The Politics of Protein: Examining claims about livestock, fish, alternative proteins & sustainability

Summary

This IPES-Food report critically interrogates the framing of the 'protein transition' debate, arguing that simplistic comparisons between protein sources obscure broader structural issues in the global food system. Drawing on a wide body of evidence, it challenges both pro-livestock and pro-alternative-protein narratives, highlighting trade-offs, context-dependency, and the influence of corporate and political interests on the debate. The report concludes that meaningful sustainability outcomes require systemic food system transformation rather than a substitution-focused protein transition.

UK applicability

The report's global scope means findings are not UK-specific, but its policy arguments are highly relevant to UK debates around agricultural transition, the role of livestock in net-zero strategies, and the regulatory environment for novel foods and alternative proteins. UK policymakers and advocates engaged in post-Brexit agricultural and food strategy will find the governance and power-analysis dimensions particularly applicable.

Key measures

Environmental impact assessments (land use, greenhouse gas emissions, water use); nutritional adequacy indicators; socioeconomic equity considerations; lifecycle analysis comparisons across protein sources; policy and market power analysis

Outcomes reported

The report examines and stress-tests competing claims made about the environmental, nutritional, and social sustainability of different protein sources, including conventional livestock, aquaculture, plant-based proteins, and novel alternatives such as cultured meat and insects. It assesses whether a 'protein transition' framing adequately addresses the underlying drivers of food system unsustainability.

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