MEGAN POINSKI: While plant-based food is almost synonymous with meat, dairy and egg alternatives, it isn't the only player in that game. GFI has called fermentation the "next pillar" of alternative protein. Through the process, companies can make protein material for meat and dairy analogs — known as biomass fermentation — as well as proteins identical to those created by animals that are used to create ingredients such as dairy and egg — known as precision fermentation. GFI tracks startups in the fermentation space, and issued a report on the state of the industry in 2020. Ignaszewski said…

JOVAN BUAC: The number of people turning vegan is on the rise, particularly amongst the younger generation, with a quarter of British millennials saying the Covid-19 pandemic has made veganism more appealing. Animal cruelty and a more sustainable, healthier lifestyle are just some of the reasons why many choose to become vegan. The non-profit organisation Veganuary has been a driving force in boosting the appeal of trying a plant-based diet, specifically around its January campaign which last year saw over five million people participate. As more people begin to explore veganism, there is a…

RACHEL MOSS: If you’re flirting with the idea of veganism, pledging to take part in Veganuary might seem like the obvious first move. But some fully fledged vegans are not convinced it’s the best way to convert people long-term. In a poll of Reddit’s largest vegan subreddit, r/vegan, which has more than 756,000 members, 41% of the community said they would not recommend Veganuary to people. Respondents raised concerns that the month-long challenge “depicts veganism as a fad diet, when in reality it is a holistic lifestyle”. Others questioned whether four weeks is enough to create…

VEGCONOMIST: As one of Asia’s leading food-tech startups, NextGen Foods has been in the vegan news frequently following its $20 million fundraise as well as the US launch of its flagship TiNDLE plant-based chicken. The Singapore based brand also named former Tesla and Impossible Foods executive Rachel Konrad as its first independent board member. Vegconomist took the opportunity to speak with Konrad a few months into her new role and to find out more about why the future of meat is already here... V: What do you think the plant-based food market will look like in 5 years’ time? RK: Great…

MATT SPENCE: During my time at the Pentagon and National Security Council, we not only prepared for war but also searched for opportunities to address global risks without conflict and used technology to address long-term security risks. One of the most immediate, politically feasible, and high-impact ways to do this is for the U.S. government to invest in and accelerate alternative ways to produce meat... Alternative proteins are a new way to produce meat, either directly from plants or by cultivating it from animal cells. Singapore is already selling meat made from actual animal cells; if…

HOLLY BANCROFT: Overuse of antibiotics on farm animals could lead to a pandemic “much bigger than Covid,” campaigners have warned. Health experts are calling for a ban on the use of low doses of antibiotics on healthy farm animals, saying the practice was breeding untreatable “superbugs” which could spread to humans. Farmers often give animals a preventative low dose of antibiotics as an insurance policy against disease. But from 28 January, new EU legislation will prohibit all forms of routine antibiotic use in farming, including preventative treatments. The government’s veterinary…

MARCO SPRINGMANN: The global food system is in disarray. Animal agriculture is a major driver of global heating, and as many as 12 million deaths from heart disease, stroke, cancers and diabetes are each year connected to eating the wrong things, like too much red and processed meat and too few fruits and vegetables. Unless the world can slash the amount of animal products in its food system and embrace more plant-based diets, there is little chance of avoiding dangerous levels of climate change and mounting public health problems. Agricultural subsidies help prop up a food system that is…

FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY: A survey into public perceptions of emerging alternative proteins has revealed that a third of UK consumers would try cultured meat... It also revealed a greater number - 6 in 10 of us - are willing to try plant-based products many of which are already on the market. The Food Standards Agency research also highlights how important food safety is to consumers with it being the top factor in encouraging people to try lab-grown meat or edible insects. Assurance around food safety is already the main reason people are willing to eat plant-based proteins. The survey comes…

WILL TUTTLE: In ancient Greek mythology, the three Furies (the Erinyes) were goddesses of retribution who punished human beings for committing crimes against the natural order. It is long past time for us to awaken to the basic fact that our enslavement, sexual abuse, and killing of billions of cows, chickens, and other fully sentient animals is a dreadful and massive crime against them, against the Earth and the natural order, and, ultimately, against ourselves. It is time for us to realize that we are indeed being severely punished for this ongoing crime of animal agriculture. Animal…

DUTCH NEWS: Animal legal rights campaign group Dier & Recht must remove posters saying separating a calf from its mother at birth constitutes serious animal suffering, a court in Amsterdam decided this week. The court said the campaign ‘Quitting dairy’, which shows posters of dairy products carrying a health warning similar to that on cigarettes, put farmers in a negative light, confirming an earlier lower court verdict. The animal rights group was taken to court by farmers’ organisation Agractie. Dier & Recht says the calves are isolated for weeks after the separation, causing…