Production of the worldwide demand for food is connected to large impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions and use of land and water. Meat and dairy products are important to many people, providing protein which is of nutritional value. The meat and dairy sector is challenged to sustain its nutritional value while reducing the environmental footprint. Two circular protein solutions derived from plant-based co-products play a key role in addressing this challenge.

 

Shifting consumers

Part of the second part of the answer is shifting consumers’ menu options to eating more plant-based protein. These can be found in beans, legumes and grains like wheat germ and quinoa. These can also be extracted from co-products such as brewers´ spent grains and potato fruit juice and  become a valuable source of protein for human consumption. As this protein, which is refined from co-products, is directly re-introduced into the food chain, its environmental footprint is much lower than normally grown and processed plant-based proteins and protein produced by meat and dairy converting feed into milk, meat or eggs.

 

Shifting feed options

This is the first part of the answer to the challenge for the meat and dairy sector: shifting livestock farmers’ feed options by creating safe and nutritious feed from plant-based co-products from the food industry that pay a large contribution towards a circular animal husbandry. These are energy and protein-rich feed solutions from co-products that otherwise would have been fermented or even wasted. It helps farmers and food producers achieving the best of both worlds: reducing the environmental footprint, improve circularity and producing safe and nutritious food produced by animals that are being fed safely and sustainably.

 

Environmental benefits of co-products

The production of food, beverages and biofuel in Europe leads to millions tonnes of plant-based co-products, so the potential for both answers to this challenge is huge.

• As a safe source for feed solutions, co-products – especially in a moist condition – have a much lower carbon footprint compared to dried compound feed that is often imported from overseas. Moist and liquid co-products have a much lower carbon footprint as they are not dried and are regionally sourced. Northwest Europe has a good infrastructure with food production and livestock farming located in each other’s vicinity and at a scale that allows for optimising use of co-products for feed. Co-products are non-GMO and not related to deforestation.
• Plant-based protein solutions for human consumption that are extracted from co-products have a much lower environmental impact than equivalent traditionally grown and processed plant-based protein solutions. Co-products do not require water and land usage to grow crops.