29/01/2025
Veganuary is a 31-day challenge that encourages people to try eating vegan during the month of January. But many consumers are already trying to reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products throughout the year.
It is estimated that the global population will approach 10 billion people by the year 2050, with global demand for animal-based protein sources in our diets, like meat, fish, milk and eggs, expected to double by then.1
Livestock agriculture uses significant water and land resources, resulting in problems such as deforestation, soil erosion and loss of biodiversity. While at least three-quarters of the earth’s agricultural land is used to care for livestock, recent studies indicate that meat and dairy sources account for only 18% of the calories consumed and 37% of the protein consumed worldwide.2 Since up to 97% of the calories that livestock consume do not produce edible meat, this raises substantial questions regarding whether land used for grazing might instead be better used for farming to feed people directly.3 Moreover, by some estimates livestock account for up to 15% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, and are a major contributor to climate change.1
There are also concerns around animal welfare, bacterial strains acquiring resistance to the antibiotics used in farming, foodborne pathogens entering the food supply, and the dangers posed by zoonotic diseases to the human population, both as we keep more animals and as we encroach on wild habitats with our land usage. Given the negative externalities associated with animal-based protein sources, a key part of building a more sustainable future is to work to reduce our reliance on them. One way is by exploring alternative means to meet the protein needs of our growing population.
Alternative proteins include proteins that are designed to provide alternatives to animal-based proteins – they can be made from plants, algae/seaweed, fungi or insects; cultivated from animal cells; or produced via fermentation.1,4,5 In addition to relying on more traditional plant-based foods, consumers – both those who already follow plant-based diets, as well as those seeking to reduce their consumption of animal products – are seeking such alternatives to animal-based protein sources that do not compromise on taste and texture, and are available at affordable prices. This is driving innovation in the alternative protein sector.
It is also driving investment. In April 2023, the UK government announced that it was investing £12 million in the Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub (CARMA) led by the University of Bath, to aid in research to make cultivated meat at scale.6 At the end of 2023, the UK government committed to a £2 billion investment over the next ten years to fund research in engineering biology, including research into cultivated meat.7 In 2024, the UK government invested £12 million in a Microbial Food Hub led by Imperial College London, with the aim of advancing research and commercialisation of fermentation-based food products.8 The EU, through the European Innovation Council Work Programme 2024, invested €50 million in helping start-ups to scale up production of alternative proteins using methods such as precision fermentation.9 Also in 2024, the UK government invested £15 million in a new National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) to drive research and innovation with aims to commercialise alternative proteins, which is hosted by the University of Leeds and launched in November.10 And last October the UK government announced that it will provide £1.6 million in funding for a regulatory sandbox for the Food Standards Administration (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS). The funds are earmarked to increase these agencies’ knowledge about cell-cultivated products so that they can make informed regulatory decisions about these new foods.11
This blog is the first of a series in which we will focus on innovations in the alternative protein space and the intellectual property landscape in this sector. We’ll take a look at cultivated meat and seafood, animal-free egg, dairy and cheese alternatives, and even protein produced out of thin air!
This article is for general information only. Its content is not a statement of the law on any subject and does not constitute advice. Please contact Reddie & Grose LLP for advice before taking any action in reliance on it.
References
1 WEF_White_Paper_Roadmap_Protein.pdf
2 Science Journals — AAAS; Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers | Science
4 Food and Climate Change: Healthy diets for a healthier planet | United Nations
5 Defining alternative proteins | GFI
6 £12 million cultivated meat investment a ‘seismic’ move for UK – GFI Europe
8 UK Government Invests £12M in Fermentation Hub for Alternative Proteins – Cultivated X
9 EU to invest €50m in supporting precision fermentation start-ups | FoodBev Media
11 Groundbreaking sandbox programme for cell-cultivated products announced | Food Standards Agency
