eco-efficiency
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (“FAO”) has projected that global food demand, particularly meat and dairy will more than double by 2050. As global food demand continues to increase, there is a concurrent increased need for protein – an essential nutrient in human health. There is an increasing demand for animal-derived dairy proteins such as whey and casein and for egg proteins (collectively as animal proteins). Both animal and plant protein production exert significant pressures on the environment. However, the environmental pressures exerted by meat and animal protein production exceed those of plant and plant protein production many times, in both magnitude and extent of area affected. Animal protein production demands significant amounts of the global supply of energy and natural resources. Plant protein production, on the other hand, offers a lower environmental impact and a sustainable solution by reducing energy consumption, emissions, land usage, and water consumption, and also offers better input conversion efficiency.
Plant Protein Production vs Animal Protein Production
| Energy Consumption | 6-20 times less fossil fuel input¹ |
| Emissions | Livestock accounts for 40% more emissions than does Transport² |
| Land Use | 17 times less land¹ |
| Water Consumption | 100 times less water³ |
| Protein Conversion Efficiency | 10 times more efficient¹ |
¹ Reijnders, L. & Soret, S. 2003. Quantification of the environment impact of different dietary protein choices.
² FAO. 2006. Livestock's long shadow.
³ Pimentel, D. & Pimentel, M. 2003. Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment.
Burcon’s proprietary soy and canola protein isolates as potential functional food ingredients will provide added-value to both food manufacturers and consumers; and also expand the value chain of canola, Canada`s most valuable crop, from oil and meal to include end-consumer food and beverage products.
As the value of soy and canola increases, farmers can leverage these crops for income sources and become more environmentally economic and profitable by switching from producing animal proteins to producing plant proteins. Food manufacturers in turn can opt for the lower cost, higher-value plant protein and address the increasing demand for plant-based food ingredients. Downstream in the value chain, consumers can also obtain the essential proteins and health benefits from their favourite food and beverage fortified with plant protein isolates.
Clean
Plant protein production uses significantly less natural resources, produces little or no emissions, and is much more efficient at converting protein.
