Food waste would provide enough protein to tackle world hunger, claim scientists

Transforming waste from the food industry could help produce enough protein to tackle the global food crisis, scientists have claimed.

Researchers at King’s College London believe new technologies able to turn organic waste into protein could solve malnutrition, reduce the pressure on agriculture and food supply chains, and fight climate change.

Their report, published in the journal Green Chemistry today, claims waste including that from agriculture, kitchens, restaurants and food manufacturers, provides the solution to grow a new industry offering sustainability and food security through alternative proteins.

It says recent disruption to global food supply chains has significantly increased the projected number of people suffering from malnutrition by 2030, from 841 million to 909 million people.

Yet 1.3 billion tonnes of wasted food and 11.1 billion tonnes of crop residues such as wheat straw are being produced annually.

In the UK alone, 1.5 million tonnes of organic waste are created from the production of food, according to the report.

The report’s authors claimed to have been the first to have extensively reviewed sustainable technologies that convert organic waste. It cites the manufacture of Quorn as an example of production that converts carbohydrates into protein, in that example to make mycoprotein using a fermentation process.

The authors claim that by applying mycoprotein technologies to agricultural crop residues alone, 562 Mt of protein could be produced annually – the equivalent of 197g per person per day. The recommended average protein intake is 50g per 70kg adult per day.

Other technologies include using insects to ingest food waste and then subsequently harvesting them for human and animal consumption. The report’s authors claim this has the potential to create even more food, though they admit public perception of waste-to-protein processes and alternative proteins would need to change if they were to fulfil their potential.

“Reducing our waste by creating an economy powered by nature is crucial for fighting climate change,” said lead author Ellen Piercy. “We currently throw away billions of tonnes of perfectly usable organic waste every year, but by using sustainable bio-converters we can transform this food waste into a valuable protein resource.”

Fellow author Dr Miao Guo added: “Organic waste derived from the food industry or agricultural sectors is a valuable resource. Waste can be recovered as high-value products such as proteins. Waste to protein technologies could offer promising protein alternatives to help alleviate the global hunger crisis.”