Food awareness organization, ProVeg International, heralded the UK Government’s commitment of £15m in investment for the establishment of a new center for alternative proteins at Leeds University as a “significant step forward” in the shift to more climate-friendly food.
Jasmijn de Boo, Global CEO of ProVeg International, said: “This is a significant step forward by the UK Government which will allow the UK to compete in a rapidly growing market for alternative proteins. The global market for plant-based foods alone is estimated to treble in value by 2033 to $35billion and the UK must position itself to make the most of that growth.
“However, the current level of investment by the UK and other countries pales in comparison to the amount invested in the animal agriculture sector. A Stanford survey found that between 2014 and 2020, public funding for novel technologies was smaller than that for animal products by factors of 1,200 in the EU and 800 in the US. We need a much greater shift in funding to ensure that climate-friendly food gets anywhere near the levels of funding that intensive livestock farming receives.
“The EU-funded Smart Protein Project has already established that 51% of Europeans are reducing their meat consumption. A separate survey carried out last month discovered that 27% of people who describe themselves as “omnivores” eat meat less than three times per month. So we really need this type of investment to deliver the food products that current and future generations want to eat
“Aside from this, the promotion of alternative proteins, such as plant-based food and cultivated meat, is vital to help tackle the climate crisis. Animal agriculture is responsible for up to 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, as well as large scale deforestation and biodiversity loss. Only major food system change can turn the tide on this level of destruction, with the support of funding from Governments like the UK.”
Earlier this year, London’s Imperial College launched the Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein with around £22 million in funding to design, deliver and commercialize alternative, climate-friendly food. Last year, the German Government allocated €38 million in its 2024 budget for the promotion of plant-based, precision-fermented and cell-cultivated proteins.
Denmark, however, has shown the way for other Governments to follow with its implementation of a comprehensive Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods to increase the production and consumption of climate-friendly food by providing support in the public sector, industry and research and development fields.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For media inquiries, email Peter Rixon at [email protected]
For scientific data about the benefits of plant-based eating, see our Food System Data website.
About ProVeg International
Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet. ProVeg International is a food awareness organization with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040.
