Public policies and vested interests preserve the animal farming status quo at the expense of animal product analogs

SCIENCE FOR SOCIETY Livestock production, including animal rearing and feed production, has large environmental impacts. A shift in dietary habits, particularly a reduction in animal product consumption in affluent countries, could mitigate these impacts. Technological innovations (i.e., precision fermentation, animal cell cultivation) are producing alternatives to animal-source products. Public funding for the novel technologies is smaller than that for animal products by factors of 1,200 in the EU and 800 in the US. Compared to the animal product sector, the spending by trade and non-profit organiza-tions in lobbying activities for the innovation sector is smaller by factors of 3 (EU) and 190 (US). Research to improve animal product analogs is led by private companies and has only recently been sup-ported by public funds. A shift in food policy is required to improve technologies to produce sustainable alternatives to animal-source products and reduce the environmental impact of the food system.