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Straits Times
19 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Science Talk: Blended meat could boost Asia's food security
SINGAPORE – Consumer perception studies in Singapore and other South-east Asian countries show that plant-based meat is broadly viewed as an appealing menu option that, unfortunately, comes at a substantial cost. On average, plant-based meats cost 35 per cent more than their animal counterparts, even as some fall short of expectations on taste and texture. Until now, these factors have been driving consumers to satisfy their affinity for meat by purchasing resource-intensive, conventionally produced animal protein. And global meat production is projected to increase by at least 70 per cent by 2050, compared with 2012 levels, fuelled by a growing human population that is becoming more prosperous. All this comes at the expense of Asia's food security and sustainability. According to the World Resources Institute, conventional meat producers currently feed up to 100 calories to a cow to create just one calorie of beef. Such staggering inefficiency accelerates deforestation and water depletion locally and globally, and sets greenhouse gas emissions on an upward trajectory – the exact opposite of what is needed to meet climate targets. But even as some start-ups and researchers remain laser-focused on enhancing the quality and price-competitiveness of plant-based meats, others are exploring a new strategy: combining plant proteins with animal meat to make one compelling product. This new generation of 'blended' products mixes conventional meat with high-quality alternative proteins – usually from soya, pea or fungi – in a way that reduces the overall percentage of animal-sourced ingredients in the final product. Integrating alternative proteins into conventional meat supply could substantially reduce our food system's massive carbon hoofprint, mitigate supply chain risks, and deliver significant public and personal health benefits. Plant proteins, for instance, contain no cholesterol, have extremely low saturated fat and high fibre, and require up to 96 per cent less land and 99 per cent less water to produce than conventional meat. The ecological impact would be so significant that if Burger King and McDonald's – which together account for 2 per cent to 3 per cent of global beef purchases – changed their hamburger patties to 50/50 blends, demand for agricultural land would shrink by 8.5 million ha, an area more than 115 times the size of Singapore. Sensing a market opportunity, several Asia-Pacific companies are actively exploring the blended meat space. Australian start-up Harvest B recently debuted a line of blended meats that combine plant protein with diced beef and lamb. Malaysian company BaseFood produces fully plant-based products, but also sells its plant protein as an ingredient to conventional meat producers to help them strengthen their supply chain resilience without compromising on affordability or flavour. Perhaps most surprisingly, global alternative protein brand Quorn, which sold exclusively meat-free meals for decades, announced a plan to blend its products with pork as part of a food service deal with National Health Service hospitals in Britain. At first glance, that may seem like a step backwards for a brand focused on accelerating a shift away from animal agriculture. But since blended meat purchases will be made by consumers who would have likely otherwise chosen conventional meat, it is also an opportunity to introduce alternative proteins to a much wider swathe of diners. While blended meat products have only just begun to reach Asia-Pacific supermarket shelves, studies show that consumer interest in South-east Asia is nearly unanimous. On average, 93 per cent of survey respondents in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines say they are open to giving blends a try, including more than three-quarters of people who identify as sceptical of trying fully plant-based meat and 80 per cent of those who have eaten it before but do not intend to again. Producers of other forms of alternative protein, like cultivated meat – which is grown directly from animal cells, rather than made from plants – are watching the blended meat space closely to see if it offers a useful model for how to more quickly ramp up production. Cultivated meats are already near taste parity with their conventional counterparts, since they are made with genuine animal protein produced through innovative new methods, but production costs remain orders of magnitude higher than for plant-based meat. To start addressing that concern and to scale up operations more cost-effectively, Dutch cellular agriculture start-up Meatable recently forged a partnership with Singaporean contract manufacturer TruMeat. They aim to develop cultivated ingredients that are 'designed to complement and integrate into the existing traditional meat industry's supply chains' – a page taken right out of the blended meat playbook. It is not yet clear what messaging strategy will be most effective at conveying the benefits of plant-animal blends to curious shoppers, but in large-scale blind taste tests, blended meat has received broadly positive feedback from participants – in some cases outperforming the conventional animal meat that consumers know and love. (The Good Food Institute Asia Pacific is currently conducting the first Asia-focused sensory study on blended meat, in collaboration with Singaporean scientists.) And though these are still early days, some companies have already managed to meet or surpass price parity with conventional animal protein. That means that for shoppers walking down the meat aisle, the healthier and tastier choice could be more affordable too – a potent trifecta. If consumer uptake of blended products is strong enough, it could enable plant-based meat producers to scale up their manufacturing capacity to service the increased demand. That can, in turn, create a virtuous circle as greater economies of scale drive down plant-based meat prices across the board. In other words, if blended products find market success, they can be a meaningful first step towards achieving what existing plant proteins have so far been unable to do: satisfy rising meat demand via more sustainable proteins, bolster regional food security and supply chain resilience, and give consumers an alternative greater than the sum of its parts. Ryan Huling is a senior writer at the Good Food Institute Asia Pacific – Asia's leading alternative protein think-tank. He previously served as an international expert on sustainable food systems at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
The Print
20 hours ago
- Science
- The Print
World's ancient forests are at risk. Why we should worry
So what makes forests so important – ancient ones in particular – and how are human activities driving their rapid decline? According to a new World Resources Institute (WRI) report, the world lost more primary rainforest in 2024 than in any other year in at least the last two decades. The WRI defines primary forest as 'old-growth forests that are typically high in carbon stock and rich in biodiversity'. The world's oldest forests are facing growing pressure from all sides. Their decline isn't just an environmental concern – it carries serious consequences for people, climate stability and global biodiversity. Whether as carbon sinks or as irreplaceable habitats, ancient trees provide widespread benefits. A 2022 review published in PubMed Central highlighted just how vital they are across ecosystems worldwide. While their role in storing carbon and supporting biodiversity may be well known, did you know they also help regulate below-ground conditions critical for forest regeneration? Or that they have a higher carbon density – storing more carbon within the same footprint – than younger forests? Whether a tree is ancient or not depends on the species, according to the UK's Woodland Trust. Take the birch, for example: it grows quickly and might be considered ancient at 150 years old, whereas a yew might take 800 years to reach a similar stage (there's one yew tree, just outside London, that's thought to be 2,500 years old). Indeed, the world's oldest tree, in eastern California, is thought to be the world's oldest living thing at more than 4,850 years old – older than the pyramids at Giza. Whether hundreds or thousands of years old, the role of ancient trees and woodland worldwide is clear. As the UK's Forestry Commission explains: 'They are teeming with wildlife – rich irreplaceable communities of often rare species that have developed over centuries and found their last refuge here.' This is true of similar ecosystems in the Amazon, Congo Basin and Southeast Asia, the WRI report notes. The loss of primary forest can also have an impact on local temperatures and rainfall that can compound the local effects of climate change. But, as the PubMed review stresses, the benefits of ancient trees and woodlands extend far beyond the planet. They're also 'part of our combined cultural heritage, providing people with aesthetic, symbolic, religious, and historical cues'. Equally, consider the therapeutic benefits of forest bathing, the Japanese practice of shinrin yoku, for our mental and physical health. Add to that the fact that some 1.6 billion people are thought to rely on forest resources for their livelihoods and the consequences of the loss of ancient woodland become clear. Forests at risk Human activity has dramatically reduced ancient forests worldwide. Take the UK, for example, which was at one time thought to be 75% covered by wildwood. Today, that figure is just 10%, with only a quarter of that being ancient woodland. According to the WRI report, 6.7 million hectares of primary rainforest were lost in 2024 alone, largely due to massive wildfires. Globally, an area equivalent to England and Wales is lost to deforestation each year. Climate change is accelerating the loss of ancient forests. Rising temperatures threaten woodlands worldwide, from the Amazon to the boreal forests of Canada and Russia. A recent University of Leeds study warns that up to 90% of temperate rainforests in some areas could disappear by 2100 – even with immediate emissions cuts, at least 9% may still vanish. As these vital carbon sinks degrade, they release stored carbon into the atmosphere, intensifying global warming and creating a dangerous feedback loop. Tackling deforestation and protecting forests How can we break this cycle? It starts with tackling the problem at both ends: preventing deforestation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A 2023 study found that protected areas are effective, but focusing on regions most at risk of deforestation – such as agricultural frontiers in the Amazon and Indonesia – is crucial. Financial incentives for conservation and sustainable land use are also highly effective. Where forests have already been cleared, reforestation plays a critical role. That's where initiatives like launched by the World Economic Forum, step in. The ambitious goal: conserve, restore and grow one trillion trees by 2030. The initiative unites public and private sectors, and collaborates with UpLink – the Forum's platform for early-stage innovation – to drive forward-thinking solutions and support the next generation of environmental entrepreneurs. This article first appeared in the World Economic Forum. Read the original piece here.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A Third of Forests Lost This Century Will Likely Never Be Restored
Of the forest lost so far this century, roughly a third was destroyed to make room for farms, a new analysis finds. Those woodlands, which spanned an area larger than Mongolia, will likely never be restored, authors say. The analysis, led by the World Resources Institute, used artificial intelligence to analyze satellite imagery and understand the forces shaping forests. Authors say the findings offer the most detailed view yet of the drivers of deforestation. The analysis finds that 34 percent of forest loss is permanent, driven almost entirely by the demand for farmland. In tropical rainforests, the permanent loss is even more dramatic, accounting for 61 percent of deforested lands. The remaining, temporary loss was largely the result of logging and wildfires, the analysis showed. While these forests could conceivably regrow, it would take decades for them to recover — if ever. 'Just because trees grow back doesn't mean forests return to their original state,' said coauthor Radost Stanimirova, of the World Resources Institute. Warming is spurring the spread of pests, like bark beetles, and fueling more frequent wildfires, 'which makes it harder for forests to recover.' Cambodian Forest Defenders at Risk for Exposing Illegal Logging
Euronews
12-06-2025
- Science
- Euronews
One-third of forest lost this century is gone for good, analysis finds
Humans are used to thinking of trees as a reusable resource, but new analysis suggests that a third of all forest loss this century is irreversible. The report from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and Google DeepMind offers the most detailed view to date of what's driving deforestation, by identifying causes of permanent loss like agriculture, mining, and infrastructure. It found that 34 per cent (177 million hectares) of all global forest loss between 2001 and 2024 is permanent, as trees in those areas are unlikely to grow back naturally. Ongoing agriculture is responsible for 95 per cent of that total, though there are wide regional differences. 'We've long known where forests are being lost. Now we better understand why,' says Michelle Sims, research associate at WRI. 'This knowledge is essential to developing smarter actions at the regional, national and even local level - to protect remaining forests and restore degraded ones'. Concerningly, the proportion of forest erasure tied to permanent land use change rises to 61 per cent in tropical rainforests, home to Earth's most vital ecosystems for biodiversity and carbon storage. That's 50.7 million hectares - or an area nearly the size of Thailand - gone for good. In Europe, the researchers found that 91 per cent of tree cover loss is due to timber harvesting, much of it within managed forests where regrowth is planned. In heavily forested Sweden, for example, the routine harvest of timber caused 98 per cent of all tree cover loss from 2001-2024 (6 million hectares). The Nordic nation is one of the world's largest producers of wood products, including pulp, paper and other sawn wood materials. After trees are harvested, they are replanted or allowed to naturally regenerate. In theory, this means that tree cover loss is temporary and balanced by regrowth in managed cycles. But globally speaking, even the two-thirds of forest loss driven by 'temporary' causes, such as logging, wildfires, natural disturbances or shifting cultivation, can leave deep scars. Forest regeneration depends on how the land is managed afterwards, the type of forest and the degree of environmental stress it faces, the report cautions. 'Just because trees grow back doesn't mean forests return to their original state,' says Radost Stanimirova, research associate at WRI. 'They might store less carbon, have fewer species or be more vulnerable to future damage. And climate change is making many natural events like fires and pest outbreaks more intense and frequent, which makes it harder for forests to recover.' In temperate and boreal regions such as Russia and North America, logging and wildfires - often triggered by lightning or human activity, then fanned by climate change - are the primary drivers of forest loss. Thanks to an advanced AI model and satellite imagery, the findings represent a significant advancement in forest intelligence. By pinpointing the underlying causes of forest loss in different places, the data enables policymakers, companies and communities to design more targeted solutions to tackle deforestation. WRI has some immediate recommendations, including strengthening Indigenous and local land rights, designing policies that reflect local farming and land use realities, improving how forests are managed and monitored, and ensuring infrastructure and agricultural expansion are guided by strong environmental planning. It also stresses that local land use dynamics are shaped by global market forces. To this end, the EU's Deforestation Regulation - which requires suppliers of palm oil, timber, coffee, beef and other commodities to prove their production did not cause forest clearance - must be enforced. Meanwhile, the researchers add, reducing wildfire risk demands ecosystem-specific fire management and early warning systems. A ban on deep-sea fishing in parts of the Atlantic rich with marine life has been upheld by the EU's General Court. It means these areas will remain restricted to help preserve vulnerable species and ecosystems. The decision comes after the same court ruled last month in a German case that Marine Protected Areas must be protected from bottom trawling. Separate legal actions were filed by the Spanish government and fishermen from Galicia and Asturias who challenged a 2016 EU rule that banned fishing with nets and longlines in 87 areas of the Atlantic off the coasts of Spain, Ireland, Portugal and France. When the rules came into effect in 2022, Spain sued the European Commission, claiming that it failed to consider the economic damage to fishermen. It also questioned the scientific methods used to determine how banned fishing gear and protected areas were chosen. The rules were adopted by the EU to conserve fish stocks in the deep sea and to protect marine life from fishing gear being dragged along the sea floor. Among other things, these regulations outlaw the controversial fishing practice of bottom trawling below a depth of 800 metres in these parts of the north-east Atlantic. Species found at depth in the oceans, such as alfonsinos, black scabbardfish, roundnose grenadier, red seabream and some shark species, collapse quickly because they are vulnerable to fishing and slow to reproduce, according to the EU. The court stressed that the decision to protect these areas was in line with EU law. In its ruling, it said that the 87 areas were chosen because of the 'proven or provable presence of protected species'. Due to the vulnerability of these areas, it said that regulators were not required to assess whether some kinds of fishing gear were less damaging or the economic impact on fishermen. The ruling also allows the European Commission to continue using scientific input from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea in determining future conservation areas. Lawyers from environmental organisation ClientEarth say the ruling is likely to have a positive impact on other legal cases on bottom trawling happening across the EU. 'There is now too much evidence about the damage wrought by wide-scale, repeat bottom trawling to ignore,' says ClientEarth ocean lawyer Francesco Maletto. 'We are heartened to see the EU's General Court again uphold the principles of legal protection, keeping these areas of the ocean safe from harm, and ensuring healthy fish and marine wildlife populations.' ClientEarth and others have launched legal action against multiple national governments, as well as bringing complaints to the EU itself, over the failure to tackle harmful fishing taking place in Marine Protected Areas. At last count, no EU country had a definitive roadmap to ban bottom trawling in zones designated for official protection. After footage of bottom trawling from the film Ocean with David Attenborough shocked the world, calls for action have heightened. Some commitments to ban the practice have emerged from the UN Ocean Conference this week in Nice, with the UK and France making initial commitments to crack down on the practice.
Euronews
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Brazil and France launch push to put oceans at heart of climate plans
Brazil and France have just launched a new challenge to countries to put oceans at the centre of climate action. On Monday, at the UN Ocean Conference, the two countries called on all nations to place ocean-focused action at the heart of their national climate plans - also known as Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs - ahead of the UN climate summit COP30 it is hosting in November. Alongside Brazil and France, an inaugural group of eight countries, including Australia, Fiji, Kenya, Mexico, Palau, and the Republic of Seychelles, has joined the initiative. 'For Brazil, the Blue NDC Challenge represents a key opportunity to strengthen ocean-related climate action and to emphasise the essential role of ocean-based solutions in achieving emission reduction targets,' says Marina Silva, Brazil's Minister for the Environment and Climate Change. 'Through this initiative, Brazil seeks to advance international cooperation on ocean climate action in the lead-up to COP30, and to underscore the need for all countries to fully integrate the ocean into their national climate strategies.' Silva added that in its most recently submitted NDC, Brazil had explicitly included ocean-based climate actions for the first time. That includes commitments like establishing programmes for the conservation and restoration of vital marine ecosystems such as mangroves and coral reefs. 40 per cent of Brazil's territory is located at sea, and it hosts marine ecosystems of global significance - including the only coral reefs in the South Atlantic and the world's largest contiguous mangrove belt along the Amazon coast. NDCs are the centrepiece of countries' efforts to reduce emissions and limit warming to 1.5°C under the Paris Agreement. Countries remain largely off track for meeting the Paris goals, according to the most recent UN emissions gap report, with the next round of climate pledges needing to deliver a 'quantum leap in ambition' to give the world a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Nations were due to submit updated plans in February, but only 11 of the 195 Paris Agreement signatories made the formal deadline. As of early June, just 22 countries have so far delivered their enhanced NDCs. Brazil is one of only five G20 countries that have submitted updated plans alongside the US under the Biden administration, the UK, Japan and Canada. The real deadline is now September, when the plans will be tallied up before COP30. As the world prepares to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement this year, the Blue NDC challenge is aimed at highlighting the role oceans can play in enhancing these plans. 'Ocean-based climate solutions can deliver up to 35 per cent of the emissions reductions needed to keep 1.5°C within reach,' says Tom Pickerell, global director of the ocean programme at the World Resources Institute and Head of the Secretariat for the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy. 'But we are running out of time to maximise the ocean's potential. That's why countries must place the ocean at the heart of their climate strategies.' Industrial marine sectors and natural ecosystems are 'underused tools' in addressing climate change, Wavel Ramkalawan, President of the Republic of Seychelles, one of the eight inaugural countries that joined the initiative, added.
