This paper reviews the literature on the sustainability of four technologies that are being developed for use in sustainable food systems: vertical farming, plant-based alternatives, food delivery services and blockchain in food systems. These four technologies were chosen because they have recently attracted significant investments in the Nordic region.

The Good Food Institute has launched a database of over 500 research papers, books, reports, patents and theses on plant-based meats and proteins. The database can be searched and filtered, for example by keyword.

This report from UK Research and Innovation discusses the future of the alternative protein sector in the UK, drawing on a workshop held with representatives of industry, research and policymaking. It discusses plant proteins (e.g. pulses, lupins), fermentation processes (algae, bacteria, fungi, mammalian cells) and novel systems such as insect proteins and new types of aquaculture.

This article in Greenbiz explains and discusses three common concerns about plant-based meat alternatives: that many alternative protein startups do not disclose their product’s environmental impacts; that alternative proteins are unhealthy because they are highly processed; and that alternative protein startups fail to disrupt the power structures of the economic status quo.

This book argues in favour of using cultural change to shift human diets away from farmed meat and dairy products, on the grounds of health, environmental impact and animal welfare.

The Good Food Institute has published a series of four reports giving the latest industry and investment updates about alternative proteins, including plant-based foods, fermentation, cellular agriculture, and alternative seafood.

This study finds that vegetarians, fish-eaters and people who eat low levels of meat (five or fewer times a week) have a lower risk of all cancers than people who eat regular levels of meat (more than five times a week): 14% lower for vegetarians, 10% lower for fish-eaters, and 2% lower for low meat-eaters. The authors stress that some of the difference may be due to confounding factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity. The study is based in the UK and had 472,377 participants.

This paper quantifies the climate impacts of phasing out livestock production globally. It finds that ceasing animal agriculture could provide half of the net emissions reductions required to limit climate warming to 2°C, and argues that large cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from food production are likely to be necessary alongside emissions reductions in the transport and energy sectors. Both authors are shareholders of Impossible Foods, which is developing alternatives to livestock.

This paper looks at the climate impacts of dietary shift towards plant-based foods in high-income nations. It finds that adoption of the EAT-Lancet diet in 54 countries could both reduce annual agricultural production emissions from those countries by 61%, and spare land that could sequester carbon equivalent to 14 years of current global agricultural emissions, through restoration to the natural vegetation associated with today’s climate in each location.