How the emerging alternative protein industry could help feed the world

With an ever-growing global population and unpredictable weather due to extreme climate change, it is no secret that the agriculture industry is facing challenging times.

Consumers are demanding more and more good quality produce, while the planet is crying out for more efficient, sustainable production.

Current research suggests that, at the rates of production and innovation, it will be impossible to provide a healthy, sustainable diet for a global population of 10bn by 2050 – providing the amount and type of protein typical of North American-European diets, while also achieving the targets of the Paris climate agreement.

Clearly, something fundamentally needs to change – and the answer may lie with the alternative protein industry: non-traditional, high-protein foods that are cultivated more sustainably than conventional animal produce.

Engineers  will undoubtedly be at the forefront of new industry developments, creating technology and software for better, more efficient production at-scale.