Protein-shift in low and middle income countries

The projected shift towards the consumption of more animal-based protein in Lower-Middle Income Countries (LMIC) is troublesome when considering its environmental impact. Therefore, using currently available food consumption data, this report investigates protein source changes with respect to plant or animal-based proteins in selected countries. To this end, the ratio between proteins derived from animal-, and plant-based foods is calculated. Results show that Ecuador and Algeria show an average annual increase in the percentage of proteins derived from plant-based sources between 2010 and 2020 (+1,38% and +0,21%, respectively), whereas India and South Africa show an average annual decrease (0,38% and -0,49%, respectively). These results should be interpreted with care; the timespan may be regarded too short to detect a clear trend. Future policies should promote diets that prioritize a higher intake of plant-based foods.