Giving Compass' Take:

• Catherine Cheney explains how businesses are innovating meatless products to create sustainable protein alternatives. 

• How can funders and investors work to advance sustainable food sources? 

• Learn about making meat substitutes to end factory farming. 

The demand for meat and protein is projected to double by 2050, when there will be 9 billion people on the planet, with 3 billion people in a growing middle class demanding red meat in particular. Livestock produces 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, meat production uses immense amounts of water and grain, and the whole system is a major driver of deforestation and habitat loss.

“A portfolio of proteins will be needed, but this can only be delivered if the public and private sectors, food and tech experts, health experts, environment experts, and consumer representatives can accelerate the delivery of such 21st century proteins,” said Dominic Waughray, head of public-private partnership at the forum, in a press release.

“When it comes to the future of protein, taste, value, access, sustainability, and nutrition all matter — and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to meeting all of those factors,” said Tom Hayes, president and CEO of Tyson Foods. “We can all agree that there are tremendous challenges in front of us and we all want to produce a better future. We must work together to evolve our current meat production, explore alternative proteins and encourage new consumer behaviours, especially on reducing food waste.”

Read the full article about meatless sustainable food by Catherine Cheney at Devex.