Agriculture Minister David Carter has launched a joint programme in the Netherlands aimed at addressing food shortages by finding substitutes for animal protein.The project involves a collaboration between Massey University's Riddet Institute and Wagening
Agriculture Minister David Carter has launched a joint programme in the Netherlands aimed at addressing food shortages by finding substitutes for animal protein.
The project involves a collaboration between Massey University's Riddet Institute and Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR).
Mr Carter said it was an ambitious project that had potential to dramatically improve the world's food supply.
"Already there is a long history of cooperation between WUR and Massey, particularly in the context of the Global Research Alliance, in which New Zealand and the Netherlands are working closely together to lead the Livestock Research Group.
"This new collaboration, Proteos, is a three-pronged approach to the same dilemma of producing more food with less environmental impact."
Mr Carter said there was a growing global food crisis with the population expected to top nine billion by 2050, and demand for animal protein by then would be twice what could be produced now.
The project's goal was to find substitutes and extenders for animal protein, increase agri-production efficiencies and extend the range of animal protein products.
"If these ambitious goals can be achieved, we will be looking at a very different future, when new kinds of protein sources become increasingly important in human nutrition, and new kinds of animal feed support increased production."
