Plant-based diets are on the rise, with vegan and vegetarian options now a staple on supermarket shelves. However, to meet the environmental concerns of those who are changing their diets and opting for plant-based alternatives, the food industry must encourage UK farmers to grow more protein-rich crops. In this article, Dr Réka Haraszi, Innovation Lead – Food & Drink at the UK Agri-Tech Centre, examines the growing importance of legumes, a popular plant protein.
Why do plant-based proteins matter?
Protein is essential for a balanced diet and is traditionally sourced from animal products like meat, dairy and eggs. Today, consumer demand is shifting towards plant-based and ‘flexitarian’ diets because of sustainability concerns around the consumption of meat.
This shift opens new opportunities for plant-based alternatives, but we must ensure that we are not shifting the problems arising from the production of animal products to plant-based alternatives. The UK farming sector must adapt to be able to meet the demand for raw materials needed for plant-based food production.
To make sure that alternative protein sources are sustainable, an integrated approach must be taken that considers the wider supply chain, consumer expectations and public health requirements. Examples of this include:
- Low volume crop proteins
- Insect and mycoproteins
- Technologies like precision fermentation and cellular agriculture
- Scalable plant-based protein sources
Increased demand for plant proteins
The demand for plant-based protein is continuing to grow, driven by the lower environmental impact and perceived health benefits compared to conventional animal protein. The global plant protein market shows a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8-9% (UK market 8.25% CAGR) for the coming years, offering great potential for innovation.
The uptake of plant proteins by the food industry is growing for both animal and human consumption and the right balance between these markets will help avoid waste and improve the quality of food and feed. These factors are already transforming the protein market.
What are legumes?
Legumes are a family of plants – including beans, peas and lentils – that are nutrient rich and can be consumed fresh or fried (as pulses). In the UK, crops like beans, faba beans and lupins are traditionally grown mostly for animal feed, specialist food processing (canned/frozen peas) or for export. The UK also imports other legume crops like chickpeas, peanuts, lentils, soybeans and dried peas for food processing. However, these are often sourced from areas of deforestation or use unsustainable production systems.
