Global coalition comes together to change the future of protein

A group of international businesses and NGOs have joined to form The Protein Challenge 2040, a first collaboration across the protein system. Facilitated by Forum for the Future, a sustainability non-profit, the coalition’s founders include WWF and GAIN; retailers Target and Waitrose; Volac, a leading dairy nutrition firm; food manufacturers The Hershey Company and Quorn; and taste and flavour experts Firmenich. The partnership brings together these representatives from animal, plant, and alternative protein industries to address issues related to protein. Protein is an essential part of the human diet, but the way it is produced and consumed today places an increasingly heavy strain on land and sea resources. The production of protein is associated with significant social, environmental and economic impacts—for example, the cultivation of soy as animal feed is a big drive of deforestation, and food and agriculture are among the biggest contributors to climate change. And consumption is unbalanced: an estimated two billion people suffer from malnutrition which results in major health risks, while in the developed world, protein consumption is often more than that required for optimal health. The bottom line question on the agenda is to address the question: “How can we feed nine billion people enough protein in a way that is healthy, affordable and good for the environment? Through in-depth research and work with food, nutrition, health and technology experts across the world, the coalition has mapped the interrelationships within the entire protein system for the first time. Six areas of innovation have been identified, on which the group plans to focus solutions to meet future demand sustainably. The coalition is now looking for additional partners with resources, expertise and drive to take action in these areas together. Read The Protein Challenge 2040 summary report.