Motivating the case for alternative proteins

Motivating the case for alternative proteins

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This is a link post for the Alternative Protein Project by the Cambridge University Alt. Protein Society in collaboration with the Good Food Institute.

Industrial animal agriculture lies at the intersection of some of the most pressing issues in the world today: climate change, zoonotic pandemics, antibiotic resistance, food insecurity, biodiversity loss and animal suffering on an extraordinary scale.

Although vegetarianism and veganism are becoming more mainstream, global demand for meat continues to rise. One way to induce mass changes in consumer behaviour is by providing better alternatives.

This session is about exploring the dominant arguments in favour of reducing traditional meat consumption and introducing the three main pillars of alternative proteins: plant-based, fermentation and cultivated meat technologies. You are encouraged to consider the issues with factory farming and draw your own conclusions as to the extent to which alternative proteins would be an impactful way to mitigate each of these.

Core Material [~2hr 5mins]:

Major Issues with Factory Farming [~1hr 20mins]:

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Factory farming: what it is and why it's a problem - The Humane League (2020) [Article, 10 mins]
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Is Meat Really that Bad? - Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell (2021) [Video, 12 mins]

Introduction to Alternative Proteins [~45mins]:

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Meat Without Animals: The Future Of Food - Bruce Friedrich TED talk [Video, 15 mins]
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Good Food Institute MOOC Lecture 1: Reimagining the protein supply to feed 10 billion video and slides [Lecture, 30 mins]

Further Resources:

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Why Meat is the Best Worst Thing in the World - Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell (2018) [Video, 9 mins]
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Emissions Impossible: How Big Meat and Dairy are Heating Up the Planet - Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy [Report, 30 mins]

Next in the Alternative Proteins Technical Track

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