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  Projected environmental benefits of replacing beef with microbial protein

Humpenöder, F., Bodirsky, B. L., Weindl, I., Lotze-Campen, H., Linder, T., Popp, A. (2022): Projected environmental benefits of replacing beef with microbial protein. - Nature, 605, 7908, 90-96.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04629-w

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 Creators:
Humpenöder, Florian1, Author              
Bodirsky, Benjamin Leon1, Author              
Weindl, Isabelle1, Author              
Lotze-Campen, Hermann1, Author              
Linder, Tomas2, Author
Popp, Alexander1, Author              
Affiliations:
1Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, ou_persistent13              
2External Organizations, ou_persistent22              

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 Abstract: Ruminant meat provides valuable protein to humans, but livestock production has many negative environmental impacts, especially in terms of deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, water use and eutrophication1. In addition to a dietary shift towards plant-based diets2, imitation products, including plant-based meat, cultured meat and fermentation-derived microbial protein (MP), have been proposed as means to reduce the externalities of livestock production3–7. Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have estimated substantial environmental benefits of MP, produced in bioreactors using sugar as feedstock, especially compared to ruminant meat3,7. Here we present an analysis of MP as substitute for ruminant meat in forward-looking global land-use scenarios towards 2050. Our study complements LCA studies by estimating the environmental benefits of MP within a future socio-economic pathway. Our model projections show that substituting 20% of per-capita ruminant meat consumption with MP globally by 2050 (on a protein basis) offsets future increases in global pasture area, cutting annual deforestation and related CO2 emissions roughly in half, while also lowering methane emissions. However, further upscaling of MP, under the assumption of given consumer acceptance, results in a non-linear saturation effect on reduced deforestation and related CO2 emissions—an effect that cannot be captured with the method of static LCA.

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Language(s): eng - English
 Dates: 2021-05-032022-03-102022-05-042022-05-05
 Publication Status: Finally published
 Pages: 21
 Publishing info: -
 Table of Contents: -
 Rev. Type: Peer
 Identifiers: DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04629-w
MDB-ID: pending
Organisational keyword: RD3 - Transformation Pathways
PIKDOMAIN: RD3 - Transformation Pathways
Organisational keyword: RD2 - Climate Resilience
PIKDOMAIN: RD2 - Climate Resilience
Regional keyword: Global
Model / method: MAgPIE
Research topic keyword: Food & Agriculture
Research topic keyword: Land use
Research topic keyword: Sustainable Development
Research topic keyword: Climate Policy
Research topic keyword: Mitigation
 Degree: -

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Title: Nature
Source Genre: Journal, SCI, Scopus, p3
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Pages: - Volume / Issue: 605 (7908) Sequence Number: - Start / End Page: 90 - 96 Identifier: CoNE: https://publications.pik-potsdam.de/cone/journals/resource/journals353
Publisher: Springer Nature