featured in this issue - NZIFST - The New Zealand Institute of Food ...

PROTEOS – the future of
world protein
The PROTEOS programme is an important collaboration
between the Riddet Institute and Wageningen University,
launched in October in the Netherlands by our Minister
of Agriculture, the Hon. David Carter (1).
At the launch, Mr Carter had this to say:
“PROTEOS is aimed at solving global protein shortages. As
we all know, the world faces a growing food crisis, with the
global population expected to top nine billion by 2050. The
demand for animal protein by then will be twice what we are
capable of producing now. Our capacity to meet this demand
in a sustainable manner will be a huge challenge.”
The FAO, in their report World agriculture: towards
2030/2050 suggests that the demand for livestock products,
principally meat and dairy, could double by 2050, driven by
population growth and by economic development enabling
improved diet in developing countries (2). It is generally
recognised that production of animal-derived foods requires
more land resources than plant-based foods, although estimates
vary from 1.3 times to 10 times or more (3). Given
the limitations of agricultural resources (principally land and
water) and sustainability considerations (greenhouse gases
and energy use), a large increase in productivity and sustainability
is called for.
The PROTEOS programme aims to contribute by enabling
novel solutions that involve substituting and extending future
animal-based protein sources, thus facilitating a transformation
of the protein supply chain in an economical and
sustainable manner. The programme will address a range
of solutions in the context of technical, social, cultural and
economic feasibility. PROTEOS intends to develop an array
of initiatives that will allow sustainable systems of animal
production to meet future needs, such as through raising efficiency
by increasing the production of high-quality protein
per unit input, and developing suitable replacement proteins.
Such solutions will need to be matched to the scale
of projected market opportunities as well as to regional and
local needs, particularly in developing economies.
The PROTEOS team involves scientists from Massey University
and other Riddet partners and the University of Wageningen,
from a wide range of disciplines working together.
Areas of expertise include food science and engineering, nutrition
(animal as well as human), economics and consumer
studies.
PROTEOS will achieve its aim through a number of integrated
approaches. A comprehensive mapping of the problem
and potential solutions will first be undertaken, including
mapping the technological, socio-economic and geopolitical
landscapes. This will allow the identification relevant work
that has already been completed and assessment of the viability
and impact of potential solutions.
Possible partial solutions that are to be considered include
(but are not limited to):
• use of novel sources of proteins (e.g. from insects or
algae – particularly for animal feed),
• use of lower input proteins as extenders for high value
animal proteins,
• use of plant-based proteins for substitution or extension
of animal proteins,
• development of niche high-value protein ingredients as
nutritional balancers,
• wider use of food waste and of co-products from nonfood
applications such as biofuels for animal nutrition.
The PROTEOS programme has adopted the following propositions:
• Future protein demand requires enhancing the
sustainable production of protein from all possible
sources.
• Current plant-based protein sources will become
increasingly important in future human nutrition while
animal nutrition will rely increasingly on alternative
protein sources.
• Shifting protein sources up the supply chain will be the
primary basis to meet future protein demand.
• Plant-based substitutes or extenders for animal protein
foods will require enhancements of nutritional, sensory
and textural properties.
• Successful extended and substituted animal foods will
be those that take into account socio-economic needs
and cultural aspects.
• ... and it has to taste good.
References
1. Project Launched to solve global protein shortage. FoodNZ
December/January 2011 p. 45.
2. Alexandratos N, Bruinsma J, Bödeker G, Schmidhuber J,
Broca S, Shetty P & Grazia Ottaviani M. (2006). World agriculture:
towards 2030/2050. United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organisation, Rome.
3. Fairlie, S. (2010) “An acre a meal” in “Meat, a benign
extravagance” pp 12-34. Chelsea Green Publishing, White
River, Vt, USA.
For further information contact Dr Mike Boland, Riddet Institute, mikeb@xtra.co.nz
April/May 2011
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