EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - The Politics Of Protein - EXAMINING CLAIMS ABOUT LIVESTOCK, FISH,

Framing the discussion around these claims narrows the lens in five key ways, leading to simplistic silver bullet solutions: 1 OVEREMPHASIS ON PROTEIN For decades, the perceived need for more protein has led to distractions and distortions in development programs, flawed marketing and nutritional campaigns, and calls to increase the production and trade of meat, dairy, and protein-enriched foods. [...] The ‘protein obsession’ is now shaping the political agenda and setting the parameters for scientific studies, media coverage, and public debate, with farming systems assessed primarily (or solely) in terms of protein production per unit of GHG emissions, and the need for a ‘protein transition’ guiding the various solutions on the table. [...] 5 FAILURE TO CONSIDER COMPLEXITIES, PATH DEPENDENCIES, AND POWER DYNAMICS (FAILURE TO SEE THE WHOLE FOOD SYSTEM) The latest ‘techno-fixes’ for livestock and aquaculture are based on increasing the intensity, uniformity, and density of industrial systems – and are therefore likely to generate further problems down the line, requiring another round of technological innovations in order to preserve p. [...] Through the lens of protein on one side and GHG emissions on the other, sectors and activities that are barely comparable are set alongside each other, using metrics that are ill-adapted to capture the complex socio-ecological interactions and impacts of livestock, fishery and agricultural systems. [...] The focus is now on producing enough protein to feed the world in the face of supply constraints and rising demand – although the evidence shows that there is no ‘protein gap’ in terms of global supply versus nutritional needs, and that poverty and poor access to food are the main drivers of various dietary deficiencies.