How to feed 10 billion people — without destroying nature | Andy Jarvis - TED Talks Daily

Summary

Podcast Summary: How to Feed 10 Billion People — Without Destroying Nature | Andy Jarvis

Podcast: TED Talks Daily
Host: Elise Hu
Guest Speaker: Andy Jarvis, Food Futurist
Release Date: January 6, 2025

Introduction

In the January 6, 2025 episode of TED Talks Daily, food futurist Andy Jarvis tackles one of the most pressing challenges of our time: how to produce enough protein-based food to feed a projected global population of 10 billion without wreaking havoc on our planet's ecosystems. Hosted by Elise Hu, Jarvis delves into the intricate balance between meeting human nutritional needs and preserving environmental integrity, offering insights into sustainable food production through alternative proteins.

The Imperative of Sustainable Protein Production [02:14]

Andy Jarvis begins by highlighting the critical role of protein in human nutrition, emphasizing its ubiquity and necessity:

“We have 100,000 different types of protein in our own bodies.” [02:30]

He underscores the paradox of our insatiable appetite for protein, particularly from animal sources, which is a leading cause of environmental degradation. Jarvis presents alarming statistics:

One-third of global emissions are attributed to food production, with half of that stemming from animal agriculture.
40% of the Earth's land surface is dedicated to agriculture, over two-thirds of which is for animal farming.
By 2050, the demand for animal-sourced foods and proteins is projected to increase by 50% or more.

These figures illustrate the unsustainable trajectory of current agricultural practices and set the stage for exploring viable alternatives.

Exploring Alternative Proteins [04:10]

Jarvis introduces the concept of alternative proteins as a cornerstone of sustainable food systems. He categorizes these alternatives into three main types:

Plant-Based Proteins:
- Examples include soybean-based burgers and pea-based bacon.
- These products boast a significantly lower environmental footprint concerning emissions and land use.
Fermentation-Based Proteins:
- Utilizes microalgae, microbes, and fungi to create novel protein sources.
- Innovations even allow for protein production from air, showcasing the potential of biotechnology.
Cultivated (Lab-Grown) Meat:
- Involves cultivating animal cells to recreate muscle tissues, resulting in meat-like products without the need for traditional animal farming.
- Jarvis shares his personal experience tasting cultivated beefsteak, praising its authentic taste and texture:
  
  “I had the fortune to try beefsteak recently. It had the taste, it had the texture, it smelt, it was meat.” [05:45]

He acknowledges the current challenges facing these alternatives:

Overprocessing in plant-based proteins can diminish nutritional value.
High production costs for cultivated meat, which stands at $40 per pound or more.
Investment uncertainties post-pandemic have led to funding challenges in the sector.

The Role of Innovation and Government Support [08:20]

Despite these hurdles, Jarvis remains optimistic, asserting that innovation is key to overcoming existing obstacles. He cites advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) that aid in perfecting flavor and texture combinations:

“AI is helping tremendously. I've tasted a cheese that is cheese. I love cheese and this cheese is cheese.” [09:15]

Jarvis stresses the necessity of government intervention to level the playing field:

Currently, hundreds of billions of dollars are funneled into subsidies for animal agriculture.
Redirecting similar funding towards alternative protein sectors could make these products more affordable and accessible.

He points to Singapore as a model example:

Regulatory Pioneering: First country to regulate and make cultivated meat available to consumers.
Investment in Innovation: Significant funding directed towards scientific research and startup incubation.
Ecosystem Development: Creation of a robust network of actors focused on alternative proteins, culminating in cultivated meat products now available in Singaporean supermarkets.

Vision for a Diverse and Inclusive Food Future [10:30]

Jarvis envisions a holistic and inclusive approach to future food systems, advocating for a combination of methods to cater to diverse cultural, religious, and personal preferences:

“We need rotational grazing, regenerative animal agriculture, ranches that are delivering all of the great things that they do. And we need plant-based proteins. Yes, we need lab-grown cultivated meat… and we need new fermented products.” [11:10]

He emphasizes choice and accessibility, ensuring that sustainable options do not come at the expense of cultural authenticity or affordability:

Cultural Relevance: Products tailored to local tastes and preferences, such as halal-certified lamb or region-specific meat textures.
Affordability and Nutrition: Commitment to making sustainable proteins not only accessible but also healthy and nutrient-rich.

Jarvis concludes by highlighting the collective responsibility in shaping the future of food:

“It’s ultimately about choice. It’s about my choice, it’s about your choice, it’s everyone’s choice.” [11:35]

He reaffirms his dedication through personal and financial commitments, including the Best Earth Fund’s allocation of $100 million towards supporting centers for Sustainable Protein.

Conclusion

Andy Jarvis's TED Talk presents a compelling case for reimagining our global food systems. By embracing alternative proteins and fostering innovation through supportive policies and investments, Jarvis believes it is possible to sustainably feed a burgeoning population without compromising the health of our planet. His multifaceted approach champions collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity, laying out a roadmap for a resilient and diverse food future.

Notable Quotes

“We have 100,000 different types of protein in our own bodies.” — Andy Jarvis [02:30]
“AI is helping tremendously. I've tasted a cheese that is cheese. I love cheese and this cheese is cheese.” — Andy Jarvis [09:15]
“It’s ultimately about choice. It’s about my choice, it’s about your choice, it’s everyone’s choice.” — Andy Jarvis [11:35]

This episode of TED Talks Daily offers invaluable insights into the sustainable future of food, emphasizing the urgent need for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to ensure environmental preservation and food security for generations to come.

Transcript

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Elise (1:39)

You're listening to Ted Talks Daily where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hu. The challenge for food futurist Andy Jarvis is how to produce protein based food without destroying nature. And we know big agriculture and the planet are often in contradiction with one another. In his 2024 talk, Jarvis shares the promise of alternative proteins that can meet the world's demands sustainably and what it will take for a balanced approach to get us there.

David (2:14)

My son thinks I have the coolest job title in the world. I'm the director of the Future of Food. For him, that's some kind of idea. He thinks this is a Willy Wonka style role of creating chocolate fountains, unlimited gobstoppers. But it's a little bit more down to earth, really. It's about thinking about how do we produce food without destroying nature? How do we deliver to 10 billion people affordable, nutritious and sustainable food? The one catch to all of this is I can't tell anyone what they should eat. It just doesn't work right. I tell my son all the time what he shouldn't eat. And that doesn't work. My mom spent my early days constantly telling me what I should eat. Brussels sprouts didn't work despite all the time she told me. So anyway, I digress. That's the one catch. But when I do think about the future of food and how to produce food without destroying nature, one particular molecule always floats to the top as a priority, and that's protein. It's essential to human life. Did you know we have 100,000 different types of protein in our own bodies? Right. When I say protein as well, I'm also, it's kind of writ large. All of the good stuff we get from animal sourced foods, from meat and from milk, macronutrients and micronutrients. But our insatiable appetite for protein is destroying nature. Did you know that one third of global emissions come from food and half of that is coming from animal agriculture? Did you know that we have 40% of the land surface dedicated to production of agriculture and over two thirds of that is for animal agriculture. And it doesn't stop there. WE project to 2050 an increase in demand for animal sourced foods and protein of 50% or more. There's simply no way that we can deliver that without tearing up planet earth unless we change the way we think about it. And so one thing I think can play an important role in that is alternative proteins. So when we talk about alternative proteins, we can think about plant based products. Plant based could be burger made from soybeans, it could be bacon rashers made from peas. And there are already products like this on the market and they come in at an extraordinarily lower footprint in terms of emissions and in terms of land, we can also think about fermentation. So fermentation, it's an age old practice that we've had for millennia. Today, modern day fermented products, we can be using microalgae and microbes and fungi and creating new types of protein. Hell, we can even create protein from air. And then the other type is cultivated meat. Cultivated meat is where we use cells from animals, reproduce them, we recreate tissues and we have meat like products that are coming from just these cells. I had the fortune to try beefsteak recently. It had the taste, it had the texture, it smelt, it was meat. Right? The mind blowing thing while you're tasting that is thinking that the cow where those cells came from was grazing up on the mountainside just close to where I was. And that cow, those cells could produce thousands if not millions of those kinds of steaks. It's mind blowing. So it sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it's not perfect. It has its issues. So many of the plant based proteins that we're producing right now are being processed too much. They're over processed. Also on cultivated meat, the costs are very high. We have $40 per pound or more is the cost of producing these kinds of proteins from cultivated meat and then scaling this to have any kind of planetary impact, actually producing cultivated meat on planetary scales, it's an enormous challenge. The sector is also suffering. We had absolute influx of funds of investment during the pandemic and the sector right now is suffering. That was impatient capital, venture capital, seeing pouncing on a great idea. But right now it's looking for products on shelves and profits to pay back those investments. The sector is suffering. So is it really part of this future of food? Well, put simply, I think it has to be. We have to make this work. And many of these problems are surmountable. Innovation is absolutely key. We can bring down the prices of cultivated meat through innovation. We can find new ways of combining plant proteins and recreating, mimicking the flavor of meat, the flavor of milk, the textures. If we get those ingredients right and those combinations right, AI is helping tremendously. I've tasted a cheese that is cheese. I love cheese and this cheese is cheese. And it's using AI to get those combinations right. So these problems are surmountable. So remember the catch. I can't tell anyone what to eat, but what can I do? Well, I can tell governments that they need to step up on this. We need governments to step up and support. Did you know that hundreds of billions of dollars are spent every year for subsidies for support to animal agriculture? And I can tell you, and that's on the rise, but I can tell you if you had the same amount of support going to the alternative protein sector, these products would already be an awful lot more affordable and much tastier on supermarket shelves. So governments need to step up. They need to level the playing field for this. Right? And many governments are interested. They see opportunity here. It's resilience. It's addressing food prices, it's addressing food security. But they're scared to talk about this. This has become a polarized issue. It needs to not be. And governments looking at this can look for Singapore for inspiration. Singapore has been a powerhouse in alternative proteins. What did they do? They were the first to regulate for cultivated meat. They regulated, made it available for consumers. They invested innovation, they invested in science, they incubated companies and startups they created an ecosystem of actors working on alternative proteins that is world class. And it's the only country in the world where you can go to a supermarket and buy a cultivated meat product. Today it is there on supermarket shelves. Singapore has shown the way of how this can be done. And the other thing that I can do is invest. I can put our money where our mouth is. So at the Best Earth Fund, we've just committed $100 million to support centers for Sustainable Protein. It is tackling some of these insurmountable problems, these surmountable problems, using innovation to bring prices down, to improve texture, to improve taste, and to make these more healthy and more nutritious for people. That's what I can do. What can we do? Well, we need to recognize that everyone has a role to play in this future of food. Everyone has a stake. Not that kind of stake. We need to move away from either or and move towards yes and yes. We need rotational grazing, regenerative animal agriculture, ranches that are delivering all of the great things that they do. And we need plant based proteins. Yes, we need lab grown cultivated meat and for fish, for lamb, for beef, and we need new fermented products. Yes, we need all of that and everything in between. Whole grains, pulses. Yes, we need that. Right. So that's how I imagine the future of food. It's one that accommodates for all of the palates, the religions, the cultures, the preferences out there and all of the budgets. And it's not about just producing the perfect burger. A Nigerian came up to me and he said, look, don't come to me with burgers in Nigeria. We're not a burger nation. We, we like chewy beef. Yes, it's chewy beef and it's halal certified lamb. And it's all of these things. So that way. And my son is very grateful for this. We're not telling anyone what to eat. We are simply getting access to a large range of options which are all sustainable, affordable and healthy. And so it's ultimately about choice. It's about my choice, it's about your choice, it's everyone's choice. But make no mistake, these are probably some of the most important choices we'll make. Thank you.