For the World Economic Forum (WEF), the world is “loin” to be able to meet food demand through sustainable solutions. The United States and Asia have a slight lead, but Europe is “still a few years away” to offer enough sustainable alternatives to its citizens, such as food made from insects, meat made from plants or developed using animal cells in laboratories, or milk generated from mammary cells. In an article published on January 17, 2023, the WEF promotes biotechnology as “solution to reduce global warming” et “preventing a food crisis”. It is still necessary “increase investment” in these technologies… and convince the most reluctant, manufacturers and consumers alike.
In its article, the Forum explains that the food industry generates “one-third of greenhouse gas emissions”according to a study published in March 2021 on Nature Food. “Fighting global warming and meeting the food needs of a world population that now exceeds eight billion are the two most important challenges of our time”, it is estimated in Davos. The need to use biotechnology to “improving food systems and agriculture” is so “urgent”. The WEF then cites some “innovations” in his article to express his optimism.
The “imbalance” of the world’s food system will increase while pushing the limits of the planet and its resources. “More and more people are at risk of lacking healthy and nutritious food”, warns this lobbying foundation. The “challenges” reside in particular in “our food choices”such as animal husbandry.
Milk or meat grown in laboratories
This article, titled “Biotechnology can provide solutions to the global food crisis. Here’s how”, focuses mainly on this sector of agriculture. The WEF cites “innovative biotechnology” that provide vegetable protein as an alternative to animal protein.
This is the case of the American startup BioMilq, which has produced an infant milk cultured in a laboratory about breast cells. “A 100% human milk, produced under safe conditions”, by a startup “owned by women” who wants to be “mum oriented”. This is also the case of Roslin Tech, a company based in Scotland which produces meat from animal cells without breeding.
If investments, public and private, “allowed the discovery of new sustainable solutions”of the “obstacles” prevent other biotechnologies from leaving the laboratory and penetrating world markets, deplores the WEF. Initiatives, such as the Plant2Food platform of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which supports research projects, would come up against “the long marketing authorization processes”, especially in Europe. And this, we continue in Davos, despite “increasing public interest” for sustainable foods.
The situation is “different” in the United States, because the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has recently authorized the marketing of meat cultured from living chicken cells. “Unfortunately, Europe is still a few years away from seeing these sustainable meat alternatives available in supermarkets”estimates the WEF.
However, the European Commission authorized on January 3, 2023 the marketing of a powder of partially defatted domestic crickets, which could be found in several of our foods. A “sustainable” product whose consumption has already been recommended by the WEF, both to fight against global warming and to meet nutritional needs. The European Commission had made it known that 11 insects are on the authorization list and three are already authorized.
Reduce private jet flights to preserve the planet
The World Economic Forum recommends, in its article of January 17, “a change of policy” pour “exploit the full potential” biotechnological innovations. This is in particular “to increase investment in research”, “reduce authorization times” marketing and “encouraging the use of innovative and sustainable solutions” in “a green food chain”.
In its article, the WEF insists on access to food “healthy and nutritious” through biotechnology. If alternatives such as insects are often promoted for their proteins, many studies raise the dangers of such consumption, such as parasitic infections, such as Salmonella or campylobacteriosis.
In Davos, we add that replacing meat-based proteins with alternative proteins “could reduce global warming, water use and land resources in Europe by 80% (…) The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the United Nations Climate Change Program environment, agricultural and food systems have significant mitigation potential”lit.
These recent warnings from the foundation about the consumption of meat have once again sparked reactions, particularly in the United States. The representative of Nebraska, Mike Floodcriticized, in a tweet, “the globalists” who “are pushing to end meat production”.