The amount of land and water required to raise livestock puts a major strain on our air and water quality and ocean health by depleting resources and ramping up greenhouse gas emissions regionally and globally. In fact, eating less meat and dairy has been identified as a factor in curbing climate change.

Joining a number of meat and dairy alternatives on the market today, Geerdink’s new sugar beet leaf protein could be processed in many ways as a substitute for animal proteins. “It can be used as a substitute for soy in veggie burgers, for example. But I’ve also made delicious cookies with it,” he said. “There’s not much flavor to the protein itself, but the protein adds a texture to veggie burgers that is lacking with soy, and which makes for a much beefier bite.”

So will you be seeing sugar beet protein on store shelves in the U.S. any time soon?…

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