Canadian Government Invests $153 Million into Plant-Based Protein
November 25, 2018

Canadian Government Invests $153 Million into Plant-Based Protein

by lovemevegan

The Canadian Government is often accused of wasting taxpayers money, but investing in plant-based protein development is an undeniably good move. The Canadian Government recently announced a $153 million deal with Protein Industries Canada SuperClusters, whose goal is to make Canada the leader in the plant protein market. Considering the repeated warnings from climate experts to limit our consumption of animal products and instead eat plant protein, this announcement positions Canada with the opportunity to dominate this growing market while greatly reducing our collective environmental impact.
The CEO of Protein Industries Canada, Bill Greuel, says, “The global demand for plant-based protein continues to grow at a rapid pace and the signing of the contribution agreement will allow Protein Industries Canada to help industry seize this opportunity.”
It is well recognized by anyone paying attention that our current food system is inadequate to meet the needs of our rapidly growing world population. Our reliance on animal protein represents a massive food waste considering it can take up to 17 kilograms of plant protein to create a single kilogram of meat. The Earth cannot support Westerners preference for animal protein on a global scale, so we need to start going straight to the source for our protein needs.
Like many successful business plans, the Canadian Governments investment in plant protein is a step towards cutting out the middleman between people and protein. Given that all protein is originally produced by plants, recycling our protein through animals bodies is extremely inefficient and cannot operate sustainably on a global scale. With more than half of the Canadian population actively trying to reduce their meat consumption, Canada’s investment in this space matches consumers changing preferences. Thanks to the growing recognition that protein is not synonymous with meat, dairy, and eggs, people can make more conscious decisions about what they put in their body and why. It is no longer just about protein; the fate of our health, the planet and millions of animals hangs in the balance and it is encouraging to see the scale shifting in a positive direction.
But what about farmers who raise food rather than grow it? Is their way of life destined for destruction by lack of demand? Canadian dairy farmers have been heavily subsidized by the Canadian Government. With the intrusion of American milk into the Canadian market, many farmers feel they are been squeezed out of the dairy industry. Is it time for dairy farmers to see the writing on the wall? Either they change the trajectory of their business and produce plant protein instead of cow’s milk, or risk losing their way of life. The very same sentiment goes for those dependent on selling meat and eggs. There is a huge opportunity to be a leader in the growing plant-based space, but farmers must be willing to change their business models in order to meet changing consumer demands. Without this willingness to change, we will witness Darwin’s theory in action in an economic sense. Only those willing and able to adapt to changing demand will have a chance of survival. People will always depend on farmers for their food, but we must encourage these farmers to look to the future rather than clinging to the past.

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