Alternative proteins are not just for vegetarians anymore. As the population becomes more educated about the environment and sustainability, fish processing companies are seeking out sustainable protein sources to replace meat products. These alternative proteins come in many different forms, but all have one thing in common: they do not impact the seafood market like animal-based products do.
What are alternative proteins?
Alternative proteins are essentially plant-based proteins which are consumed in place of animal products. They can come in many forms, such as processed meat alternatives to replace traditional meats like beef or chicken. Another form is that they can be a protein powder made from plants and eaten the same way one would consume whey protein shakes, for example. Other examples include beans, mushrooms, nuts/seeds and legumes (such as chickpeas).
Why should we care about it, and what are the pros and cons of alternatives to seafood?
Why are people talking more and more about alternative proteins? There are many reasons for this. One reason might be because of the increasing health concerns associated with eating red meat, including heart disease and obesity. Another reason is that people have become more conscious about animal welfare issues surrounding livestock production, such as overcrowding in factory farms, use of antibiotics to speed up growth rates which can lead to antibiotic resistance in humans who eat these animals later on, or being fed an unnatural diet (e.g., genetically-modified corn instead of natural grass).
People are choosing alternative proteins due to their environmental impact also playing a role in changing diets around the world too. For example, it takes 23 pounds of feed to make one pound of beef. This means it’s far more resource-efficient if more people were to switch from beef protein sources to plant-based proteins, which are less resource intensive.
Can this switch over to alternative proteins affect the seafood market?
This could potentially have an effect on the seafood market as people will be switching over, and therefore there would not be a need for such high quantities. There may then be surplus or waste that cannot be used for consumption later down the line, meaning potential loss within this market industry.
With overfishing and other non-sustainable fishing methods causing a big problem for the environment and food sources, people are understanding the need to look for alternative proteins.
This switch over to alternative proteins is something that can have a dramatic effect on the seafood market, as people continue to understand the need and desire for sustainable food sources. This means less demand, which could potentially leave surplus or waste within this industry of seafood export companies. With many other countries also starting to look into these options too, it may only involve more wastage in the future, and might have previously reliable seafood exporters in Sri Lanka, such as tuna fish exporters, go out of business.
What can you do to help reduce your carbon footprint but still enjoy your favourite dishes that contain fish or shrimp?
Completely switching over to plant-based food sources is however, not the right answer, and there should be ways in which we can bring a balance to the table.
Alternative proteins can be created from a range of products, and we should begin looking into what may work for us as individuals. For example, there is plant-based shrimp which even tastes like the real thing. There are also vegetarian options such as jackfruit that could potentially replace recipes calling for meat or fish. In addition, there could be greater effort made to increase the quantity of plant-based foods in dishes, while still having an economical amount of seafood such as shrimp or tuna.
Protein from plants is becoming more readily available in grocery stores, which means people will have an easier time switching to something else if they are looking for it. Farmed fish may also see some benefits due to their wild counterparts being over-consumed by many different dietary preferences. With less demand for farmed fish comes lower prices that could benefit consumers or producers alike while still maintaining profit margins with increased efficiency.
Potential negative impacts include a loss of jobs at fisheries as well as other professionals working within this industry such as processors who work hard to get these products out into our and onto our tables every day.
The future of food.
How will these changes affect our diets in the next 10 years, and what are some possible solutions for reducing our dependence on animal-based proteins while maintaining a healthy lifestyle? It is difficult to predict how our diets will change in the future, but it is clear that people are becoming more interested in alternative proteins every day.
As seafood companies begin to focus on increasing their plant-based protein output rather than meat production, this opens up new market opportunities for producers who have not had time or infrastructure previously available to them.
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