Papaioea – Companies and businesses globally are working toward a more sustainable future by making conscious choices to replace meat-based consumption with more products made with plant-based ingredients.
This is because meat and dairy products are a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water use, deforestation, and pollution.
But the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation says global demand for meat is projected to double by 2050.
With the worldwide population expected to hit nine billion by 2050, demand for daily protein servings is expected to increase by 74 percent.
Think of the impact people can have if just a fraction of those servings came from plant-based sources like soy, quinoa or pea protein.
Take soy, for example. It contains all nine essential amino acids that bodies cannot produce on their own, making it one of the only complete plant-based proteins available.
Soy is also comparatively efficient to grow, using less water, emitting less carbon, and producing more protein per acre than beef, eggs, or milk.
Replacing even a tiny portion of animal proteins with plant-based proteins grown efficiently can have a long-term positive impact on the environment.
In addition to the positive environmental impacts, incorporating plant-based ingredients in one’s diet positively impacts the world’s food supply because it makes better use of land resources.
According to a research study published by the US National Academy of Sciences, replacing all animal-based items with plant-based diets could add enough food to the supply chain to feed 350 million additional people, which would go a long way in supporting the UN’s sustainable goal of zero hunger.
While changing diets and forming new habits is not always easy due to inequities of access.
There’s certainly more to uncover around the impacts of plant protein on exercise performance — we do know eating less meat can reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and some cancers.
Eating more vegetables also provides a good amount of carbohydrates that the body can burn during exercise — all great reasons to make the change.
Having a positive impact on society is more than just making the world a better place; it also makes good business sense.
People are increasingly affected by critical societal issues, and investors and other stakeholders are watching closely as consumers demand that companies take a stand.
From improving the environment to diversity and inclusion, investors are increasingly considering how companies support communities, society, and the planet, as part of their investment thesis.
Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century. It must be the top, top priority for everyone, everywhere.
