Understanding the Environmental Impacts & Carbon Reduction - DEM0011224

Understanding the Environmental Impacts & Carbon Reduction RDE Mini Comp - lot 2.4

To understand the likely effect on GHG emissions and broader environmental impacts of a market expansion of the UK alternative protein sector.

Based upon development of a conceptual model representing the foreseeable growth of the alternative protein (AP) sector, this research will seek to understand how domestic market share growth for different AP technologies will affect the overall environmental impact of the UK food system. The modelling approach shall identify plausible reinforcing, balancing and time-lapse feedback loops affected by technological, regulatory and consumer acceptance factors likely to affect the growth of the sector. Building upon this information, it will construct feasible scenarios for growth of the alternative protein sector, developing UK market share estimates - in line with key carbon budget delivery milestones- for each different alternative protein production technology.

This project will identify and map key innovative AP supporting technologies with potential to support Net Zero as well as wider environmental impacts from the food system. It will assess their state of development, technical, economic, regulatory, and public acceptance barriers and determine their likely market growth and associated potential to contribute GHGs emissions abatement.

Growth market share estimates for the sector will then have to be translated into likely land use and other food system changes, to be able to infer how this change will affect the net change on environmental impact, including emissions of GHG, of the UK food system for each different scenario may result in.