Framing the future of food: The contested promises of alternative proteins

A new blog has been written by LEAP researcher Alexandra Sexton for the Food Climate Research Network (FCRN) discussing the open-access article Framing the future of food: The contested promises of alternative proteins written by Alexandra Sexton, Tara Garnett & Jamie Lorimer and published in Environment and Planning E: Nature & Space. Its findings were also included in a recent World Economic Forum report entitled ‘Meat: The Future Series – Alternative Proteins’.

Blog excerpts

"My recent work has been examining the stories or narratives used to promote a range of food products that have been making global headlines over recent years. Frequently heralded as the ‘future of protein’, these approaches include a new generation of plant-based proteins, edible insect products, and a group often referred to as cellular agriculture."

"We might think that the promises companies make about their products are simply part of the business of marketing. While this is certainly true, we can look beyond the marketing formulas to explore what other roles promissory narratives can serve. This exercise can also highlight the ‘situatedness’ of these narratives – in other words, how they sit within, reflect and reinforce broader ideological, institutional, economic and cultural systems at a given time."