This paper reviews the literature on different protein sources and their implications for food security, health, ethics, environmental sustainability and socio-economic wellbeing. It classes the many contentious debates about the future of sustainable protein into three main categories or meta-narratives - “modernising protein”, “reconstituting protein” and “regenerating protein” - and analyses how stakeholders in each of these camps are seeking to reshape food systems.

This event was hosted by TABLE on 17 October 2022 and took the format of a panel discussion with: Dr Tara Garnett (director of TABLE and fellow of the Oxford Martin School); Adele Jones (Executive Director, Sustainable Food Trust); Jude Capper (independent Livestock Sustainability Consultant & ABP Chair of Sustainable Beef and Sheep Production, Harper Adams University); Iain Tolhurst (Owner, Tolhurst Organic Farm); Varun Deshpande (Managing Director for Asia, the Good Food Institute).

In this blog post published by the Food Research Collaboration, Prof Erik Millstone argues that upcoming legislation (the Retained EU Law (Reform and Revocation) Bill) could threaten food safety standards in the UK. The Bill, although not aimed specifically at the food sector, will enable the revocation of European Union laws in the UK. Millstone notes that Prime Minister Liz Truss has expressed support for deregulation of the food sector, for example by removing the sugary beverages tax. Food Standards Scotland has also warned that food standards relating to food labelling, chemical contaminants and hygiene levels could be lost unless new laws are introduced rapidly.

This book, aimed at undergraduate students, gives an overview of how power dynamics, such as those linked to inequality and colonialism, affect global food systems and what we eat.

This book presents an overview of animal welfare as it relates to farming, hunting, fishing, entertainment and environmental implications. It discusses legal developments around the world as well as how different groups of stakeholders view animal welfare issues.

The UK’s Food, Farming & Countryside Commission has published a proposed land use framework for England, following Defra’s announcement that the government will publish its own strategy in 2023. The FFCC distinguishes its proposals from the government’s current strategy in two ways: the FFCC argues that any land use framework must encompass all uses, including both rural and urban; and it argues that both top-down and bottom-up planning approaches should be used at the same time.

This report from the Landworkers' Alliance sets out how the UK government can help new farmers enter the agroecology sector. Based on a set of interviews with new entrants to the sector, it sets out current barriers to entry, including difficulties in accessing land, housing, capital, training, markets and industry connections as well as negative perceptions of farming jobs.

The Science Based Targets initiative has published guidance for companies in land-intensive sectors on how to set science-based targets for reducing emissions from agriculture, forestry and other land use in line with the Paris Agreement’s climate goals. The key components include: setting near-term emissions reduction targets for the next 5-10 years; account for carbon sequestration options such as forest management and soil carbon sequestration; set long-term targets of cutting emissions by 74% by no later than 2050; set zero deforestation targets for no later than 2025; and set emissions reduction targets for both land use and fossil fuel use.

Europe’s imports of palm oil are decreasing while the region remains a top market for sustainable palm oil, according to this report which is targeted at Europe-based retailers and manufacturers of palm oil products. The report sets out how industry users of palm oil in Europe can strengthen the sustainable palm oil movement globally, including: improving traceability in their supply chains; committing to sustainable sourcing policies; joining a sustainable palm oil initiative; using certification schemes; and joining landscape-based sustainability initiatives.