The history of protein, from its 'discovery' and naming in 1838, is a story weaving science, nutritional politics, cultural attitudes to food, and much more. An understanding of this history is invaluable if we are to contextualise the current focus on protein that characterises discourses about health and sustainable food systems, and popular beliefs about fitness and nutrition. In this piece, we trace the history of protein from 1838 through to the end of the 'Protein fiasco' in 1974, discovering many echoes of the modern day. Table of contents: Introduction Section 1: The primary substance Section 2: Meat makes meat: the first protein fashion Section 3: Testing the lower limit: the end of the first protein fashion Section 4: 1918-1955: milk, aid and biopolitics Section 5: Protein fiasco Section 6: Epilogue Suggested citation: Blaxter, T., & Garnett, T. (2022). Primed for power: a short cultural history of protein. TABLE, University of Oxford, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Wageningen University and Research. https://doi.org/10.56661/ba271ef5 https://www.doi.org/10.56661/ba271ef5

This report shares our reflections on TABLE’s most recent project of work – a series of dialogues and discussions with food systems stakeholders, focused on the theme of ‘scale’ in the food system.

The project aims to identify livestock-and protein-relevant questions, contestations and misunderstandings that the NGO community feels to be important, and that merit further research. Ultimately, the goal for this project is to come up with a short set of societally-relevant priority topics that could form the basis of interdisciplinary research and wider public engagement.