Protein futures: Future scenarios for land-use in Aotearoa New Zealand: Synthesis report

Abstract

The Protein Futures NZ project was designed to provide insight to the potential implications of alternative proteins (including plant-based, fermentation and cellular) on land use change and environment outcomes in Aotearoa/New Zealand. International academic literature and investment trends, as discussed in this report, indicate that alternative proteins have the potential to impact the global protein market by increasing the supply of available protein sources,. They also claim to offer environmental and animal welfare benefits over traditional animal-based proteins. While the extent and speed at which alternative protein value chains develop is uncertain, any increase in supply from these sources is likely to impact the export of proteins. As part of the project, economic and land use modelling were used to assess the potential scope of change, and the results were presented to knowledgeable stakeholders. The results and feedback from the stakeholders indicate the need for policy or strategy that addresses the impact of alternative proteins on Aotearoa/New Zealand’s primary sector.