Agriculture is responsible for up to 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Some of these emissions result from livestock farming. But many people are still unable to afford any meat or dairy products at all. As developing and emerging countries are becoming more prosperous, however, demand for animal products is growing. We need alternatives to animal protein so that emissions from livestock farming will not continue to increase. At the same time, consumers must be willing to purchase such products. As the website “EurekAlert!” reports, the University of Bath and the Formo company, which specializes in precision fermentation, have jointly conducted a survey to assess consumers’ willingness to accept “animal-free” milk products. The survey included several thousand people in Brazil, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and the United States. It found that across all of these countries and all age groups, the willingness to try or purchase animal-free cheese is relatively great. Seventy-nine percent of the respondents indicated that they were interested in trying such products, and 71 percent said that they would be open to purchasing them.

Up to 97 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions

Precision fermentation is a process by which microorganisms can be used to produce proteins. By inserting a copy of a sequence of cow DNA, these microorganisms create milk proteins. This procedure is believed to be more efficient and environmentally friendly than livestock farming. It produces up to 97 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional milk production. Acceptance of plant-based milk has grown over the past few years, and now consumers seem to be ready for animal-free milk products, according to Dr. Christopher Bryant of the University of Bath. Results show that consumers recognize the superior taste of these products, compared with vegan cheese, as well as their benefits for the environment and the climate.