Author

K. R. Shivanna

Abstract

Mitigation of the impacts of global warming, largely the result of emission of greenhouse gasses and deforestation, has become one of the serious challenges of this century for sustaining biodiversity and human welfare. Enormous increase in consumption of animal meat in recent years, particularly from ruminants, releases more greenhouse gases especially methane and nitrous oxide, and requires more agricultural inputs, and forms one of the major drivers of global warming. A steady decrease in meat consumption can be a major approach for mitigating the impacts of global warming. Several meat substitutes are being developed and introduced as healthier and sustainable alternatives to animal meat for humans as well as pets. These meat analogues are being produced from higher plants, microalgae and fermentation-derived fungal proteins (mycoproteins). Their environmental footprints are very much lower when compared to animal meat. A number of meat substitute products are already available in the market around the world. Although there are still some bottlenecks in upgrading the technology for cost-effectiveness and better consumer acceptance, it is definitely going to constitute a viable strategy for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and help meeting the target of Paris agreement of limiting the global warming to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial level by 2100.

Pages:93-99

Doi Number doi: 10.5958/2455-7218.2023.103.1.00

Keywords Global warming, Greenhouse gas emission, Meat substitutes, Mycoproteins, Plant-based meat, Ruminant