Spotlight: Protein Diversification
Udi Lazimy
CEO and Founder, FUDI Impact Partners and FUDI Ingredients I Sustainable Sourcing and Impact Strategy | Fractional Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) | ex-Head of Sustainability and Sourcing @ Eat Just
In this edition:
Welcome to June! The heat of summer is in full swing, and is not for the faint of heart. It's official: We're on the way to "climate hell," according to U.N. Secretary General António Guterres, and we've endured 12 consecutive months of unprecedented heat. The climate has been impacting all of our lives in one way or another, with tornadoes, hail, drought and record heat already creating memorable (and in some cases, destructive) conditions across North America. Indeed, this hurricane season is predicted to be a brutal one. Summer doesn't officially start until the summer solstice on Thursday, June 20th...and the Farmers’ Almanac Summer Weather Forecast 2024 calls for a warm, hot, and muggy summer across the U.S. These conditions directly affect agriculture in the U.S., and can drive a unsustainable and dangerous cycle of over-use of inputs (such as fertilizers to make up for loss of yield-promoting biodiversity in healthy soils), over-use of water, and over-planting of monocrops in order to compensate for reduced yields from adverse conditions.
And the U.S. is certainly not alone. Shifting our focus south, Mexico is predicted to experience the hottest year on record. The extreme heat, fueled partly by the most recent El Nino weather phenomenon, will reportedly arrive with 70% of Mexico in drought and a third in severe drought. This affects all of Mexico's crops and exports, and has already shown to result in a reduction in corn production, thus requiring increased imports.
Here at Lazimy Regenerative Impact Partners and FUDI Ingredients, we strongly believe in the long-understood ecological tenet that diversification is key to the health and wellness of complex systems. And with protein production a leading driver of a warming planet, a key priority for us as a global community is diversification of protein sources (plants, mycelial, fermented, insects, synthetics, cultured, etc...), diversification of stakeholders working on this issue together, and decentralization of the systems that produce the foods that occupy the center of our plates.
In this edition of the Integral Digest, we dig into protein diversity from...a diversity...of angles.
As always, please comment, like and share. It helps broaden the conversation and get the word out!
Protein Diversity On and Off the Plate
This article, authored by Udi Lazimy and Taylor Callahan of FUDI Impact Partners , first appeared in Food and Beverage Insider.
Consuming a wide range of plant-based proteins—such as fava, lupin, mung, chickpea and pea—is essential for promoting a thriving ecosystem, improving personal health and mitigating the impacts of the current food system.
Diversity is one of the strongest indicators of a thriving ecosystem. The same can be said for the makeup of our plates and, as a result, the ecosystem that lives in our gut. Much of this is thanks to the plants in our diet, namely the fuel that plants provide our bodies in the form of protein.
Today’s food market is no longer dominated by the plant proteins we grew up with, like the reliable but unimaginative soybean. While consuming a greater diversity of plants is proven to have positive downstream impacts on personal health, the benefits of a broader scope of plant proteins means an even broader network of stakeholders.
Primary among these stakeholders: all of us and every other being on the planet. We are experiencing unprecedented warming of the planet; as the warmest days in the history of record keeping are happening on consecutive days this summer, we owe it to ourselves to consider the impact a monolithic food system is having on the planet.
By 2050, the agri-food sector will contribute half of all greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), up from around a quarter of total emissions presently, according to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It?is also the leading cause of species extinctions, per Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
Research is also quite clear that regenerative and diverse agricultural systems are the antidote. The Guardian recently reported that new research suggests “marginal improvements to agricultural soils around the world would store enough carbon to keep the world within 1.5C of global heating.”
One of the quickest ways to implement climate-smart soil management techniques, and therefore stem the tide of global warming, is by increasing the diversity of proteins we grow and consume across our fertile, or once-fertile, lands.
Luke, I am your fava
Fava beans have become more popular in recent years, particularly among European manufacturers. With a rather high protein bioavailability score—based on concentration of amino acids and digestibility, measured by the Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS)—fava beans are known for having a clean taste among the range of plant proteins. Considering recent European investment, U.S. manufacturers are adding fava beans to their portfolios as well.
Lupin
The peanut’s sweeter cousin, lupin, is an extremely protein-rich legume. The latest lupin breeding projects among our clients reported as high as 60%+ protein content.
Traditionally found in Mediterranean cuisine, lupin is a familiar food in North Africa and parts of Latin America. Lupin protein content is one reason why we’re excited to see its broader adoption. A good source of all nine essential amino acids, including arginine, known to lower blood pressure, lupin is a rising star in advancing the use of alternative proteins in a wide variety of plant-based formulations.
Mung
The humble, but mighty, mung bean earned its pre-title credit in familiar applications like plant-based eggs. Mung beans, however, boast benefits that far exceed breakfast.
As consumers and producers alike start to concern themselves more with what goes into producing the foods we eat, low water use and relatively low emissions compared to similar alternatives like eggs, mung bean offers a dynamic and super functional protein.
Chickpea
To round out the top candidates, we can’t leave out chickpeas. According to a scientific review, chickpeas offer a “good source of carbohydrates and protein, and protein quality is considered to be better than other pulses.”
Additionally, from a flavor perspective and due to its protein quality, solubility, availability and other factors, chickpea protein concentrate has gained popularity as a gluten replacement in pastas and other applications. We have seen a strong growth in demand from clients for chickpea protein, and we only expect that growth to continue.
Protein Diversification to Headline the Future Food-Tech: Alternative Proteins event in Chicago!
Our founder, Udi Lazimy, will be moderating the opening session on June 17th.
How can the diversification of protein consumption contribute to a more resilient, equitable and sustainable global food system amid a growing population? Join influential leaders from the USDA , 联合利华 , ProVeg International and FUDI Impact Partners (NotCo will no longer be on the panel) as they explore how protein diversification and novel proteins can address global hunger, malnutrition and health risks.
As the moderator, I'll be joined by: Sanah Baig , Deputy Undersecretary of Research, Education and Economics at USDA , Julie Willems , Head of Diet and Health at 联合利华 ever, and Tim Polkowski , International Director at ProVeg International . The opening panel at Future Food-Tech : Alternative Proteins is not one to miss!
Register now to join this session and many more crucial industry discussions on June 17-18: https://bit.ly/3vrUtex
Ingredient Firesale: Pea Protein Isolate
Through our unique supply partnerships, we are offering full truckload (FTL) quantities of North American and Chinese Pea Protein Isolate at highly competitive prices.
We have both 85% and 80% protein content Pea Protein Isolate available.
All already available in the U.S., so you avoid all import tarrifs, duties, fees, etc...
Get in touch with Udi Lazimy to ask about FTL pricing.
Thank you as always! And please do comment, share, subscribe and reach out!