Alternative proteins are better for the environment

#animal_feed - alternative_proteins - cultivated_meat - environment_ghg - environment_land - plant_based_alternative_proteins

GHG emissions

According to Boston Consulting Group, at 11 percent market penetration, alternative proteins would have the climate mitigation impact of totally decarbonizing air travel—and this doesn’t include the sequestration potential of land freed up by decreased grazing and feed crop production.

PB Seafood

Plant-based alternatives have a greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint one-third less than conventionally farmed fish and three-quarters less than farmed crustaceans.

Land

Replacing processed meat and dairy with alternative proteins would reduce U.K. agricultural land use by 28% and 35% of agriculture emissions. (Appetite for change - why the UK should lead the emerging alternative proteins market (Green Alliance))

GFI LCAs:

Producing this alternative protein	instead of this conventional meat	Reduces GHG emissions by	Reduces land use by	Reduces Air pollution (particulate matter) by	According to this LCA
Impossible Burger*	Beef burger patty*	-89%	-96%	--	Khan, et al. “Comparative environmental LCA of the Impossible Burger with conventional ground beef burger.” (2019).
Beyond Burger 3.0*	Beef burger patty*	-90%	-97%	--	Heller, et al. "Beyond Burger 3.0 Life Cycle Assessment." (2023).
Beyond Burger 1.0*	Beef burger patty*	-89%	-92%	--	Heller, et al. “Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger Life Cycle Assessment: A detailed comparison between a plant-based and an animal-based protein source.” (2018).
Quorn Fillet*	Chicken breast*	-75%	-78%	--	Kazer, et al. “Quorn Footprint Comparison Report.” (2021).
Quorn Sausage*	Pork primal cuts*	-88%	-79%	--	Kazer, et al. “Quorn Footprint Comparison Report.” (2021).
Quorn Mince*	Beef mince*	-96%	-94%	--	Kazer, et al. “Quorn Footprint Comparison Report.” (2021).
Morningstar Original Chik Patties**	Chicken sausage patty**	-46%	-84%	-69%	Dettling, et al. “A comparative life cycle assessment of plant-based foods and meat foods.” (2016).
MorningStar Farms Original Sausage Patties**	Pork sausage patty**	13%	-47%	-31%	Dettling, et al. “A comparative life cycle assessment of plant-based foods and meat foods.” (2016).
MorningStar Farms Grillers Original Burger**	Beef burger patty**	-84%	-93%	-92%	Dettling, et al. “A comparative life cycle assessment of plant-based foods and meat foods.” (2016).
Plant-based burger patty made with soy protein*	Beef burger patty*	-98%	-87%	-99%	Saerens, et al. “Life cycle assessment of burger patties produced with extruded meat substitutes.” (2021).
Plant-based burger patty made with soy protein*	Chicken burger patty*	-90%	-82%	-90%	Saerens, et al. “Life cycle assessment of burger patties produced with extruded meat substitutes.” (2021).
Plant-based burger patty made with soy protein*	Pork burger patty*	-90%	-85%	-90%	Saerens, et al. “Life cycle assessment of burger patties produced with extruded meat substitutes.” (2021).
Plant-based burger patty made with pea protein**	Beef burger patty (Brazilian beef)**	-77%	-96%	-58%	Saget, et al. “Comparative life cycle assessment of plant and beef-based patties, including carbon opportunity costs.” (2021).
Plant-based burger patty made with pea protein** †	Beef burger patty (Brazilian beef)**	-86%	-96%	-58%	Saget, et al. “Comparative life cycle assessment of plant and beef-based patties, including carbon opportunity costs.” (2021).
Soy protein burger patty*	Beef burger patty*	-82%	-84%	-95%	Smetana, et al. “Meat substitution in burgers: nutritional scoring, sensorial testing, and Life Cycle Assessment.” (2021).
Pea protein burger patty (Beyond Meat)*	Beef burger patty*	-84%	-64%	-91%	Smetana, et al. “Meat substitution in burgers: nutritional scoring, sensorial testing, and Life Cycle Assessment.” (2021).
Mycoprotein burger patty (Quorn)*	Beef burger patty*	-82%	-69%	-91%	Smetana, et al. “Meat substitution in burgers: nutritional scoring, sensorial testing, and Life Cycle Assessment.” (2021).
Pea protein meatball**	Beef meatball (Brazilian beef)**	-89%	-97%	-82%	Saget, et al. “Substitution of beef with pea protein reduces the environmental footprint of meat balls whilst supporting health and climate stabilisation goals.” (2021).
Pea protein meatball** †	Beef meatball (Brazilian beef)**	-93%	-97%	-82%	Saget, et al. “Substitution of beef with pea protein reduces the environmental footprint of meat balls whilst supporting health and climate stabilisation goals.” (2021).
Soy-based schnitzel (vegan)*	Pork schnitzel*	-46%	-45%	-74%	Mierlo, et al. “Moving from pork to soy-based meat substitutes: Evaluating environmental impacts in relation to nutritional values.” (2022).
Cultivated beef*	Conventional beef (from non-dairy cattle)*	-92%	-90%	-94%	Sinke, et al. “Ex-ante Life Cycle Assessment of Commercial-scale Cultivated Meat Production in 2030.” (2023). Δ
Cultivated chicken*	Conventional chicken*	3%	-64%	-20%	Sinke, et al. “Ex-ante Life Cycle Assessment of Commercial-scale Cultivated Meat Production in 2030.” (2023). Δ
Cultivated pork*	Conventional pork*	-44%	-67%	-42%	Sinke, et al. “Ex-ante Life Cycle Assessment of Commercial-scale Cultivated Meat Production in 2030.” (2023). Δ
Hybrid cultivated meat & plant-based burger patty (blended with soy protein isolate)*	Beef burger patty (produced in U.S.)*	-87%	-90%	--	Kim, et al. “Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of a Novel Cultivated Meat Burger Patty in the United States.” (2022).

Processing

additional processing accounts for only 13%–26% of plant-based meat’s climate impact (GFI, 2021).

Reading

https://gfi.org/resource/environmental-impacts-of-alternative-proteins/

Soil health

Replacing meat with alt proteins diversifies the crops we produce which improves soil health
Legumes are nitrogen fixing and that heals the soil

Water

By only requiring the crops that end up in the final product, plant-based meat production cuts out feed crops, the primary water requirement in conventional meat production. Overall, plant-based meat production requires up to 99 percent less water than its conventional counterparts. Likewise, cultivated meat production is projected to have massive blue water savings (water in freshwater lakes, rivers, and aquifers) with up to a 78 percent reduction as compared to beef production, according to CE Delft’s recent life cycle analysis.

Studies show that plant-based meat could reduce over 90 percent of eutrophying pollution compared to conventional animal production. Cultivated meat could reduce eutrophying pollution by 98 percent compared to conventional beef.