Tipping the protein transition: Leveraging consumption, distribution and policy dynamics for sustainable dietary shifts

Affluent societies tend to overconsume animal-based foods, leading to adverse environmental and health outcomes. A protein transition —
defined as a shift from animal-based proteins to alternative protein sources — is underway in these societies, but its pace remains
insufficient to address pressing crises. While governments, businesses and international organizations have increasingly recognized the
importance of the protein transition, interventions to date remain fragmented and ad hoc. This project aims to address these gaps by
identifying leverage points at the consumption, distribution, and policy levels, as well as examining their interactions for moving the
transition to a tipping point in three countries: Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands, with a focus on meat and meat alternatives such as
pulses, hybrids, meat analogues and cultivated meat. The project extends existing knowledge on strategies, actions , their barriers and
enablers, and underlying reconfiguration processes within protein transitions. A comprehensive, nested approach integrates these
subsystem analyses, enabling a deeper understanding of interactions across these dimensions and offering insights for holistic and effective
strategies.