Innovations in alternative proteins have the potential to contribute to climate mitigation, relieve food insecurity, and help address malnutrition. The livestock sector is a key driver of climate change, accounting for two-thirds of annual greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, with meat products typically the most emissions-intensive (FAO, 2023; Ritchie et al., 2022). While reducing emissions intensity in livestock production is part of the solution, alternative proteins could help by providing lower-emissions substitutes for conventional meat.

Climate change also threatens agricultural productivity and food security. Crop yields in Africa have stagnated over the last 60 years (Suri et al., 2022; Ritchie, 2022; Tian et al., 2019), and climate change is expected to further reduce global crop yields for key crops even after accounting for adaptation (Hultgren et al., 2022). Because animal protein production depends heavily on cereal inputs, fluctuations in cereal prices can translate into higher protein prices; globally, roughly one-third of the world’s cereal production is used for animal feed (Our World in Data, 2023; FAO, 2023). Approximately one billion people—mainly in low- and middle-income countries—have inadequate protein intake, and insufficient protein intake among children is associated with stunting (Wu et al., 2014; Jamison, 2003; Manary, 2013). Alternative proteins could help provide more climate-resilient and affordable sources of protein.

Alternative proteins include plant-based foods such as legumes and tofu, novel plant-based foods designed to mimic conventional meat, biomass fermentation using microorganisms to produce protein-rich foods, precision fermentation to produce functional ingredients, and cultivated meat grown from animal cells (GFI, 2023). In low- and middle-income countries, plant-based foods could be adapted to local diets in the near term, while biomass fermentation could generate high-quality proteins at scale by converting agricultural side streams into food-grade proteins in bioreactors (GFI, 2023). Cultivated meat remains at an early stage and its economic viability at scale remains debated (Humbird, 2022; Vergeer et al., 2021).

Existing evidence suggests that alternative proteins generally have lower carbon emissions than most animal-based proteins. Life-cycle assessments indicate that plant-based burgers generate substantially fewer emissions than beef, and fermented meat substitutes have lower emissions intensity than typical animal products (Carbon Trust, 2022; Ritchie et al., 2022; Heller et al., 2018). Public and philanthropic funding could accelerate innovation in alternative proteins and support the development of low-cost protein sources adapted to low- and middle-income contexts (GFI, 2022; U.S. EPA, 2022).