For all who are active in the agrifood sector, please consider the following:
- The world needs more nutrients to feed the growing global population.
- The emission of greenhouse gases from the production of food/nutrients must be reduced, as agreed upon in the Paris Agreement in 2015.
- To decrease emissions, the production of plant-based nutrients has to increase more than that of animal-based nutrients.
- The demand for dairy nutrients is expected to persist and may even experience a slight increase. Opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint are emerging and must be pursued.
- The growth of plant-based nutrient production is hindered by factors such as less favorable taste, limited functionality (such as issues with structural formation and foaming behavior), higher consumer prices, and a less positive impact on health. Additionally, processing plant-based nutrients requires approximately three times more energy than producing nutrients from sources such as milk.
- The applied process technology is currently mainly conventional and focused on maximizing nutrient yield. There is a need for new technologies that preserve nutrient functionality, enhance taste, and reduce (energy) costs.
- Companies are experiencing increasing competition in the global market for both animal and plant-based nutrients. There are two possible approaches: (1) reducing production costs and (2) increasing the value of products and by-products. Companies are also confronted with emission thresholds, highlighting the necessity of reducing the carbon footprint.
- Nutrients are produced in chains. To increase profitability, it is important that all links in the chain benefit. Especially when sustainability needs to be increased and the chain becomes more circular, good and open collaboration between stakeholders is of great importance.
- With joining forces of industry, universities and research institutes, I believe it is possible to reduce the carbon footprint of food processing by 80%, to increase value of plant-based nutrients by 20-50% by improved processing and 99% valorisation of sidestreams in 2030.
- Both reducing production costs and increasing product value require new knowledge. Our position in knowledge development has always been crucial for the Dutch economy in general and the agrofood sector in particular. We cannot afford to lose this position.
The art of sustainable business
8 个月Spijker op zijn kop, Peter!
Director/owner 'ToBeFrank' Consultancy in Communications Strategy & Sustainability
9 个月Fully supporting this call to action. Food (and nutrition) security for the world and more sustainable, circular and climate-friendly supply chains in plant-based and animal proteins are at stake. Both options- plant-based and animal-based proteins - have a lot to offer to the world in the coming decades, when we drive successfully the required innovation processes behind it, start cooperating with impact and drop the ideology / black & white thinking and believing in agrifood production and consumption. We need different road maps to practical solutions for a sustainable and food secure world with healthy consumers and thriving farming communities. There is no holy grail.
Senior Scientist at Royal Cosun and owner of Insight Food Inside
9 个月True, but there might be a great advantage in producing healthy, nutritious and tasty food based on low-processed plant-based materials rather than isolating plant-based nutrients for assembling healthy, nutritious and tasty structures mimicking traditional foods.
Melkveehouder, commissielid ruimte SGP Montfoort-Linschoten, bestuur PKV SGP, voorzitter weidevogelbescherming Montfoort-Linschoten.
9 个月Waardevol vertrekpunt! Wel graag alle sectoren aansluiten!
Market Director - Enabling food industry to develop to the next level at NIRAS
9 个月Working together is the key. We think that during the stages of R&D focus should not only be on taste, technology or functionality, because the success of your innovation is determined by the technical feasibility of it. You should be able to upscale efficiently with low CAPEX, low (energy) costs and quickly. That might mean you need to compromise to be successful. NIRAS is commited to enable this transition. We joined these networks to gain and share knowledge, but also to seek cooperation and find success. NIRAS has upscaling and (pilot) plant design experience with both startups and larger food companies in the area of (precision) fermentation, isolation of plant proteins and valorization of side streams. If you need help to reach your goals and contribute to what Peter is considering or just want to have a talk about feasibility, give me a call.