Taste of the future menu which must come from sustainable protein sources

Chickpeas, grasshoppers, and the stems and leaves of plants will feature prominently in the world’s transition to sustainable protein sources, according to two leading scientists in the area.

Algae and seaweed will also become important protein sources, said researchers Stacy Pyett and Emely de Vet of Wageningen University & Research, in the Netherlands.

During the annual Mansholt lecture in Brussels, they formulated their vision of the protein transition needed as part of the United Nations sustainable development goals to feed the growing world population and combat climate change.

In addition to sustainable protein sources, they said the world will need to eat more vegetable proteins and less meat, although animals will continue to play an important role in the food supply.

A different approach to plant breeding will be needed, for crops with higher protein content but which do not need artificial fertiliser, and which are resilient to climate change and more resistant to drought, heat and salinisation.

We should not only use the fruits in the food chain, but also the stems and leaves of the plants. Crops that immediately come to mind are legumes such as lentils and chickpeas, as those plants also capture nitrogen in the soil.

Along with aquatic protein sources such as seaweed and algae, Pyett and De Vet foresee development of industrial protein production through the use of bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Their food system redesign would include making livestock farming circular, with pigs and insects becoming part of food cycles by converting waste into high-quality proteins.

Farmers will also grow duckweed and algae, which will reduce nitrogen surplus in surface waters.

Part of the transition will also be convincing consumers to choose sustainable food based on, for example, insects and seaweed.

In addition, research into mild food preservation, which requires less energy and water, should be continued, De Vet and Pyett told their audience of EU officials and European politicians.