volumes of methane as well as carbon dioxide.
Boosting protein consumption by enticing smallholder farmers to insect farming may be a good first step, but if it were easy, it would’ve already happened. Food security advocates have already identified a “chicken and egg” problem with promoting edible insects: there needs to be a market to entice farmers to it, but we also need to see a sufficient supply to create that market in the first place. And just as we see in the West, many communities may simply find edible insects of any sort too unappetizing. The researchers behind this latest study hope they can win consumers over by touting the “benefits to the environment and society,” but this could be challenging.
“By integrating lentils into mainstream agriculture and diets, we can enhance food security, support sustainable farming, and provide a cost-effective solution to nutritional deficiencies worldwide.”
Let there be lentils
Nutritional studies are increasingly finding that vegetarians and vegans can be just as strong, fit, and healthy as their meat-consuming counterparts. As NPR reported last month, scientists have discovered that bodybuilders can gain just as much muscle mass consuming only plant-based foods as those who primarily gain their bulk through animal proteins. The trick is to eat enough plant-based proteins. In smallholder farming communities, that means cultivating protein-rich crops that can be cultivated and sold in mass quantities. Some argue that this is already occurring with lentil farming in South Asia and beyond.
Lentils are delicious and nutritious. They form the basis for a lot of fantastic Indian cuisine. This author knows from experience that they are sometimes difficult to prepare, but easier compared to other kinds of legumes. The world should be eating more lentils but doesn’t, as many scientists lament. “Lentil is a highly nutritious yet underutilized crop with significant potential for enhancing global food and nutritional security,” as one team of agricultural researchers from India’s Central Agricultural University recently wrote.
Lentils are packed with protein and fiber. They boast many of the same minerals and essential vitamins found in animal flesh. They also help fix nitrogen in soils just as other legume crops do. A major downside to expanding lentil cultivation may be the fact that they can be thirsty crops, not a good trait for smallholder farmers in semi-arid and arid climates. More innovation may be needed to develop hardier, drought-resistant varieties of lentils before this powerful little legume can become a major animal protein substitute. It’s a solution that should be vigorously pursued, say the scientists. “To unlock their full potential, there is a need for improved varieties,” they said. “By integrating lentils into mainstream agriculture and diets, we can enhance food security, support sustainable farming, and provide a cost-effective solution to nutritional deficiencies worldwide.”
Green slime?
Boosting the cultivation and consumption of edible insects and lentils are great ideas. Now, a team of scientists in China think they have better ones: duckweed and microalgae.
Duckweed is a green aquatic plant that rapidly expands and can take over the surface of still ponds and small lakes. From a distance, a duckweed patch looks like an algae bloom, which is generally considered bad for aquatic ecosystems. Writing in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, Chinese scientists think duckweed gets a bad rap and instead may be the key to growing huge volumes of alternative protein for humans and farm animals. They argue that the usual plant protein sources like soy are great but are woefully lacking in amino acids found in abundance in animal protein. Growing lots of soy can also be bad for the environment. Encouraging consumption of duckweed and some species of microalgae solves these problems, they say.
Certain species of duckweed “are notable for their high protein content and rapid growth rates, making them promising sources of plant protein,” they wrote. They also contain essential amino acids, qualities also found in species of edible algae. “The comprehensive nutritional profiles of these microalgae species position them as viable alternatives for sustainable protein production, suitable for both human and animal diets.”
Edible insects, lentils, and duckweed are just some of the ways smallholder farmers might improve protein production. Grow Further is enthusiastic about reducing protein deficiency and looks forward to receiving creative ideas of how it might be done in future grant rounds.
— Grow Further
Photo credit: A plate showing a few kinds of edible insects. Shutterstock.