Plant-based foods

One-third of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the food system. Livestock production alone accounts for about 20 percent when we include methane emissions from ruminants, nitrous oxide emissions from feed production, and carbon dioxide emissions from land-use changes.

There is strong scientific evidence that a healthy diet primarily consists of plant-based food and that plant-based food has significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions. A predominantly plant-based diet can reduce mortality among the adult population globally by between 19 and 24 percent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the global food system by between 36 and 66 percent.

There is thus a double benefit for both health and climate by supporting a shift in agriculture from primarily producing animal feed and animal-based foods to mainly producing plants used directly for human consumption. Additionally, a more plant-based food system is more efficient in terms of output per unit area and will have a lower impact on biodiversity and water resources.

Plant-Based Foods as a Green Solution 

Although the benefits are clear, it is not simple to change the food system from animal-based production to plant-based foods. To succeed in this shift, we need to establish strong collaboration across the entire food value chain.

We need to use state-of-the-art technologies for crop breeding, but we also need to develop sustainable management practices and agricultural systems to deliver raw materials with stable yields and high quality.

We need to create new plant-based foods and use advanced processing technologies to deliver foods that are safe, healthy, sustainable, and of high quality, while also having good nutrition, texture, taste, and mouthfeel.

We need to create new plant-based foods and use advanced processing technologies to deliver foods that are safe, healthy, sustainable, and of high quality, while also having good nutrition, texture, taste, and mouthfeel.

We need to market plant-based foods through targeted campaigns within food and retail services and consumer behavior to maximize consumer uptake and make plant-based food the new norm.

Finally, we need to develop incentives, support schemes, and regulatory measures to ensure environmental, social, and economic sustainability at all stages of the plant-based food value chain.

Our research network "A more plant-based, nutritious, and consumer-accepted food system" aims to enable a shift towards a more plant-based food system from farm to fork. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize environmental impact, and improve biodiversity while ensuring healthy plant-based food that is nutritious, tasty, and meets consumer demands and preferences.