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Rethinking Sustainability in Plant-Based Proteins: A Systems Perspective from Crop to Consumer
William R Aimutis1, Carlos Iglesias2, Marvin Moncada3
1Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein, North Carolina State University, Fitts-Woolard Hall, 915 Partners Way, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Plant-based proteins offer sustainable alternatives, but their success hinges on managing agricultural, processing, and climate factors. Ensuring safe, nutritious, and climate-resilient plant-based protein systems requires integrated research and policy efforts.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Agricultural Science
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Plant-based proteins (PBPs) are promoted as sustainable alternatives to animal proteins.
- Their environmental and nutritional performance is influenced by complex factors including agriculture, processing, and climate.
- Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing viable PBP systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the plant-based protein value chain, from crop to consumer.
- To examine how crop physiology, processing, and climate variability impact PBP quality and safety.
- To identify priorities for scalable, climate-resilient, safe, and nutritious PBP systems.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review across the PBP value chain.
- Analysis of crop physiology, protein extraction, ingredient functionality, and safety risks.
- Evaluation of climate change impacts on PBP nutritional and safety profiles.
Main Results:
- Climate variability alters PBP concentration, amino acid profiles, mineral bioavailability, and contaminant risks.
- Upstream changes in PBPs affect downstream processing and consumer health outcomes.
- Sustainability of PBPs is an emergent system-level property, not intrinsic to the source.
Conclusions:
- Integrated approaches considering biological, technological, nutritional, and socio-economic factors are essential.
- Research, processing innovations, and supportive policies are needed for robust PBP systems.
- Prioritizing climate resilience, safety, and nutritional quality is key for scaling PBPs.
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