Plant-based products are often surrounded by a sustainability halo, which can lead to a higher willingness to pay more for these items. Without a defined toolset of sustainability indicators, however, researchers in Scandinavia have queried whether plant-based alternatives are, in fact, more sustainable.
In a new systemic and scoping review published in Nature Food, a team from Stockholm University and the University of Copenhagen has split the performance of plant-based alternatives into three categories: environmental, nutritional, and socio-economic and the results are in.
Environmental Impacts
Are plant-based alternatives more environmentally sustainable? In short, yes.
The researchers examined ample environmental impact factors, determining that plant-based alternatives tend to have a lower environmental impact than conventional animal-based products. In general, they are associated with less CO2 equivalent, less water use, and less land use, as well as lower ecotoxicity, acidification, and eutrophication potential.
There were some exceptions, however. One life cycle assessment, for example, found that almond milk is more water-intense than dairy milk and has a higher environmental foot print in general when assessed on a cradle to consumer system boundary assumption.
Almond milk is more water-intense than dairy milk.
Two studies found that the production of plant-based dairy alternatives has a higher energy demand than conventional dairy.
But according to Seren Fell, Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe’s science and technology manager, the paper simply ads to the growing body of evidence that plant-based options are better for the environment than conventional meat and dairy
“There is extensive data showing the overall trend is that conventional dairy cause around three times more greenhouse gas emissions and uses 2-20 times more freshwater than plant-based dairy.”
The suggestion is that the alt-dairy category as a whole – even if potential exceptions exist – is the more environmentally sustainable option.
“Plant-based dairy – as well as animal-free dairy produced using precision fermentation – can help provide people with the milk, cheese and butter they love but with a drastically reduced environmental impact.”
Are Plant-Based Alternatives more Nutritious?
Unlike the high-level agreement observed across relevant literature regarding the environmental impacts of plant-based alternatives, the researchers were unable to find a clear agreement for nutritional performance.
The tam found plant-based alternatives generally contained lower levels of proteins, with discernible differences depending on the commodity they are based on. One study, for example, found that burger patties made out mycoprotein contained higher protein, whereas those made form soy had lower levels compared to beef patties.
Social Inequality
To assess the social sustainability of plant-based alternatives, the researchers examined studies assessing nutritional adequacy. Consumer acceptance, willingness to buy and pay, and product price were assessed as economic factors.
Researchers observed a distinct lack of studies assessing the social and economic implications of shifting towards plant-based alternatives, however. Of those that ere included, findings suggest that overall, plant-based alternatives receive lower consumer acceptance and were higher in cost than conventional animal-based products. This could generate the impression that a plant-based diet is more expensive and seen as a luxury, leading to social inequalities.
The researchers concluded that significant gaps in research exist on certain environmental issues and social sustainability. To prevent misled investments in the future, the researchers are calling for a new sustainability assessment framework.
“Guiding transformative investments requires a more rigorous, quantitative assessment of the sustainability implications of food system technologies,” noted co-author Line Gordon, professor at the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University.
