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The transition to alternative proteins continues By the Boston Consulting Group
This is accelerated by consumers motivated by healthier diets and having a positive impact on climate and environmental factors .
More than 30 % of consumers would fully switch their diets to make such positive impacts according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group ( BCG ) and Blue Horizon ( BH ) through a multi-market survey of alternative proteins .
Dramatic , above-inflation price increases for animal-based products over the course of the pandemic led to an unprecedented spike in the sales , funding , and public awareness of the alternative protein sector .
Increasing global concerns about food security and climate impact have further fuelled this development . With 25 % of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by the food value chain , the shift to alternative proteins may be the most capital-efficient and high-impact solution to addressing the climate crisis .
Projected to represent at least 11 % of all meat , seafood , eggs , and dairy consumed globally by 2035 , alternative proteins will save three times the emissions for each dollar invested compared with the next-best
Engin Akyurt | Unsplash
Investment in alternative proteins is increasing globally .
tool in the box — decarbonising cement — according to a forthcoming report from BCG and the impact investor BH .
The report , The Untapped Climate Opportunity in Alternative Proteins , presents findings from a survey of more than 3 700 consumers in seven countries ( China ,
France , Germany , Spain , the United Arab Emirates , the United Kingdom , and the United States ) regarding their reasons for trying alternative proteins and the inhibitors that keep them from buying even more .
Three-quarters of survey respondents cited a healthier diet as their primary
motivator for consuming alternative proteins , while more than 30 % of consumers would fully switch their diets to alternative proteins if they believed doing so would have a major positive impact on climate and environment factors .
Across all markets surveyed , consumers view alternative proteins positively : 76 % are aware of the category , and approximately nine out of ten said they like at least some of the alternative-protein products they have tried . While consumers in China and Germany are the most willing to pay close to parity with protein equivalents , no consumer in any region is willing to pay a premium for alternative proteins that match meat for taste , texture , and nutrition — a price premium requires value add .
“ Nearly one in three people across the world are plagued by food insecurity . Coupled with the impact of the continued geopolitical crises on the supply chain and food prices , there is immense pressure on the global food system ,” says Ben Morach , a BCG managing director and partner . “ Pivoting away from animal-based proteins will lead to shorter , more resilient ,
14 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za COLD LINK AFRICA • September 2022