The new report published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) investigates how alternatives to conventional meat, such as cultivated meat, can mitigate the environmental consequences caused by animal foods. The findings demonstrate that meat alternatives have significant potential for reducing this sector's environmental impact and lowering the risk of pandemics and antibiotic resistance.
“New food alternatives will offer a broader spectrum of consumer choices. Furthermore, such alternatives can also alleviate pressures on agricultural lands and reduce emissions, thereby helping address the triple planetary crisis — the crisis of climate change, the crisis of biodiversity and nature loss, the crisis of pollution and waste — as well as the health and environmental consequences of the animal agriculture industry. More government support, along with open and transparent research, can help unlock the potential of these new technologies for some countries.” - Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.
It is forecasted that with financial and regulatory support from governments, the alternative market can capture up to 60 percent of the total meat market by 2040. The efforts of countries like Brazil, China, the EU, India, Israel, Singapore, and the US, which have already taken the first steps in developing and regulating cultivated meat production, are positively evaluated in the UN report.
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