The report covers four key issues related to plant-based meat and the ultra-processed food category and provides five recommendations to address them. The author begins by highlighting the current state of research and policy suggestions which call for a shift to more plant-based diets to achieve climate and net zero targets. Next, the report details how plant-based meats are both more nutritious and more sustainable than most real meat products. Then, the author discusses the benefits of “like-for-like” products, noting consumers are more likely to adopt plant-based meat alternatives if they easily fit within established purchasing, cooking, and eating habits. Finally, the author notes the concern surrounding many plant-based food products as “ultra-processed” foods. The report details why these concerns are not fully founded in science and how they could potentially derail climate, biodiversity, and health goals.

The report provides a series of recommendations to address these four key issues including:

1. Foods and diets that are both healthier and more sustainable should be promoted, irrespective of their degree of processing
2. There is need for more nuanced communication about the nutritional role of ultra processed food
3. All stakeholders working in the fields of food, nutrition and sustainability should normalise and actively develop trust in plant-based meat [This recommendation in particular may provoke rebuttal from some food systems stakeholders]
4. Improve awareness of nutrition and food processing to help consumers adopt healthier and more sustainable diets
5. Invest in research and development to provide consumers with healthier, more sustainable and more affordable foods