Fungi-Based Meat Substitutes Might Help Conserve the World's Forests

A recent study suggested that replacing 20% of bovine meat with microbial protein, a meat substitute generated in fermentation tanks, by 2050 might cut deforestation in half.

The market-ready meat substitute has a comparable flavor and texture to beef, but it is a biotech product that uses far fewer land resources and generates far fewer greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and land-use change.

This is based on the idea that a rising global population's hunger for meaty bites is increasing, and it is the first time academics have projected the development of these market-ready meat replacements into the future, analyzing their potential environmental effect.

Sustainable meat

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In contrast to earlier studies at the level of single items, the team of researchers from Germany and Sweden integrated microbial protein in a computer simulation model to discover environmental impacts in the context of the entire food and agricultural system.

Their simulations run through 2050 and take into consideration future population increase, food consumption, eating habits, and land use and agriculture dynamics.

As meat consumption rises in the future, more forests and non-forest natural vegetation may be wiped off to make way for pastures and crops.

According to Florian Humpenöder, investigator at PIK and primary study author, the food system is responsible for one-third of carbon dioxide emissions, with the bovine meat industry being the single greatest source, as per ScienceDaily.

This is due to the clearing of more and more trees that store a lot of carbon for grazing cattle or growing feed, as well as the additional greenhouse-gas emissions from animal husbandry.

Existing biotechnology might contribute to the answer.

Nutritious protein-rich biomass with a meat-like texture generated by microorganisms such as fungus via fermentation is referred to by scientists as "microbial protein."

Researchers discovered that substituting 20% of ruminant meat per capita by 2050 will cut yearly deforestation and CO2 emissions from land-use change in half compared to a business-as-usual scenario.

According to Humpenöder, reducing the number of cattle not only reduces the pressure on land but also reduces greenhouse gases from the intestine of cattle and nitrous oxide emission levels from fertilization of feed or manure management.

Thus, substituting minced red meat with microbial protein would have been a great start to reducing the negative impacts of modern beef production.

Also Read: Bill Gates Supports Meat Substitute Made From Yellowstone Hot Spring Fungus

In the future, microbial protein might significantly lower the carbon dioxide footprint

The excellent news is that individuals need not be concerned about eating exclusively greens in the future.

They can continue to consume burgers and other similar foods; the burger patties, however, will be manufactured in a different manner, as per DailyMail.

Deforestation, or the permanent removal of trees, is a serious environmental concern that destroys forest habitats and causes biological diversity to decline.

The purposeful igniting of the rainforest canopy to make way for agricultural crops is a major source of deforestation.

More and more carbon dioxide-rich forests are being destroyed for livestock grazing or feed production.

As consumption of meat rises in the future, additional forests and non-forest vegetation cover may be wiped off to make way for pastures and crops.

According to Humpenöder, the food system is responsible for one-third of carbon dioxide emissions, with ruminant production of meat being the single greatest contributor.

However, "microbial protein," a nutritious protein-rich biomass with a meat-like texture created by bacteria via fermentation, might be part of the solution.