On greenhouse gases and food
Food consumption accounts for more than 20% of Swedish consumers' greenhouse gas emissions, with three quarters of the emissions occurring outside Sweden's borders. According to a UN/WWF report (August 2019), the corresponding figure globally is 23% direct emissions and as much as 35% if you also include the indirect emissions resulting from food consumption. The largest emissions by far are from ruminant meat and dairy products. The reason for this is the amount of methane gas produced by these animals.
To slow down global warming, the majority of climate experts believe that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the food sector, in particular by reducing and changing the consumption of animal products.
Today, simple and tasty vegetable alternatives to meat are offered, such as various processed soy and pea products in the form of e.g. textured products. One problem with this type of product is that it is considerably more expensive than the animal alternative, despite the fact that it takes considerably more raw materials to produce the same amount of meat and dairy products. One of the reasons for the higher cost is the relatively low production levels, which means that investments, production costs, etc. must be spread over a relatively small volume, resulting in a high final price.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the food sector is primarily about reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products, which together account for 65% of greenhouse gas emissions. Replacing meat with processed plant products risks significantly increasing costs for consumers and the public sector.
By 2045, Sweden must have no net emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and thereafter achieve negative emissions. Furthermore, by 2030, emissions in Sweden in the sectors that will be covered by the EU's Effort Sharing Regulation must be at least 63% lower than emissions in 1990.
Improved health from Swedish agriculture
Increased use of plant-based meat and dairy-like products should lead to improved public health. To ensure this, several activities are required in this area. In collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology, Simsufoods plans to evaluate the digestibility of different vegetable raw materials, as well as the impact on iron absorption.